CANNES — Could 2.6 help the world achieve 1.5?

Of course, the new OpenRTB protocol version 2.6 won’t help limit global average temperature increase to 1.5ºC by itself.

But, in this video interview with Beet.TV, Alex Gardner, Chief Revenue Officer, Index Exchange, says it could help.

Leaning in to CTV

Released in 2022, OpenRTB 2.6 is the latest version of the IAB Tech Lab-convened protocol for real-time ad buying platforms.

Key updates include features for connected TV ads – namely, podded requests and CPM per second.

OpenRTB Update Brings ‘Huge’ CTV Upgrade: Publica’s Wilhite

The rapid rise in CTV consumption patterns has not been met with the necessary evolution in standards, believes Gardner.

However, he highlights the recent collaboration between the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Tech Lab and his product team, leading to the development of the new OpenRTB protocol version 2.6. He argues that this allows for better signal quality, competitive separation, avoidance of ad duplication, and improved optimization and yield controls for buyers.

“The opportunities are meaningful, and so we’re really trying to push for these standards to be widely adopted… Is it the final resting point? No, it’s 2.6. It’s not 3.0 just yet… but certainly a meaningful step forward now, in order for us to fully capitalize on the opportunity we all need to get on board,” Gardner explains.

Indexing on CTV

Index Exchange is a technology company and one of the largest global independent ad exchanges. It operates in the digital advertising industry, facilitating the buying and selling of digital ad inventory in real-time through programmatic advertising.

Its platform allows advertisers to target specific audiences and display ads on relevant websites and apps, while publishers can maximize their ad revenue by auctioning their inventory to the highest bidder.

Gardner admits that CTV is relatively new territory for Index Exchange. However, recognizing the medium’s importance and impressive growth during the pandemic, the company has been investing heavily into it.

“It’s seen meteoric growth… and so in that period, we’ve really started to invest heavily into the channel… The opportunity to bring advertising in a really lean-back, living-room type of setting, is one that’s particularly exciting for us,” Gardner says.

Sustainability: An Added Dimension to 2.6

Beyond commercial benefits, Gardner highlights sustainability as a crucial advantage of the 2.6 protocol.

A recent case study involving Index Exchange, Trade Desk, and Scope 3 for measurement demonstrated an 84% reduction in carbon emissions when leveraging the new protocol.

“The opportunities are significant both commercially, but sustainability is a really important aspect to this as well… It’s why we’re advocating so passionately for it, because it’s really an all boats rise scenario,” he stresses.

You are watching ‘The Transformation Of Television: Connected, Addressable & Outcome-Based,’ presented by Go Addressable & Teads at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. For more videos from Beet.TV’s Cannes Lions 2023 coverage, please visit this page.

By Robert Andrews on    @robertandrews