Five Things Independent Agencies Should Look For in an SSP Partner

In recent years, small to mid-sized agencies have leveraged their agility and unique partnerships, leaning into approachable AI and the flexibility of biddable CTV to compete with the industry's largest players. Independent agencies are no longer the underdog, they are defining the next era of advertising.

As a result, selecting the right SSP partner has become critical - not merely for the sake of efficiency, but to strategically amplify your agency's impact. Here are the five most important factors to look for in an SSP that genuinely understands and supports your agency's potential.

1. Demand tier-one treatment

Your agency shouldn't be measured solely by current spend. Instead, it should be evaluated based on growth opportunity, client quality, and strategic vision.

Tired of not receiving the kind of white-glove service that larger platforms often reserve for their top holding company clients? Look for partners who recognize your potential and are committed to your success. This means dedicated account management, access to premium inventory, and strategic planning support that matches what larger agencies receive.

When evaluating potential partners, ask directly about their service model for independent agencies and request references from similar-sized agencies to verify their commitment. At OpenX, we provide dedicated support, tailored strategic insights, and direct access to senior leadership to ensure your agency gets the premium service it deserves.

2. Identify independent growth partners

Your agency thrives on agility, creativity, and innovation. So naturally, your SSP partner should match your pace.

The most effective partnerships blossom when SSPs share similar DNA: nimble, independent, and built to move quickly. Independent agencies need partners who can adapt swiftly to evolving client needs and customize solutions without unnecessary delays. This agility becomes a competitive advantage when competing against larger agencies or responding to urgent client requests.

Look for SSPs like OpenX that offer tailored onboarding, flexible commercial models, and the ability to scale services up or down based on your agency's needs. The right partner will view your independence as an asset, not an obstacle.

3. Prioritize meaningful collaboration

Transactional vendor relationships won't drive your agency forward. The best SSP partners become an extension of your team, offering strategic insights that help you win new business and retain existing clients.

Instead of choosing between autonomy and support, the right partner adapts to your preferences and evolves with your agency's changing needs. For example, OpenXSelect gives you the freedom to grow and collaborate your way - whether you want full access and control via our self-serve curation platform or prefer managed service from a team of expert curators, we've designed our core offering to be flexible for our buy-side partners. That includes offering turnkey and custom deals across formats that can be seamlessly activated in your choice of more than 70 DSPs.

The most valuable SSP partnerships are strategic, long-term collaborations designed to fuel mutual growth through increased spend, more efficient output, and co-innovation.

4. Insist on performance and transparency

While forging the right relationships in digital advertising is incredibly important, nothing matters more than results.

Your SSP partner must deliver both performance-focused solutions and unmatched transparency in media quality and pricing. This dual commitment ensures that you can confidently present ROI data to clients while optimizing campaigns for maximum effectiveness.

OpenX delivers precisely that, with performance-focused solutions like our Results by OpenX™ engagement models and unmatched transparency into inventory and pricing. These capabilities are accessible through intuitive interfaces that don't require extensive technical resources to implement effectively.

Transparency requirements should include clear pricing structures, detailed reporting with log-level data, and comprehensive inventory quality verification. Ask potential partners about their fraud prevention measures, brand safety protocols, and supply chain validation processes. The ability to show your work - and theirs - builds client confidence and justifies media investments.

5. Embrace future-proof tools

Independent agencies need to be more strategic around the edges, finding opportunities in overlooked or niche areas that your bigger competitors might miss.

One area is cookieless environments, including web browsers such as Safari and Firefox, which make up around 30% of all internet users. Seek out partners like OpenX that offer comprehensive identity solutions as a one-stop shop. The result of persistent universal identifiers within the industry's largest independent identity graph means expanding addressable audiences, helping you win in cookieless environments. For example, when the ID5 ID is present, OpenX deals delivered a 58 percent increase in reach across Safari desktop and a 37 percent increase in reach on mobile web compared to cookie-based traffic.

This type of interoperable targeting can be layered onto curated packages. And because it's integrated on the supply side, it often reduces unnecessary steps in the buying process, improving performance and increasing reach.

A true partner, not just a platform

The difference between a vendor and a partner becomes clear when you move beyond the initial RFP process. True SSP partners provide ongoing strategic support that evolves with your agency's growth.

As the most innovative independent SSP in the industry, OpenX offers:

• Quarterly business reviews tailored to your specific goals and challenges
• Proactive media planning that helps you prepare for client presentations
• Early access to product innovations that keep your agency ahead of market trends
• Co-marketing opportunities that elevate your agency's brand within the industry

In short, we understand that your success directly impacts our success, which is why we've built our entire approach around supporting independent agency growth. Let's build something extraordinary together.

Ready to demand more from your SSP? Contact us today to learn how we're redefining what independent agencies should expect from their programmatic partners.