Programmatic buying comes to print

A new venture has been launched under the auspices of media auditing firm BPA Worldwide to allow for automatic buying of print media ads on behalf member publishers and to the benefit of their clients. 

In other words it allows for "offline" media buying, including print, e-letters, directory ads and other products in addition to the usual online digital ads. It expands the B2B Media Exchange which was earlier launched by BPAWW and is the result of a collaboration between BPA and Paris-based Adwanted.com. (See story presented in Publishing Executive.) 

Publishers are able to offer advertisers the entire buying process, including media insertion orders, terms and conditions -- in fact the entire menu of services to clients -- only expanded to include traditional print products. Similar automated services are being offered in Europe at Lagardere (Elle, Paris Match, etc.), Group Marie Claire (Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan), Mondadori (Grazia, Auto Plus), as well as Le Monde and Les Echos.