DoubleClick
March 07, 2018

DoubleClick

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with DoubleClick

DoubleClick is the third-party ad server used across our entire digital media department. Using DCM allows us to track and monitor the performance of digital campaigns. With these metric insights we can not only track delivery of the campaign but also set up specific conversions for the campaign or client. Doubleclick gives our organization more control of the digital media that is running on various sites.
  • One of the biggest advantages of using DoubleClick is the conversion/pixel platform. The platform allows you to customize variables for conversions and then send to your clients' site manager or developers. A huge plus in using DCM floodlight conversions is that they track both views and click through which Google Analytics does not.
  • DoubleClick also allows you not only track display media but search as well. DCM being a Google company consolidates both display and search invoices for clients together which makes it easier for billing purposes.
  • The overall DCM platform is very user-friendly and allows you to update creative assets very easily. This has often been a time-consuming process in our ad servers that I've used in the past. I feel as though DCM is very easy to navigate and learn in general. Prior to my position now, I had never used DCM and only took a few weeks to learn.
  • One issue I often run into for DoubleClick can be the editing tool in management. This tool allows you to update a number of things from placement or creative name to the landing page the creative should drive to. The problem that occurs is you're unable to click on the tool and typically to close your browser and restart DCM or your computer. This can be an inconvenience when you are in the midst of trafficking a campaign.
  • When I first started using DCM, you could upload HTML5 creative assets on the campaign level which worked great. As of late they no longer allow you to upload to campaign but rather to advertiser. Adding this step, you have to upload creative from the advertiser to campaign which adds another step in the process of trafficking.
  • Within DoubleClick Managment (DCM) there are placements, ads, and creatives. The ads are created after a creative unit is assigned to the placement. I've noticed sometimes the ads default to "inactive" which doesn't allow you to track the unit. I have not figured out how to prevent this rather I just ensure all ads are set as "active".
  • Most clients that we use DCM for don't have a direct ROI we can use as a basis for as that is internal data. When measuring if the platform makes sense I think you have to look at media display dollars spent and if you want to ensure that client their dollars are being tracked and monitored accurately.
  • Flashtalking and Atlas by Facebook
I believe that DoubeClick is the best third-party ad server that I've used in the trafficking space. Although I did have a few years of experience using Flashtalking and Atlas, I'd prefer DCM. In my opinion the custom conversion and attribution models in DCM allow you to provide more granular media metrics in reporting.
DoubleClick is a great platform to use if your clients are interested in seeing a number of metrics outside of the standard clicks/impressions from a campaign. It would also be necessary for the digital display campaigns you have running that have significant budgets as DCM is billed on a CPM basis. For video specific campaigns you can track a number of granular metrics that you would otherwise rely on the site to provide.

I wouldn't suggest trafficking display campaigns that don't have significant budgets because there won't be much insight to gain from minimal budget or dollars spent.

Google Marketing Platform Feature Ratings

Ad campaign creation
8
Ad deployment
8
Display advertising
9
Ad display and retargeting segmentation
7
Sequence targeting
Not Rated
Data Transfer
6
DSP integration
7
Ad dashboards
7
Ad performance reports
6
Ad conversion tracking
8
Ad attribution reporting
8
Ad forecasting and optimization
7