Google MCM Program (Multiple Customer Management) lets publishers access Google Ad Exchange through a 3rd party. It is the replacement for Google SPM (Scaled Partner Management) and a tool for publishers to increase their ad revenue and gain deeper insight into their Ad Exchange performance. This guide will cover the differences between MCM and SPM and how to get access to MCM.
What is Google SPM?
Google SPM (Scaled Partner Management) lets publishers access Google Ad Exchange through a 3rd party advertising technology company or channel partner. By accessing Google Ad Exchange, publishers can connect with a larger pool of advertisers. This increases competition for the publisher’s ad inventory which in turn increases the publisher’s ad revenue.
SPM will be deprecated starting July 2021 and replaced by Multiple Customer Management (MCM).
Why is Google MCM program replacing Google SPM?
There were several issues with SPM:
- Harder to add new features
- Less functionality for managing publisher permissions
- Less transparency for publishers
- Less access to ad management features
SPM was developed when Ad Exchange and Ad Manager were different products. Google’s ad management products have since evolved. As a result, it has become difficult to maintain and update SPM with new features.
source:google
MCM provides improved transparency and functionality for publishers and advertising technology companies. In addition, it will be native to Google Ad Manager (GAM) so users can access it with ease.
What is Google MCM?
Google MCM (Multiple Customer Management) is an Ad Manager 360 tool that allows publishers to access Google Ad Exchange through select 3rd party Google partners. These 3rd parties consult, represent, and manage networks or inventory on behalf of the publisher.
MCM is a feature that will only be available to Google partners that fulfill strict quality criteria. This includes the protection of represented inventory against ad fraud (including invalid traffic, click spam, and accidental and forced clicks) and a low number of account terminations. Publishers who want access to MCM can do so through a qualified Google MCM program partner like Snigel. Contact us here to get started.
There are two key roles in Google MCM: parent publisher and child publisher. “Parent publisher” refers to a 3rd party advertising technology company or channel partner who has direct access to Google Ad Exchange. “Child publisher” refers to an entity that gets access to Ad Exchange through the Parent Publisher.
MCM Delegation Types
There are two MCM delegation types or modes of use: Manage Account and Manage Inventory.
MCM Manage Account Delegation
The MCM Manage Account delegation type grants parent publishers edit access to manage inventory directly in the child publisher account. The child publisher retains permissions and access to all settings.
MCM Manage Inventory Delegation
The MCM Manage Inventory delegation type grants parent publishers access to ad requests that the child publisher has sent to the parent account. This is a more limited level of access than the Manage Account Delegation.
| Manage Account | Manage Inventory | |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory access | Parent publishers get access to the child publisher’s account to help the child monetize their inventory. | Parent publishers have inventory passed to them by child publishers to monetize on the child's behalf. |
| Invitation | A child publisher receives an invitation from a parent publisher. | A child publisher receives an invitation from a parent publisher. |
| Account access | The parent publisher has access to the child's account, except for billing information. | The parent publisher does not have access to the child's account. |
| Maximum Parent Publishers | 1 Parent Publisher. | 15 Parent Publishers. |
| Trafficking | The parent publisher manages all delegated ad requests from within the parent's account. All settings can be found in the parent account and the child publisher has no visibility of those settings. | The parent publisher manages all delegated ad requests from within the parent's account. All settings can be found in the parent account and the child publisher has no visibility of those settings. |
| Tagging | Child publishers use their own Ad Manager tags. | Child publisher uses the parent publisher's Ad Manager. |
| Payment | Both Child and parent publishers receive payments. | Payments are made to the Parent Publisher. |
EU User Consent Policy compliance
All MCM inventory must comply with Google’s EU User Consent Policy. The parent and child publisher must ensure that personalized ads are only served after a user provides consent. See our guide on serving ads without user consent if you would like to recover revenue when user consent is missing. See our guide here on how to choose a CMP if you are not yet gathering user consent.
Why Use Google MCM Program?
- Access to premium Google demand (via Google Ad Exchange/AdX)
- Access to demand from other premium exchanges via Google Open Bidding
- Access to Programmatic Direct deals (Preferred Deals and Programmatic Guaranteed)
- Access to 3rd party ad management and optimization
Overall, this functionality helps publishers increase their ad revenue and save time by outsourcing all or part of their ad operations. Snigel received early access to MCM as part of the beta program. We’ve had some time to test out the new features and overall we’re pleased to say MCM is a strong improvement over SPM.
Premium Exchanges via Open Bidding
Open Bidding is Google’s server-side header bidding solution. It lets more advertising demand partners bid on your inventory without the added latency of client-side header bidding. Open bidding is limited to Ad Manager 360. As a result, most publishers have not been able to access this powerful feature. Publishers can now access Google Open Bidding through an MCM partner like Snigel.
More Programmatic Deals
MCM makes Programmatic Guaranteed and Preferred Deals easy to manage. These high CPM tools deliver additional revenue to publishers.
Google MCM Program vs. AdSense
AdSense publishers that switch to MCM should notice a strong increase in ad revenue. You can find an estimate using Snigel’s AdSense revenue calculator.
How can I access Google MCM Program?
As a Google MCM program partner, Snigel can invite publishers to MCM. Contact us here to start the process. We’d be happy to answer your questions and tell you more about how MCM could work for your website.
Who Is On The Google MCM Approved Partners List?
- Snigel.com
- OKO.uk
- NeworMedia.com
- MonetizeMore.com
- PubGalaxy.com
My partner can’t offer MCM
MCM partners have to meet strict new criteria for ad inventory quality. As a result, many monetization providers have not qualified. If your existing partner doesn’t have access to MCM you will need to find a new partner like Snigel. If you’re unsure whether your partner qualifies for MCM contact them immediately. If they are not qualified you will lose access to Google Ad Exchange in July 2021.
Snigel is an authorized MCM Partner!
As an approved Google Multiple Customer Manager (MCM) Partner, Snigel can help you gain access to AdX.
Get access to Google AdX→
How do I switch to MCM?
Every site added via MCM will need to be approved by Google. This can take approximately two weeks. As a result, it’s best to engage with your MCM partner well before July to make sure your site is migrated before the deadline.
How to update your GPT or video tags for MCM
Once MCM is enabled, your Google Publisher Tag should be updated to add the child network code to the child network’s ad unit in order to use inventory management. Use the tag generator or manually update the JavaScript.
GPT code sample:
<head>
<script async src="https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js"></script>
<script>
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
googletag
.defineSlot('/1234567,1234/Travel', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-ad-1568729559138-0');
[...]
}
</script>
</head>source: google
The highlighted parameter, 1234, represents the network code for the child publisher. 1234567 represents the parent’s network code.
You must add the highlighted parameter to the .defineSlot() function. This will allow the child publisher network to be recognized and help creatives serve correctly when “Manage Inventory” is enabled. No changes to the line items or targeting are necessary.
Your MCM Questions
If you’d like to find out more about MCM contact us here. Our AdOps experts have in-depth knowledge of Google MCM and will be happy to respond to your questions.
Ben is Snigel's Sales Director. He works on business development and marketing - spreading the word about how Snigel can help publishers supercharge their ad revenue.
