Venatus levels up publisher revenue with direct bidding

Venatus is an award-winning, global advertising technology platform that connects advertisers to exclusive audiences of 250+ world renowned gaming and entertainment publishers. The company holds an unrivaled track record for helping some of the world’s most recognizable household brands such as EA, Nintendo, and Rovio produce outstanding advertising campaigns. Over the past few years, a surge in the demand for video games has dominated the entertainment sector with the release of next gen consoles and the rise of esports. The industry’s innovations have broadened the appeal of gaming far beyond youth audiences, presenting millions of brands with new opportunities to engage with consumers in ways they hadn’t thought of before.

Amidst advancements in the entertainment and gaming industries, Venatus was uniquely positioned to accelerate their growth with the right investments in people, technology, and partnerships.

Leaning into Criteo’s expertise

Venatus needed a partner that could deliver local and global insights to enable fast growth for the company. As such, Venatus identified Criteo as the technology partner with the right talent and expertise to help connect advertisers, publishers, and audiences to the greatest effect. Criteo and Venatus worked together to launch direct bidder strategies that would maximize revenue by directly connecting Venatus’ premium inventory with Criteo’s premium demand.

“Criteo’s personable and knowledgeable account management provides our business with the dependability we can lean on during key phases of the company’s development,” said Dave Barr, Chief Revenue Officer at Venatus. “The team is proactive and resourceful, creating new opportunities to explore while offering clear rationale to eliminate any concerns.”

Leveraging Criteo’s insights, Venatus refocused their campaigns in the first quarter of 2021 towards producing engaging and hyper-relevant ads that enrich consumer experiences and yield higher returns across platforms throughout the year.

Becoming a consistent, leading player in the tech stack

Venatus’ direct bidder partnership with Criteo consistently drove revenue all the way to the very top tier of Venatus’ demand partners, even in regions where other partners were previously unable to reach. Real-time bidding is based on the value of the user in the moment across demand sources, enabling premium demand to compete best and improve efficiency.

Through working with Criteo, Venatus also boosted returns among publisher partners, who saw an average increase of 58% in cost per mille (CPM) year-on-year. With publishers retaining the full value of every impression, direct spend with Criteo increased 131% year-on-year.

“Criteo is a key long-term partner for Venatus. As the gaming sector continues to grow exponentially, we look forward to continuing to grow alongside each other,” said Dave Barr.