Hidden Fees, Redundant Bids & Waste—Why SPO is the Essential Strategy for Programmatic Success in 2025

Are You Paying for Media—or Adding Value?

Are you sure your programmatic dollars are reaching publishers? 

The uncomfortable truth is that at least 40-60% of ad spend vanishes before an ad lands on a real website.

That’s not just an efficiency issue—it’s a profitability and sustainability problem.

For years, we’ve trusted the programmatic ecosystem to do its job: optimize at scale, deliver premium inventory, and keep costs in check. But inefficiencies have crept in—hidden fees, redundant bids, and supply path complexity quietly drain your bottom line.

And here’s the kicker: these inefficiencies don’t just impact financial performance. They also contribute to unnecessary carbon emissions, making sustainable media buying a growing priority for brands and agencies alike.

SPO Isn’t Just an Efficiency Play—It’s a Strategic Imperative

Advertisers and publishers need more than transparency—they need trusted partners, whether technology providers, agencies, or consultative experts, who can help them navigate the evolving programmatic landscape. That’s why Supply Path Optimization (SPO) isn’t just about cost-cutting—it’s about smarter, more strategic media buying.

What’s Draining Your Ad Budget?

1. Hidden Fees & Zero Transparency: 

• Some SSPs take 30-40% in hidden fees before your bid even reaches a publisher.
• Solution? Work with partners that provide full transparency into where your dollars are actually going.
• Example: A Fortune 500 advertiser uncovered $8M in hidden fees through an SPO audit. By reallocating their spend to transparent SSPs, they boosted ROI by 25%.

1.  Bid Duplication = Wasted Spend

• Advertisers often compete against themselves, bidding multiple times on the same inventory through different SSPs, inflating CPMs in the process.
• Solution? Optimize and consolidate supply paths with strategic partners that help identify and eliminate redundant bid requests.
• Example: A major retailer cut redundant SSPs by 50%, reducing CPMs by 18% and increasing win rates by 25%.

1. Sustainability Isn’t Just a Buzzword—It’s a Business Strategy

• Every unnecessary bid request and redundant auction adds to your carbon footprint.
• Solution? SPO isn’t just about efficiency—it’s a step toward more responsible advertising, aligning with ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) commitments that many enterprises prioritize today. Major brands like Unilever and Microsoft have already integrated SPO into their ESG strategies to enhance transparency and reduce carbon emissions in programmatic advertising.
• Example: Scope3, a leader in sustainable advertising, helped a global brand cut programmatic emissions by 32% just by optimizing supply paths.

The Senior Leader’s Playbook for Smarter SPO

If you’re managing multi-million-dollar media budgets, you need the right strategy and the right partners. Here’s how to take control:

1. Audit Your Supply Chain
   • Identify every SSP you work with—do you really need all of them?
   • Use tools like Scope3, DoubleVerify, or IAS to assess inefficiencies.
2. Partner with High-Value SSPs & Technology Providers
   • Work with trusted partners who offer transparency, premium inventory, and fraud protection.
   • Direct publisher relationships should always take priority, but strategic collaboration with technology partners enhances efficiency.
3. Negotiate Smarter Deals
   • Shift budgets to private marketplaces (PMPs) and curated deals.
   • Leverage volume-based pricing for efficiency gains.
   • Case Study: P&G reduced SSPs from 12 to 3, slashing costs by 15% while improving campaign performance.
4. Leverage AI & Automation for Continuous Optimization
   • Platforms like The Trade Desk’s Koa analyze bid patterns to optimize in real time, leveraging machine learning to evaluate auction dynamics and improve efficiency. Unlike other AI-driven SPO solutions, Koa differentiates itself by using a unique combination of predictive algorithms and real-time bidding insights to minimize redundant spend, prioritize high-quality impressions, and maximize return on ad spend (ROAS). Unlike traditional bid management, Koa uses predictive algorithms to enhance bidding strategies, reduce redundant spend, and maximize return on ad spend (ROAS).
   • AI-driven SPO ensures you’re always bidding on the most cost-effective and high-quality path.

The Bottom Line? SPO is About Smarter, More Strategic Buying

2025 will be the year of intelligent, more sustainable programmatic buying.

• Rising Costs: Without SPO, you’ll keep paying unnecessary fees.
• Lower ROI: Your campaigns will continue to suffer inefficiencies.
• Sustainability Pressure: Brands with aggressive net-zero goals will outpace those who ignore the environmental impact of advertising.

Partnering for the Future of Programmatic

As the industry evolves, having a strategic partner who understands the complexities of the supply chain is key. A well-executed SPO strategy doesn’t just optimize spend—it builds a foundation for long-term efficiency, sustainability, and performance.

We believe that SPO should be more than an initiative—it should be a core part of your media strategy. Whether you’re refining your approach or just getting started, our team is here to help you navigate the path forward.

By working together, we can ensure that your programmatic investments are driving real value—efficiently, transparently, and sustainably.

Let’s discuss how we can optimize your programmatic strategy today.