Unlocking More Value From Vertical Video

This post was written by Meital Goldberg, Product Manager at Start.io.

Vertical video has become a key part of how consumers engage with content on mobile. For publishers, it creates engaging, mobile-first inventory. For advertisers, it offers an immersive format designed to capture attention.

At Start.io, we’re helping supply and demand partners make the most of this growing opportunity by bringing high-quality vertical video inventory into the programmatic ecosystem, with the ability to layer in Start.io’s rich audience targeting capabilities when needed.

What This Means for Demand Partners:

For demand partners, targetable vertical video opens up new opportunities to incorporate vertical video into broader audience strategies.

Reach relevant audiences in a high-impact format
Buyers can apply audience strategies to vertical video rather than treating the format as a standalone inventory type.

Expand campaign reach
Targetable vertical video can provide access to additional mobile video inventory and help buyers reach audiences beyond their existing video supply.

Combine audience and creative strategy
The combination of audience signals and an immersive 9:16 format allows advertisers to align who they want to reach with how they want to engage them.

Access more addressable supply
As more publishers make vertical video inventory available, audience targeting can help buyers discover and activate supply that aligns with their campaign objectives.

What This Means for Supply Partners:

For publishers, audience targeting can make vertical video inventory more addressable to the demand side.

Make inventory accessible to more buying strategies
Targetable inventory can align vertical video with campaigns that have specific audience requirements, helping supply participate in a wider range of demand.

Increase the value of audience signals
Publishers can bring audience insights into the transaction, allowing buyers to evaluate impressions based not only on the content environment, but also on the audience they can reach.

Unlock new opportunities for vertical video
Rather than positioning vertical video as a niche format, audience targeting helps integrate it into broader programmatic buying strategies.

Create a stronger connection between content and demand
When audience signals, inventory characteristics, and buyer requirements can come together in the auction, both sides have more opportunities to find the right match.

Connecting Supply and Demand:

The opportunity with vertical video goes beyond the format itself. By bringing engaging mobile-first inventory together with strong programmatic demand and Start.io’s audience intelligence, we can create more opportunities for buyers to reach consumers and for publishers to monetize their content.

As vertical video continues to grow, Start.io helps connect the right inventory, audiences, and demand to unlock more value across the ecosystem.