Header bidding, a specific implementation of programmatic advertising that allows ad buyers greater access to publisher inventory—even inventory once set aside for direct advertisers—is making it easier for ad buyers to access premium app inventory, but before mass implementation can occur, server-to-server issues must be sorted out.
“Right now, the industry is in the super early stages of in-app header bidding,” said Anne Frisbie, senior vice president of global brand and programmatic at mobile ad exchange InMobi. “A very low percentage of inventory is flowing today via header-bidding scenarios. And it’s going to be a small percentage of inventory for the next few years because it’s so new, and there’s a lot of learning that needs to go into it.”