What is the difference between CM360 and DV360?

CM360 (Campaign Manager 360) is an ad server and measurement platform — it tracks impressions, clicks, and conversions across all channels. DV360 (Display & Video 360) is a demand-side platform (DSP) used to buy programmatic advertising. They're often used together: DV360 handles the buying, CM360 handles the measurement. An advertiser might use CM360 to track all campaigns (including direct buys and social) and DV360 only for programmatic.

Does every advertiser need CM360?

Not every advertiser needs CM360, but it becomes valuable at a certain scale: when running campaigns across multiple platforms or agencies that all need to report to a single measurement framework, when cross-channel attribution is important, or when ownership of the ad serving layer matters (i.e., the advertiser wants measurement that isn't dependent on any single platform or agency). Smaller advertisers often rely on platform-native reporting instead.

How do you handle CM360 account ownership changes (e.g., agency transitions)?

CM360 account ownership should always sit with the advertiser — not the agency. This is the most important structural decision because it means the advertiser's historical data, Floodlight setup, and naming conventions persist through agency transitions. When an agency builds and owns the CM360 account, the advertiser often loses access to their own historical data when the relationship ends.

How often should CM360 naming conventions be audited?

Audit naming conventions at least quarterly. Run reports that expose all active campaigns, placements, and ads and flag any deviations from the established convention. The longer naming violations persist, the more they corrupt reporting data. Automated compliance checks — built into the trafficking workflow — are significantly more effective than periodic manual audits.

What is a CM360 floodlight configuration review and when should it happen?

A Floodlight configuration review audits all active Floodlight activities, groups, custom variables, and attribution settings to ensure they match the advertiser's current measurement requirements. It should happen: at the start of every new engagement, annually for ongoing clients, after any website redesign (which often breaks Floodlight tags), and before any material change to attribution methodology.

CM360 Best Practices: A Campaign Manager 360 Operations Guide

Campaign Manager 360 is the ad serving and measurement layer for hundreds of enterprise advertisers. Configuring it correctly — from naming conventions to floodlight setup to cross-channel reporting — is one of the most consequential decisions an ad ops team makes.