What caused the sudden 30% decrease in bid requests for TripleLift's CTV inventory over the past week?

Introduction

The sudden 30% decrease in bid requests for TripleLift's CTV inventory over the past week is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This analysis will systematically identify, validate, and address the root cause while considering both short-term and long-term implications for our CTV advertising platform.

I'll approach this problem by first clarifying key details, ruling out external factors, and then diving deep into our product ecosystem. We'll break down the metric, gather relevant data, form hypotheses, and conduct a thorough root cause analysis. Finally, we'll develop a comprehensive plan to validate our findings and implement solutions.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking this could be related to a recent platform update. Have there been any significant changes to our CTV inventory management system in the past two weeks?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with sudden metric shifts. Expected answer: Yes, we rolled out a new inventory categorization feature. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd focus on the new feature's implementation and its effects on bid requests.

• Given the specificity of the 30% decrease, I'm curious about our measurement accuracy. Has there been any change in how we track or calculate bid requests recently?

Why it matters: Ensures we're addressing a real issue, not a measurement anomaly. Expected answer: No changes to tracking methods. Impact on approach: If there were changes, we'd need to audit our analytics system first.

• Considering the CTV market's volatility, I'm wondering if this decrease is uniform across all inventory types. Are certain content categories or dayparts more affected than others?

Why it matters: Helps identify if the issue is global or specific to certain inventory segments. Expected answer: The decrease is more pronounced in prime-time slots. Impact on approach: We'd focus on prime-time inventory specifics if this is the case.

• Thinking about our demand partners, has there been any change in their bidding behavior or integration status?

Why it matters: External factors could be influencing our bid request volume. Expected answer: No significant changes reported from major demand partners. Impact on approach: If changes are reported, we'd need to investigate partner-specific issues.