Frequently Asked Questions

This page groups the most common questions about Gourmet Ads into four clear sections; General, Programmatic Advertising, Managed Services, and Publisher Services.

Whether you need a snapshot of who we are, guidance on activating our supply through your own DSP, details on our full‑service campaign option, or information on monetizing food and recipe content, these FAQs cover the essentials.

If your question is not listed, our team is ready to help, please Contact Us.

General 

An overview of Gourmet Ads, who advertises with us, our targeting and the audiences we reach.

What is Gourmet Ads?

Gourmet Ads is a Shopper Marketing and Food Advertising platform that helps Supermarkets, Grocery Stores, Food Companies, CPG and FMCG brands, and Beverage marketers reach highly engaged audiences of Grocery Buyers and Household Cooks online. By combining Contextual Targeting, Recipe Targeting, and Programmatic Deals with audience insights, we influence buying decisions, increase basket size, and deliver measurable results across Web, Mobile Web, Apps, and Connected TV.

Gourmet Ads was founded in Australia by Benjamin Christie in July 2008, and since then has partnered with tens of thousands of companies in more than fifty countries, and our team now operates from 4 countries to support advertisers worldwide.

Our targeting focuses on Primary Household Grocery Buyers, Household Cooks, and other purchase Decision Makers, a group a group that generally skews female, aged 25 to 54. Many are Moms looking for meal ideas, recipe inspiration, and value at the grocery store. Using Contextual Targeting and Recipe Targeting we can also build specialised segments when needed, for example barbecue and grilling enthusiasts who trend male, aged 25 to 54. This flexibility lets us align every campaign with the exact shoppers you need to influence.

Since 2008 Gourmet Ads has focused exclusively on food, beverage, and alcohol advertising, building deep category expertise and direct relationships with quality publishers through on‑page ad tags and dedicated supply side deals.

From the very beginning our in‑house engineering team has developed proprietary technology on top of partner ecosystems, adding unique features such as our Contextual Targeting Engine with more than two hundred food‑specific segments and the ability to create custom options within a day.

Our reputation for innovation means partners like Microsoft and Amazon regularly invite us to advise on new products and beta‑test emerging features, giving advertisers early access, additional targeting choices, and insights unavailable from general advertising platforms.

Any company that wants to reach our unique audience, however our main advertisers are Food Companies, Supermarkets, Grocery Stores, CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) companies, FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) brands, Alcohol and Beverage companies looking to reach Grocery Shoppers and Household Cooks. We also work with a wide range of Advertising Agencies, Agency Trading Desks and Food Marketing Agencies.

Yes we do and our Media Kit includes everything releated to runing a campaign via Programmatic or Managed Campaign with Gourmet Ads including:

  • Audience and reach insights for Primary Grocery Buyers and Household Cooks

  • An overview of our Contextual Targeting Engine, Recipe Targeting, and other targting options

  • Inventory options across Web, Mobile Web, Apps, and Connected TV

  • Creative specifications for Display, Native, Video, and CTV formats

  • Case studies, performance benchmarks, and success stories

  • Step‑by‑step details for campaign setup, optimisation, and reporting

Download Media Kit

We offer a comprehensive range of targeting options. 

  • Recipe Targeting – Target users based on specific recipes they’re viewing 
  • Contextual Targeting – Reach audiences based on the content they’re consuming on food and recipe sites
  • GeoTargeting – Target users in specific geographic locations, from countries down to zip codes
  • Behavioral Targeting – Reach users based on their online behaviors and interests
  • Demographic Targeting – Target audiences by age, gender, household income, and parental status
  • Language Targeting – Target users based on their browser language settings
  • Audience Targeting – Leverage custom audience segments based on contextual relevance and browsing history
  • In-Market Targeting – Reach users actively shopping for products in specific categories
  • Latitude & Longitude Targeting – Target users within specific geographic coordinates and radius
  • URL Targeting – Target specific pages or sections of websites
  • App Targeting by Category – Target users within mobile applications by category
  • CTV Channels – Target users watching specific Connected TV channels

Yes. All Targeting Segments are available on our Website, see https://www.gourmetads.com/fctc

In addtion, we maintain a detailed Targeting Segment Taxonomy that outlines all available segments across categories like ;

  • Alcohol Targeting

  • Beverage Targeting

  • Cuisine Targeting

  • Diet Targeting

  • Ingredient Targeting

  • Kitchen Appliances Targeting

  • Kitchen Targeting

  • Non-Endemic Targeting (e.g. Finance, Travel, Automotive)

  • Recipe Targeting

The taxonomy is updated regularly and can be shared upon request to help with media planning or segment selection for both Programmatic and Managed Campaigns.

Depending on your campaign, for example a branding campaign your will ads will generally appear on a curated mix of food‑focused inventory across Web, Mobile Web, Apps, and Connected TV: leading recipe and cooking sites, grocery and meal‑planning apps, influential food blogs, select food podcasts, and CTV channels devoted to cooking and lifestyle.

When a campaign uses First‑Party Data (ie Website Retargeting) or Third‑Party Data (ie Amazon Inmarket Audience), we extend reach across the Open Web with managed and curated whitelists organised by vertical: News, Lifestyle, Automotive, Finance, Technology, Sports, Home and Garden, and Travel.

Yes. We can provide a sample Website Lists (a list of domains / TLDs)  to give you a clear view of the types of websites your ads may appear on. All sites are brand-safe, content-relevant, and human verified, with a strong focus on food, recipes, grocery, health, and lifestyle.

For campaigns using Contextual Targeting ( which is based off URL Targeting) , we can also share a sample list of verified URLs that match your targeting focus, helping you understand the environments where your ads will be placed.

For Programmatic Campaigns, we offer full Deal-ID level transparency, so you know exactly where your ads are eligible to run.

We can also tailor a custom Site List based on your targeting goals or align with your approved whitelist.

Programmatic Advertising 

How to activate Gourmet Ads supply through your own Demand Side Platform (DSP), available Deal types, and supported media formats.

What is unique about Gourmet Ads’ Programmatic offering?

Gourmet Ads stands out for its exclusive focus on food, beverage, and grocery audiences, built entirely on Microsoft’s Xandr infrastructure. We both maintain direct relationships with publishers as well as leveraging our Curated relationships and offer access via Open Exchange and or Curated Deals.

Our proprietary Contextual Targeting Engine features over 200 food-specific segments, with the ability to build custom segments same day.

The Gourmet Ads SSP (Supply Side Platform) is our proprietary solution built on Microsoft’s Xandr.
We operate multiple Xandr Member IDs, but for most Programmatic Advertiseers, our primary Xandr ID is 13776.

We’re built on Microsoft’s Xandr ecosystem, which means we’re compatible with any DSP integrated with Xandr. This includes all major platforms such as Google DV360, The Trade Desk, Amazon DSP, Xandr, Adform, StackAdapt, Zemanta, Adobe, AdRoll, Amobee, Roku, Yahoo, Criteo, Quantcast, Basis, and Adelphic, along with many others. If your DSP supports Xandr supply, you can access our inventory with ease via Open Exchange, PMP, or Curated Deals.

Simply provide your DSP and Buyer Seat ID to your Gourmet Ads Account Executive, and we’ll create a Deal ID tailored to your targeting, format, and geography.

We typically set up deals as evergreen so they’re always available when you’re ready to activate, but we can apply specific flight dates if required.
While some DSPs support automated deal sync, not all platforms do—so in some cases, you may need to manually enter the Deal ID.

Yes. We can share Programmatic Floor Prices across all major formats, including Display, Native, Video, Connected TV (CTV), and Audio.

Pricing varies based on geography, targeting strategy, and whether you’re buying via Open Exchange, PMP, or Curated Deal. For ongoing or high-volume campaigns, we can also provide preferred floor rates. Just let us know your DSP and campaign objectives, and we’ll supply the relevant floor pricing.

Yes. While your DSP will provide standard reporting, Gourmet Ads’ Programmatic Reports offer added transparency from the Sell Side perspective, giving you deeper insights into performance and delivery.

We offer three key report types on request:

  • Programmatic Buyer Report Card – A high-level overview of all deals, spend trends, and performance by DSP.

  • Programmatic Deal Report – Detailed metrics for individual Deal IDs, including impressions, bid rates, win rates, and delivery by domain.

  • Deal Debugging Report – A diagnostic report covering a single Deal ID the last 7 days of bid activity, used to identify and resolve delivery issues.

These reports help you optimise performance, validate deal health, and maintain transparency across your campaigns.

Yes. We offer full support for Deal Debugging and troubleshooting.

For deals with no bidding activity, we recommend speaking with your DSP in the first instance to confirm setup and eligibility.

For deals with bidding activity, we typically begin with our Deal Debugging Report, which reviews the past 7 days of bid data. This helps uncover common issues such as low bid prices, limited bid volume, geo or device mismatches, or domain restrictions. Our team works closely with buyers to diagnose and resolve delivery issues quickly.

For Brand Advertisers, Agencies, Trading Desks, and Programmatic Buyers using their own DSP, we offer both Open Exchange access and Programmatic Deals, including Private Marketplaces (PMPs) and Curated Deals. Our deals are built using a hybrid of Curated Supply and Managed Supply to ensure both scale and quality.

We support all major media types including Display, Native, Video, OTT, Connected TV (CTV), and Audio, and inventory is available across Web, Mobile Web, Apps, and CTV environments.

Yes—that’s exactly what Gourmet Ads is built for.

We specialize in food, recipe, and cooking-related inventory, managing a global network of premium websites and apps that attract Grocery Buyers, Household Cooks, and Primary Decision Makers. Our Managed Supply and Curated Supply work together to deliver scale, brand safety, and precision. Whether you’re activating via Open Exchange, PMP, or Curated Deal, we make it easy to run programmatic campaigns in food-safe environments that drive real impact.

No, we don’t have a minimum spend requirement for Programmatic Campaigns. You can activate deals based on your available budget, giving you full flexibility.

Managed Campaigns 

Our full‑service / white glove option where we plan, launch, optimize, and report on ad campaigns for your company.

What are Gourmet Ads Managed Campaigns?

Gourmet Ads’ Managed Campaigns is our white glove, end‑to‑end offering for brands and advertising agencies. Often called Direct IO or Insertion Order campaigns, this solution lets you set a fixed budget while our team handles everything: media planning and forecasting, campaign setup and activation, optimisation, and real‑time campaign reporting, with detailed post‑campaign analysis with actionable insights.

Simply provide the ad creative / assets and we take care of the rest.

Our Managed Campaigns cover every stage of sales the funnel, including:

  • Branding campaigns: build brand awareness and recognition

  • Prospecting campaigns: reach new potential customers

  • Consideration campaigns: engage shoppers evaluating your products

  • Retargeting campaigns: re‑engage previous website visitors and cart abandoners

Our core platforms for Managed Campaign Services are Microsoft Xandr and Amazon Advertising DSP, which we use for most display, video, and Connected TV activations. We also run campaigns through Microsoft Advertising and Amazon Sponsored Ads when search or on‑site placements complement the strategy.

Our Advertiser Reporting Dashboard delivers real‑time metrics on impressions, clicks, delivery pacing, and viewability, so you can monitor performance at any moment. Throughout the flight our team supplies optimisation notes and mid‑campaign pulse updates, and at completion you receive a Post Campaign Analysis that summarises results, highlights key insights, and recommends next steps for future campaigns.

For campaigns running on Amazon Advertising, we can also provide ecommerce-related metrics such as Sales, Cost per Acquisition (CPA), and Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), offering a complete view of how media performance drives actual business outcomes.

Yes. We offer a Managed Campaign Rate Card covering all major formats, including Display, Native, Video, Connected TV (CTV), and Audio. Rates vary based on factors like targeting, geography, media type, and campaign objectives.

For larger budgets or ongoing campaigns, we can offer volume-based pricing or preferred rates. Contact our Managed Campaign team to request the latest rate card or receive a custom quote tailored to your goals.

Yes, absolutely.

We regularly respond to RFPs from Brands, Advertising Agencies, and procurement teams. Whether you’re planning a test campaign or a long-term partnership, our team can provide tailored targeting recommendations, media plans, and budget options.

We also offer an RFP Template to help streamline the process. Our ready-to-use RFP Template is designed specifically for food, beverage, and grocery campaigns. It helps ensure we get the right information up front so we can deliver a more accurate media plan, faster.

Most monthly advertising campaign budgets range from USD $50,000 to $500,000, depending on goals, targeting, and media mix.

However, some brands prefer to start with a smaller test budget—in that case, our minimum spend for Managed Campaigns is USD $10,000. This gives brands a low-risk way to evaluate performance before scaling.

No, we don’t offer a self-service advertisng platform at this time.

Most major DSPs today require high monthly minimum spends, and their complex interfaces demand ongoing training and hands-on management. Instead, our Ad Operations team—certified across platforms like Microsoft and Amazon—handles everything for you. We manage setup, optimisation, and reporting, and our direct partnerships give us early access to advanced features not available in standard self-service accounts. This ensures better performance, less risk, and no platform overhead on your side.

Publisher Services 

Information for website and app owners interested in monetizing food and recipe content through Gourmet Ads.

Yes. Gourmet Ads offers dedicated Publisher Services—including Ad Serving, Ad Management, and Header Bidding / Prebid solutions—to help food and recipe sites increase revenue Publishers receive access to premium demand, real‑time reporting, and expert yield optimisation across Web, Mobile Web, and Apps.
To learn more or start the approval process, contact our Publisher Services team at https://publishers.gourmetads.com

Last Updated: 21-Jan-2026