Which buying topics can be reviewed?
Depending on the mandate: buying conditions, budget control, conformity with the media plan, evidence of booked delivery, technology and third-party costs, and transparency of the partners and systems involved.
AUDIT MODULE 03 · BUYING & TRANSPARENCY
Media Buying is only as transparent as the supply chain behind it.
The H.O.T. AG Buying & Transparency Audit reviews buying, budget use, conditions, documentation and, for digital buying, the technical supply chain. The goal is to understand which partners are involved, which costs and roles arise and whether the selected paths provide verifiable value.
What does supply-path transparency mean?
In programmatic buying, we examine the DSPs, exchanges, SSPs, resellers and deals through which inventory is bought and whether those routes are technically, commercially and qualitatively transparent.
Are fewer intermediaries always better?
No. Supply Path Optimization is not a counting exercise. An additional partner can provide legitimate technical or commercial value. Transparency, necessity, cost and quality contribution matter.
What role do ads.txt and sellers.json play?
They are important transparency signals but not quality guarantees. Declarations and standards do not replace verification that inventory origin, seller chain and actual delivery are consistent.
What is the output?
A prioritized view of cost, process and supply-path questions: which routes appear plausible and valuable, where clarification is needed and which structures should be reduced, contractually specified or investigated further.
NEXT STEP
A concrete task is the best starting point.
We define mandate, scope and responsibilities before the project begins – and clarify whether H.O.T. AG is needed as media consultant or independent audit function.