Google offers marketers two excellent platforms for buying programmatic campaigns, Google AdWords (via the Google Display Network) and DoubleClick Bid Manager (DBM).
Despite both having equally effective programmatic capabilities for marketers looking to buy digital advertising, the two platforms are quite different from each other based on the available features and capabilities each uniquely offers digital marketers.
In order to bring clarity to the two platforms, we will be analyzing the precise differences between AdWords and DBM and then identifying which buying platform, or whether both used in parallel, would perhaps be most correct strategy for your company’s current programmatic media buying activities and goals.
Introduction
Google AdWords is Google’s famous advertising service for businesses wanting to display ads on Google and its advertising network. The AdWords program enables businesses to set a budget for advertising and only pay when people click the CPC ads. The ad service is largely focused on keywords.
DoubleClick Bid Manager (DBM) is Google’s demand side platform (DSP) that offers agencies, trading desks, and advertisers access to the world’s most exclusive collection of display, video, native and mobile inventory available in real-time.
Often claimed to be the most premium solution in a marketers programmatic advertising portfolio, DBM ensures media buyers the best opportunity to reach the highest level of bidding, targeting and optimization available for launching programmatic ad campaigns.
As we will discuss below, advertisers have the ability to organize and align all of their programmatic buying options within DBM.
Key Features – AdWords vs. DoubleClick Bid Manager (DBM)
Creative Options
AdWords GDN – Text, Image and Video Ads
DBM – Image, Rich Media, Native and Video Ads
Third Party Data
AdWords
The AdWords GDN does not have third-party targeting capabilities, meaning that you are reaching relevant users on the GDN. Within the network, you can target based on demographics, interests, topics and even seek out users currently interested in a specific product or service through display and search.
DBM
Savvy marketers already using third-party data are well aware of the advantages DBM offers. By offering the ability to find the users who could be the ones most interested in your solutions, companies can aim to target the people most likely to convert or purchase.
DBM provides marketers access to 35 third party providers, which allows you to find users that are similar to your current website visitors, i.e., the types of people who are currently searching for the products/solutions that you offer, and specific demographics or affinity segments.
Device Targeting / Reach
AdWords GDN
- AdWords is limited to buying only on the Google Display Network (GDN).
- Location and language targeting
- Keyword targeting
- Device targeting
- Remarketing to users whom have previously visited your website
DBM
- Integrated with inventory from more than 100 Ad Exchanges and includes approx. 1 billion websites
- Advertise across all screens (Desktop, Mobile, Tablet, Smart TV)
- Advanced Targeting capabilities – Locate and target your current and desired customers based on specific demographics, interests and their purchase intent by using Google’s data.
- Ability to reach people from your existing remarketing list.
- A DSP like DBM can reach a high value audiences at an unmatched speed and scope
- DBM offers buyers the ability to use Data Management Platforms (DMP) integration by combining first and third party data to enable buyers to seek out audiences whom have either visited or not visited your website
- Use your cookies and floodlights to reach and monitor your target users in DBM
- Data created from DBM can be used and monitored throughout DoubleClick on the buy-side
Unification with DoubleClick
AdWords GDN
- Not integrated with the DoubleClick network
DBM
- Use your cookies and floodlights to reach and monitor your target users in DoubleClick
- Data created from DBM can be used and monitored throughout DoubleClick
Private Market Place (PMPs) & Programmatic Guaranteed (PG)
AdWords
Limited to real-time bidding (RTB), buying ads through computer-run, real-time auctions. The buyer/advertiser only knows the category, not the actual website that the ads will appear on. This means that AdWords buyers do not have access to DBM’s premium auctions, PMPs and direct buying opportunitites.
DBM
Distinguishes itself from AdWords by giving marketers the ability to target premium inventory available from high trafficked websites across the world.
Private Marketplace (PMP) – An invitation only RTB auction where one publisher or a group of select publishers invite specific buyers to bid on inventory. The buyer/advertiser knows precisely which sites and ad placements their advertisements will appear on.
Programmatic Direct – Method for advertisers to automate direct ad buys for premium campaigns. Programmatic direct incorporates both guaranteed and non-guaranteed contracts. Programmatic direct differs from real-time bidding in that it is a guaranteed-buy rather than an auction like RTB. Publishers and advertisers are adopting programmatic direct because it allows for premium purchases to be conducted programmatically rather than through the traditional method of direct ad buys.
This is made possible through PMPs and private auctions being available on DBM, where premium websites make specific inventory available to a pre-chosen group of buyers. In addition, buyers can also purchase a set amount of impressions to a particular website’s inventory through DBM.
Bidding Options
AdWords (GDN)
- Automated Bidding
- Custom Bids – Bidding based on specific targeting methods chosen within an ad group
- Bid Adjustments – Gives user the ability to increase/decrease bids based on a set percentage
DBM
All-in-one Solution – Marketers can choose from a variety of options for buying programmatically including programmatic guaranteed, direct deals and open exchange.
Enhanced Bidding Technology – manage multiple bidding strategies
- Manual – Going through the ads one by one and adjusting the bid
- Automatic bidding – Automatically adjusts bids based on the performance goals set
- DoubleClick Bid Manager’s interface allows marketers to plan, seek and purchase premium media within the platform interface.
- Simplified Buying Process – DoubleClick Bid Manager allows marketers to build, execute and measure campaigns across desktop, mobile and video all within DBM.
Video Exchanges
Both GDN and DBM allow marketers to purchase video ads on YouTube – in-stream, in-search (only GDN), in-display.
Specifically, the core difference between the two platforms is AdWords is only connected to the YouTube exchange whereas DBM’s power lies in its ability to access to over 35 video exchanges.
Premium video inventory – Buy brand-safe video inventory for YouTube and TV programmatically through Google Partner Select, DBM’s premium video marketplace.
It is important to mention that DBM’s immence strength for video is a huge reason for adding DBM. Since AdWords is limited to the YouTube network, DBM’s ability to offer 35 additional exchanges offers a huge advantage for a marketer looking to launch video campaigns and would like to diversify and expand out the campaigns as far and wide as possible.
Reporting and Optimization
AdWords Reports
AdWords offers marketers reports which highlight post-click performance and important metrics about the users.
AdWords Reports Cover: Acquisition-Behavior-Conversion (ABC) cycle:
- User acquisition paths
- User behavior on site
- Conversion patterns.
AdWords reports show important metrics from both AdWords (Clicks) and Analytics (Bounce Rate).
DBM
- Full reporting of more than 35 dimensions and 50 metrics for viewing the essential metrics of a campaign.
- Funnel Analytics Measurement – Deep dive into all of your real-time analytics data to investigate whether your campaigns are reaching the right audiences and converting into leads.
- Precise Campaign Management – Develop and manage your campaigns using Google’s advanced algorithms to adjust and optimize your bids to reach your specific campaign goals.
- DBM allows marketers to view the number of impression, ad clicks and specific website conversions that originated from the ad campaign
Should you add DoubleClick Bid Manager?
Yes. DBM will expand and benefit your current abilities to reach your intended audiences. Though you may be asking, “Why switch things up when AdWords is working well?” We’re certain that if you’re asking this question, then your AdWords campaigns are probably experiencing positive ROI at a low cost. We would like to congratulate you, well done.
But the central thesis of this article isn’t to try persuade your company to ditch your AdWords account in favor of a shiny, new DoubleClick Bid Manager account.
Rather, as a DoubleClick Certified Marketing Partner (DCMP), we would be remiss to ignore the massive benefits AdWords yields and the success it is potentially already bringing to your company from running ads on the GDN. So, our recommendation is that you should add DBM and keep your AdWords account.
The fact that perhaps you are opening a discussion about DBM within your marketing plans reflects the advanced nature of where your company’s digital marketing progress is in general. More specifically, if you’re looking to conquer the next digital frontier with your campaigns, DoubleClick Bid Manager is indeed the next building block after AdWords for digital marketers aiming to perhaps take on online video advertising and higher budgets for display advertising on premium websites.
Our perspective is that advertisers should segment DBM and AdWords to each run specific campaigns in parallel in order to challenge each other and test each platform’s ability to achieve positive ROI. We believe that it is a positive approach to reach new audiences and earn better results. If your company is beginning to feel as though it needs to diversify itself into new exchanges, we can assist you in the decision to begin using DoubleClick Bid Manager (DBM) in order to progress forward with AdWords and DoubleClick Bid Manager (DBM).
At Total Media, we have an abundance of experience working with premium advertisers seeking to maximize their ROI through AdWords and DBM. If you would like to begin using DoubleClick Bid Manager (DBM) and are not sure how to begin or how to best use DBM, we can help you with everything along the way.
Feel free to sign up for DBM below or contact us if you have any questions.
Brian Blondy is the Marketing Manager at Total Media. You can contact Brian by email at brian@totalmediasolutions.com or on LinkedIn
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