Systems and methods for controlling online advertising campaigns

A control system for controlling an online advertising campaign, the control system comprising:

• at least one first processor configured to:
• provide a feedback signal reflecting at least one real-time delivery metric associated with an advertising delivery goal for a current sampling period regarding one or more impressions of the online advertising campaign at one or more inventory units, the at least one real-time delivery metric including ad events associated with the inventory units;
• and
• generate a delivery reference signal particular to each of the one or more inventory units based on the feedback signal and configuration information for the online advertising campaign;
• at least one second processor, associated with each inventory unit of the one or more inventory units, configured to compensate the received feedback signal based on a day of the week and time of the day according to a moving sum of the feedback signal over a predetermined time interval, normalize the compensated feedback signal and the delivery reference signal based on an estimated gain value of the inventory unit and a control signal from a prior sampling period, compare the normalized compensated feedback signal to the normalized delivery reference signal for the inventory unit, and generate a campaign level control signal for the inventory unit based on the comparison;
• and
• at least one third processor, associated with each inventory unit, configured to:
• receive a maximum impression bid price for the inventory unit of the online advertising campaign;
• receive an optimization objective for the online advertising campaign;
• calculate at least a final bid price based on the maximum impression bid price, the campaign level control signal received from the at least one second processor, and the optimization objective for the online advertising campaign;
• and
• submit, to an electronic market and based on the calculated final bid price, a bid on an impression at the inventory unit.

A computer-implemented method for controlling an online advertising campaign, the computer-implemented method comprising:

• receiving, by a first processor associated with an inventory unit of one or more inventory units, a feedback signal reflecting at least one real-time delivery metric associated with an advertising delivery goal for a current sampling period regarding one or more impressions of the online advertising campaign at the one or more inventory units;
• receiving, by the first processor, a delivery reference signal particular to the inventory unit, wherein the delivery reference signal comprises configuration information for the online advertising campaign;
• compensating, by the first processor, the received feedback signal based on a day of the week and time of the day according to a moving sum of the feedback signal over a predetermined time interval, the first processor further configured to normalize the compensated feedback signal and the delivery reference signal based on an estimated gain value of the inventory unit and a control signal from a prior sampling period;
• comparing the normalized compensated feedback signal to the normalized delivery reference signal for the inventory unit associated with the first processor to generate a campaign level control signal for the inventory unit;
• receiving, by a second processor associated with the inventory unit, information identifying ad events associated with the inventory unit, a maximum impression bid price for the inventory unit of the online advertising campaign, an optimization objective for the online advertising campaign, and a target cost-per-ad event for the inventory unit, wherein the maximum bid price for the inventory unit, the optimization objective, and the target cost-per-ad event are each set by the user, and wherein the optimization objective includes a reduced average cost per impression over the course of the online advertising campaign;
• calculating, using the second processor, at least a final bid price based on the maximum bid price, the campaign level control signal, and the optimization objective for the online advertising campaign;
• and
• submitting, to an electronic market and based on the calculated final bid price, a bid on an impression at the inventory unit.