5 media consumers instructed ADWEEK they found they have been shopping for by means of Epsilon SSP by way of reseller paths with out realizing it. All 5 have since blocked the platform—one as a part of a broader crackdown on reseller site visitors, one on account of media high quality considerations, and three particularly to keep away from sending cash and knowledge to Publicis.
One Fortune 500 model unintentionally purchased 10 million impressions resold by Epsilon SSP between July 2023 and April 2024 by way of SSPs like PubMatic and Magnite, in accordance with an in-house media purchaser talking on situation of anonymity. PubMatic identified that advertisers choose their very own media shopping for methods and partnerships, and underscored the top quality of the media it represents. Magnite declined to remark.
The customer argued that Epsilon SSP is “taking margin…and decreasing working media for manufacturers which will or will not be Publicis purchasers,” including that “the potential for it to be an issue, and a battle of curiosity, is very large.”
The corporate has since eradicated most reseller paths. The customer additionally famous that Epsilon SSP wouldn’t be thought of as a possible provide companion for the model in any respect as a result of “an SSP owned by a holdco could be working with incentives that don’t align properly with advertiser aims.”
A special agency-side purchaser stated they felt “offended and annoyed” after unwittingly shopping for Epsilon SSP’s stock by means of different SSPs for a number of purchasers final 12 months. The customer blocked Epsilon SSP from all of its provide paths, citing considerations about self-preferencing.
They added: “I’m not within the enterprise of funding a competitor.”
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