Paid media fundamentals

DV360

Last updated:

Mar 14, 2023

Learn about DV360 and how it can help you reach your target audience. Discover the best practices for using DV360 and how to create effective targeting strategies.

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James Deeney

James Deeney

Senior Content Manager

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DV360, formerly known as DoubleClick Bid Manager, is a demand-side platform (DSP) designed for programmatic advertising. It allows advertisers to manage and optimise their digital advertising campaigns across various ad exchanges and supply-side platforms (SSPs). DV360 is part of the Google Marketing Platform, which also includes Google Ads, Analytics, and other tools for digital marketing.

How It Works

Here's how DV360 works:

  1. Advertisers create a campaign in DV360, setting their desired target audience and budget.
  2. DV360 uses algorithms to determine which ad impressions are the most likely to meet the advertiser's goals, based on the target audience and budget.
  3. DV360 sends a bid request to the ad exchange, which includes information about the ad and the target audience.
  4. The ad exchange compares the bid to others from other advertisers and selects the highest bid.
  5. If the bid is accepted, DV360 serves the ad to the target audience.
  6. DV360 tracks the performance of the ad and provides analytics to the advertiser, allowing them to optimise the campaign and improve results.

Key Features of DV360

DV360 offers a range of features to help advertisers manage and optimise their programmatic advertising campaigns, including:

  • Audience targeting: DV360 allows advertisers to target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, behaviours, and location. Advertisers can also create custom audiences based on their own customer data.
  • Real-time bidding: DV360 uses real-time bidding to allow advertisers to bid on ad impressions in real-time, based on their desired target audience and budget.
  • Cross-device tracking: DV360 allows advertisers to track and measure the performance of their ads across multiple devices, including desktop, mobile, and tablet.
  • Integrations: DV360 integrates with other Google Marketing Platform tools, such as Google Ads and Analytics, allowing advertisers to manage all of their digital marketing efforts in one place.
  • Reporting and analytics: DV360 provides in-depth reporting and analytics, including data on impressions, clicks, conversions, and more, allowing advertisers to measure the performance of their campaigns and optimise for better results.

Limitations of DV360

There are also some limitations to consider when using DV360, including:

  • Cost: DV360 charges a fee for its services, which can be a significant cost for advertisers. The cost of using DV360 will depend on the specific campaign goals and budget, as well as the level of competition for ad space.
  • Complexity: DV360 can be complex to use, especially for advertisers who are new to programmatic advertising. It can take time to learn how to set up and optimise campaigns, and advertisers may need to invest in training or hire experts to get the most out of DV360.
  • Lack of transparency: Some advertisers have raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the programmatic advertising industry, including the lack of visibility into how ad bids are evaluated and the fees charged by intermediaries. While DV360 has taken steps to increase transparency, some advertisers may still have concerns about the lack of visibility into the programmatic advertising process.

Examples of DV360 in Action

Here are a few examples of how DV360 can be used to achieve specific advertising goals:

  • Branding: An advertiser looking to improve brand awareness might use DV360 to target specific audiences with display ads that showcase their brand. By targeting relevant audiences and using strong creative, the advertiser can increase brand awareness and reach new potential customers.
  • Lead generation: An advertiser looking to generate leads might use DV360 to target audiences with ads that lead to a landing page with a form for collecting leads. By targeting relevant audiences and optimising the ad copy and landing page for conversions, the advertiser can generate high-quality leads.
  • E-commerce: An e-commerce advertiser looking to drive sales might use DV360 to target audiences with product ads that lead to their online store. By targeting relevant audiences and optimising the ad copy and landing page for conversions, the advertiser can drive sales and increase revenue.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between DV360 and Google Ads?

DV360 and Google Ads are both part of the Google Marketing Platform, but they serve different purposes. Google Ads is a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platform that allows advertisers to create and run search, display, and video ads on Google and its partner sites. DV360, on the other hand, is a DSP that allows advertisers to manage and optimise their programmatic advertising campaigns across multiple ad exchanges and SSPs. While both tools can be used to reach specific audiences, they use different methods to do so and are suited to different types of advertising goals.

FeatureDV360Google Ads
Advertising modelProgrammaticPPC
Ad formatDisplay, videoSearch, display, video
PricingCPM, CPA, CPCPPC
TargetingDemographics, interests, behaviors, locationKeywords, demographics, interests, behaviors, location
Integration with other Google toolsYesYes

Can DV360 be used for display and video advertising?

Yes, DV360 can be used for both display and video advertising. Advertisers can use DV360 to create and run display ads on websites and mobile apps, as well as video ads on platforms such as YouTube and other video streaming sites. DV360 allows advertisers to target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, behaviours, and location, and provides in-depth reporting and analytics to help advertisers measure the performance of their campaigns.

Is DV360 only available to large advertisers?

DV360 is available to advertisers of all sizes, although it is generally more suitable for larger advertisers with larger budgets. While DV360 can be an effective tool for smaller advertisers, it may be more cost-effective to use other advertising platforms, such as Google Ads, which offer pay-per-click pricing and may be more suitable for smaller budgets.

Can DV360 be used for international campaigns?

Yes, DV360 can be used for international campaigns. Advertisers can use DV360 to target specific countries and languages, and to optimise their campaigns for different cultures and markets. DV360 also offers integration with Google Translate, which allows advertisers to easily translate their ad copy and landing pages into different languages.