NZ: Publishers combine for “transformative” move

New Zealand has turned its head away from Australian advertising offerings, choosing instead to focus on a local exchange service. This sees Fairfax Media, MediaWorks, NZME and TVNZ all combine to create the Kiwi Premium Advertising Exchange (KPEX).

What does this mean for Kiwi agencies and clients? It will allow a way to purchase programmatic online advertising inventory across NZ’s media scape. The four media giants will work together in the initial offerings, with other local publishers shortly expected to contribute different inventory in time.

KPEX consulting CEO Duncan Arthur told Adnews that the move is “transformative”. "It's an exciting initiative and the first time NZ media companies have pooled their inventory to provide the necessary scale for a private marketplace,” says Arthur.

"Advertisers want the efficiency of real-time bidding and the certainty that their ads will appear in brand-safe environments next to quality New Zealand content.”

The move not only reflects a preference for localised services, but a growing trend towards programmatic offerings in digital media. Adnews reported that there has been a projected 52 per cent growth in the sales of programmatic sales in this year alone.