Ask anyone who sells for a network what buyers most frequently ask them, and they're likely to say it's the differentiation question. Buyers simply want to know what makes a given network different from its competitors. After all, a single affiliate site might let half a dozen or more networks serve ads into its site, and few affiliates have exclusive relationships anymore. Inventory on a given site simply isn't the differentiator it once was.

While buyers are always interested in where their ad might run, there are a number of other important factors buyers tend to look at when choosing which networks will carry their clients' ads.

Customer service, technology, pricing models, process, ability to clear and network reach are all important factors that can set one network apart from another. An ad network looking to make a name for itself should look to these factors and others in order to showcase to buyers what makes them distinct from the sea of network reps competing for attention.

Buyers want to be able to quickly understand (and speak intelligently to their client about) what makes Network A more desirable on a plan than Network B. To do that, they need to easily understand how each network is positioned-- a difficult task in this day and age when there are dozens of “me, too” networks on the media landscape. Latching on to differentiators is a great way to solidify a network’s position on this landscape. 

For instance, Centro does a great job of positioning itself as a way to make local media buying easy for agencies, and they’re well-known in the industry for this. They’re less likely to be lost in a sea of media options for this reason.