A DSP — demand-side platform — is the buying-side software in the programmatic advertising ecosystem. Brands and agencies use DSPs to manage their programmatic ad campaigns: setting targeting parameters (audience, geography, daypart, device), bidding on inventory in real-time auctions, capping budgets and frequency, and pulling performance reports.
The DSP connects through ad exchanges to SSPs (supply-side platforms), which aggregate ad inventory from publishers and venue networks. For programmatic DOOH, DSPs connect to DOOH-specific SSPs like Vistar Media, Place Exchange, and Hivestack, which aggregate inventory from venue networks (gas stations, bar TVs, gyms, rideshare).
Highfloor's programmatic layer typically runs through a DSP that's already in the brand's media stack. We can also operate the buy on the brand's behalf if the brand doesn't have a programmatic team in place.