Working with the ad networks, once viewed purely as volume and efficiency drivers, can provide great learnings for your campaigns.
As you can see, adding a small piece of technology to the puzzle can help drive improved results, provide efficiencies in execution, and inform all of your campaigns with learnings across many sites and placements.
Where we once might not have looked to the ad networks for fear of less-than-efficient results, it's now a time to embrace the benefits that many of them can bring to the table beyond scale and pricing.
Just make sure that you work with the ad networks, clearly communicating the goals and objectives of the campaign. They will be able to recommend the best approach based on your needs. Be sure to provide as much data on what has worked and not worked, as well as what you expect to get out of the campaign with the network.
The more informed your ad network partner is, the more they can help you execute the best campaign possible.