HockeyCurve – Revolutionizing Digital Advertising with Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO)

Welcome to HockeyCurve, a cutting-edge DCO (Dynamic Creative Optimization) technology platform that transforms digital advertising into a highly personalized and interactive experience. We specialize in dynamic HTML5 ads that adapt in real time based on external triggers such as weather conditions, live cricket events, location data, and user behavior.

Why Choose HockeyCurve?

Real-Time Personalization – Deliver hyper-relevant ads based on weather, sports events, and other external signals.
Interactive & Engaging Ads – Build rich, high-performance HTML5 creatives that captivate audiences.
Seamless Integration – Our platform is designed to work effortlessly with major ad servers and programmatic platforms.
Data-Driven Optimization – Leverage AI-powered insights to maximize engagement and ROI.

Transforming Ad Campaigns with Automation

Whether you're a brand looking to enhance user engagement or an agency aiming for higher conversion rates, HockeyCurve empowers you with automation and intelligence to create ads that resonate with your audience at the right moment.

Explore the future of personalized advertising with HockeyCurve! 🚀

Adding Third-Party Ad Service Support

Third-party ad tags typically contain placeholders, known as macros, which are dynamically replaced by a Demand-Side Platform (DSP) when the ad is served. Below are the key components:

Sample Adtag:-

<iframe src='https://ad.hockeycurve.com/ad.php?zoneid=300x250&client=ideas&geo=true&tagid=18585&bcamp=j06g7x&fcat=j06g7x&partner=dbm&hct=masterv2&optout=false&dbmc=${CAMPAIGN_ID}&ct0=${CLICK_URL_ENC}&cb=${CACHEBUSTER}' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='300' height='250'></iframe>

1. Ad Tag Macros:

The ad tag contains macros such as:

${CLICK_URL_ENC}: A placeholder for the ad's click tracking URL.
${CACHEBUSTER}: A placeholder for a random number (or timestamp in seconds) to ensure that each ad tag looks unique and avoids caching issues.
${CAMPAIGN_ID}: A placeholder for the current campaign ID provided by the DSP. This helps customize the ad for the campaign and also allows tracking in analytics reports.

2. Macro Replacement by DSP:

The DSP will replace these macros with actual values when serving the ad:

CACHEBUSTER: A random number or a timestamp in seconds that ensures each ad request is unique.
CAMPAIGN_ID: The DSP’s current campaign ID, which can be used by the ad server to track performance and tailor the ad content.
Click URL Macro:
- DSP will replace CLICK_URL_ENC in the adtag with encodeURIComponent() of click tracking url which looks similar to https://yourtrackingurl.com?someparameters&redirect=
- It is ending with = at the end, where adserver will append the landing page url. (explained in point 3)
- DSP will track clicks and redirect to redirect param provided by adserver.

3. Ad server handling Final Click URL:

After replacing the macros, the ad server forms the final click URL by appending the landing page URL to the tracking URL. It then triggers a redirect, sending the user to the target page.
Example:

let final_click_url = expanded_click_macro + landing_url;
window.open(final_click_url,true);

//  DSP will track clicks and redirect to `redirect` param provided by adserver.

In this example, expanded_click_macro is the fully expanded tracking URL, and landing_url is the destination URL for the ad.

Macros Needed for Adtag Creation

Step 1: Confirm Platform Support for Third-Party Ads

Before proceeding with integration, please confirm whether your platform supports third-party ads. If third-party ad serving is supported, provide the necessary ad-serving macros to ensure seamless integration.

Example 1: Macros for DV360

${CAMPAIGN_ID} – Returns the ID of the line item that served the impression.
${CLICK_URL_ENC} – Inserts the Display & Video 360 click tracking URL.
${CACHEBUSTER} – Inserts a random number into the ad request URL to prevent cached ads from being served.

Source: Google Support - DV360 Macros

Example 2: Macros for DFP (Google Ad Manager)

%ecid! – Returns the creative ID.
%%CLICK_URL_ESC%% – Expands to a special URL for tracking clicks in Ad Manager for third-party creatives.
%%CACHEBUSTER%% – Returns a random value to prevent caching of the ad request.

Source: Google Support - Ad Manager Macros

Macros Required by HockeyCurve

To integrate ads effectively, HockeyCurve requires the following macros:

Click Macro – To track clicks and redirect users correctly.
Cachebuster – To ensure fresh ad impressions are served.

Please provide these macros in the same format or share a document containing the details.

Step 2: Sample Ad Tag & Sandbox Review

Once the required macros are received, HockeyCurve will generate a sample ad tag for testing. During this phase, we will verify whether the ad is placed inside a sandboxed iframe. If a sandboxed iframe is detected, click tracking may not function correctly, requiring further adjustments.

Step 3: Final Ad Tag Submission

Upon successful testing and approval, HockeyCurve will proceed with sharing the final ad tags for deployment.

Understanding Geo-Discrepancies in Ad Reporting

1. Why do geo-location reports differ between our ad server and client platforms like DV360, DFP, etc.?

Geo-location data is determined using IP-based databases, and different platforms use different vendors or methodologies to map IP addresses to locations. Our ad server relies on MaxMind, while platforms like DV360 and DFP may use different providers, leading to minor discrepancies.

2. What factors contribute to geo-reporting mismatches?

Several factors impact geo-reporting differences:

IP Database Variations: Different providers update their databases at different intervals, leading to variations in mappings.
IP Reassignment: Internet Service Providers (ISPs) frequently change or reassign IPs, which may not be reflected in real-time across all databases.
VPNs and Proxies: Users accessing content via VPNs, proxies, or mobile networks may appear in different locations.
Mobile Carrier IP Pools: Mobile network users often share IPs that may be assigned to a broader region rather than a precise city.
Different Measurement Methodologies: Each ad platform may apply different confidence levels or methodologies in determining location accuracy.

3. What are the expected levels of discrepancy?

Based on industry norms and our observations, geo-reporting discrepancies typically fall within the following ranges:

City-level mismatches: Up to 20%
State/Region-level mismatches: Up to 10%
Country-level mismatches: Typically within 2%

4. Why are city-level discrepancies higher than state or country-level?

City-level location accuracy depends on precise IP-to-location mapping, which is more prone to inaccuracies due to:

Frequent IP reassignments within a region
Users connecting through ISPs with data centers in neighboring cities
Edge cases where city boundaries are not clearly defined in the IP database

State and country-level reporting is generally more stable, but minor variances can still occur due to regional ISP routing practices.

5. Can geo-reporting be made 100% accurate?

No, due to the nature of IP-based geo-location, 100% accuracy is not possible. However, we continuously update and refine our database to minimize discrepancies.

6. How can clients interpret geo-location data more effectively?

We recommend clients:

Use trends and patterns rather than absolute numbers for geo analysis
Cross-check data over time to identify consistent patterns rather than single-day snapshots
Consider alternative verification methods like user registration data or survey-based geo-validation when high accuracy is required

7. Who should clients contact for further clarification?

For any concerns regarding geo-discrepancies, clients can reach out to our support team for detailed analysis and insights.

By understanding these expected variations, clients can better interpret their geo-reports and make informed decisions. If you need further clarification, feel free to contact our support team!

HockeyCurve Support