An independent agency has slashed its SSP partners to single digits. Goodway Group’s supply-path optimization efforts now focus on direct supply and quality media, aiming to boost efficiency and cut costs.
Independent ad agency Goodway Group has sharply reduced the number of supply-side platforms (SSPs) it works with, moving from about 20 partners at the end of 2024 to just single digits. This shift comes after the agency implemented its own supply-path optimization (SPO) strategy, prioritizing direct supply paths and higher-quality media to improve campaign efficiency and lower costs for clients.
Goodway Group began its SPO efforts in 2019, well before major platforms like The Trade Desk launched OpenPath in 2022 and SSPs such as PubMatic and Magnite introduced direct-to-buyer connections. The agency collaborated with Jounce Media to develop its own SPO initiative, Goodpath, which tested whether focusing on a select group of SSPs and integrating direct-to-publisher solutions could still deliver campaign scale. According to Andrea Kwiatek, director of strategic partnerships at Goodway Group, the approach proved successful, leading to a significant reduction in SSP partners over the past year.
While Goodway Group has not disclosed the names of its remaining SSP partners, Kwiatek said the agency favors SSPs that offer direct-to-buyer supply paths and are proactive in removing unnecessary resellers and cleaning up made-for-advertising (MFA) inventory. The agency also tests new agentic AI sales tools with select SSPs but maintains that a willingness to provide transparency and eliminate undesirable supply is a key factor in ongoing partnerships.
Tom Swierczewski, VP of media investment and partnerships at Goodway Group, explained that the agency typically starts by identifying target publishers for a campaign, then works with those publishers to determine the best supply paths. In many cases, this still involves bidding through an SSP, as not all publishers can scale their inventory directly. Swierczewski noted that using SSPs also provides third-party verification and simplifies tasks like frequency capping and cross-publisher targeting.
Despite these controls, unwanted inventory can still enter campaigns through off-site audience extension and resellers. To address this, Goodway Group has worked with Jounce Media to curate an inclusion list of premium publishers and has asked SSPs to provide SupplyChain object reports for greater transparency. Kwiatek said this accountability helps the agency quickly resolve issues such as unexpected MFA inventory or excessive intermediary hops in supply paths.
Chris Kane, founder of Jounce Media, reported that about 32% of open-auction bid requests involve the resale of non-exclusive inventory, but only 22% of ad spend typically goes to these requests. Goodway Group, however, has reduced its spend on non-exclusive inventory to just 2% through its SPO efforts. The agency claims that its Goodpath initiative has resulted in 28% more ad spend reaching working media, 10% to 20% lower fees compared to standard DSP marketplace packages, and 25% to 30% improvements in verified human traffic from preferred supply paths. Additionally, Goodway Group has cut CPMs for CTV, online video, and audio by up to 40%.
As Goodway Group and Jounce Media continue to refine their SPO approach, they are now examining how direct supply paths and high-quality media correlate with ad performance and business outcomes. Kane emphasized that the main benefit of focusing on supply-path quality is building trust with partners. He also noted that other agencies can replicate Goodway Group’s SPO model at scale, thanks to industry standards like the SupplyChain object and improved campaign reporting. Kane said that while ongoing analysis is required, Goodway Group demonstrates that delivering nearly all ad investment through direct, trusted paths is achievable.
For additional perspective on how shifts in digital distribution are affecting publishers and agencies, see this analysis of recent data showing declines in direct news traffic and subscription growth.
