Lessons/Programmatic 101/Lesson 5
Vol. I, No. 5 · Programmatic 101
The four ways to buy programmatically
"Programmatic" doesn't just mean open auction.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Lesson 5 of 9
SyllabusAll 9 lessons
Programmatic 101 · course overview- 01The life of a programmatic impression
- 02Buy side vs. sell side: who sits where
- 03Auctions: first price, second price, and floors
- 04Waterfall vs. header bidding
- 05The four ways to buy programmatically
- 06How data and identity reach a bid
- 07Supply path optimization and supply chain quality
- 08Measuring programmatic: from impression to incremental outcome
- 09Where programmatic is going
Learning objectives
By the end of this lesson, you can:
- Distinguish open auction, private marketplace, preferred deal, and programmatic guaranteed.
- Choose the right deal type for a given goal (scale, control, or certainty).
- Know what a Deal ID does and where curation fits.
The lesson
Two questions define every deal: is the volume guaranteed, and is the price fixed or set by auction? Answer those and you've placed the deal on the map. Open auction gives you reach, PMPs give you curated quality, preferred deals give you a first look, and programmatic guaranteed gives you the certainty of a direct buy with automated plumbing.
Answer those and you've placed the deal on the map.
Lesson 05 · The four ways to buy programmatically
What's the Big Idea? Key takeaways
- Two questions place any deal: is volume guaranteed, and is price fixed?
- Open auction buys reach; PMPs and preferred deals buy control.
- Programmatic guaranteed is a direct buy on programmatic pipes.