Identity resolution has become a Rubik’s Cube that everyone’s trying to solve.  

At AdMonsters Publisher Forum Boston, we got a front-row seat to the latest strategies and challenges in this space, thanks to a lively session with Christine Lee, Director of Data Partnerships at Fandom, and Tamir Shub, VP of Business Development at Intent IQ.

Addressability Meets Privacy: The New Balancing Act

Let’s face it: the identity game is rigged. Publishers are caught between the rock of addressability and the hard place of privacy. Lee laid it out clearly — Fandom, the world’s largest fan platform, is navigating a minefield of fragmented regulations and inconsistent user behaviors across devices and browsers. Think of it as trying to juggle on a tightrope while the wind’s picking up speed.

“We’re dealing with different browser types — Apple’s ATT, Firefox, Chrome, Safari — and each has its own set of rules,” Lee explained. She added, “It’s like trying to juggle different user behaviors across desktop, mobile, and mobile web while keeping an eye on the privacy landscape, which is extremely fragmented, not just globally but even within the U.S.”

Whether it’s Apple’s ATT or the ever-shifting sands of state-level privacy laws, Fandom is testing identity solutions to find that sweet spot where addressability meets privacy without losing sight of either.

Fandom’s Secret Sauce: Testing, Testing, and More Testing

But, with over 100 ID solutions on the market, not all options are worth your time. As Lee pointed out, “We’ve leaned into testing a variety of ID solutions in the space, including Google initiatives, Amazon initiatives, and our partnership with Intent IQ. But it’s difficult to compare apples to apples because every vendor has a different methodology.” The real challenge is figuring out which ones move the needle.

Fandom has actively experimented with many ID solutions, but they’re not just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. The key is to be selective — testing the ones that make the most sense for their audience and business goals.

By working with Intent IQ, Fandom saw revenue uplifts from 55% to a whopping 140% across different properties, proving that the right approach can help publishers thrive in this new identity landscape. But it’s not just about the numbers. Lee emphasized the importance of comparing these results side-by-side with traditional methods — a task easier said than done. Still, Fandom’s commitment to rigorous, strategic testing sets them apart from the pack.

Identity Graphs: The Backbone or the Achilles’ Heel?

If identity resolution is a puzzle, then identity graphs are the pieces that need to fit together perfectly. But, as Shub pointed out, not all graphs are created equal. The crux of the issue? Accuracy. Without frequent updates and a reliable truth set, you might as well be hiking with a faulty compass.

“Identity solution infrastructure is founded on its identity graph. But the accuracy is only as good as the graph and the data it uses,” Shub stated. “Without frequent updates, the data becomes irrelevant and misleading. That’s why refresh rates are critical.”

And let’s be honest: no one knows what a post-cookie world will look like. We’re all betting on a hypothesis. The regulatory landscape is murky, platform decisions are unpredictable, and consumer sentiment is a moving target. In this climate of uncertainty, it’s easy to get swept up in solutions that might not hold up under scrutiny.

There’s an urgent need for a standardized way to validate these graphs because trusting data without validation is like betting on a rigged horse race. It’s a gamble, and not one publisher can afford to lose. As Shub pointed out, “Currently, there’s no tool available that can validate data accuracy on a household level ID or person level ID.”

ID Bridging: A Savior or a Mirage?

With the deprecation of third-party cookies looming like a storm cloud, ID bridging has stepped into the spotlight. But as with any tech innovation, it comes with its share of controversy. Critics argue that ID bridging while promising, is fraught with transparency issues, potential fraud, and ever-present privacy concerns. Some in the industry see it as a Band-Aid on a bullet wound — helpful in the short term, but not the long-term solution we need.

ID Bridging is almost directly correlated to the impending demise of third-party cookies. While publishers and tech companies scramble to maintain addressability, there’s growing concern that with no universal standard, ID Bridging could create more problems than it solves. Shady practices, lack of transparency, and fragmented user data are just a few of the issues that put the buy side on edge.

Yet, this is where Intent IQ aims to stand out from the pack. Their technology is built with transparency and accuracy at its core. Beyond following the new IAB standards, the ad tech vendor sets a high bar for others to meet. By ensuring their identity graphs are refreshed every 48 hours and maintaining over 90% deterministic accuracy, they’re working to shut down skepticism and build trust on both the buy and sell sides.

The Buy-Side Perspective: Scaling the Heights with Alt IDs

While publishers are busy fine-tuning their strategies, the buy side faces another set of challenges. Shub gave us a peek into how agencies grapple with the scalability of alternative IDs. The promise is there, but the execution? Not quite hitting the mark — yet.

“Agencies report that alternative IDs didn’t generate the results they were hoping for,” Shub noted. “They’re saying the solution was promising but lacking scale. It’s not just about scale; it’s about having the expertise in identity — specifically.”

Intent IQ is working closely with agencies to overcome these hurdles, with successful campaigns already showing significant performance gains. “For example, we’ve delivered a successful campaign with Involved Media, leading to a 77% increase in leads for an education client,” Shub shared.

It’s a tough climb, but the right tools and partnerships are helping the buy side make headway.

Takeaways for Publishers: Test, Partner, and Evolve

The identity resolution space isn’t just evolving; it’s mutating at a breakneck pace. For publishers, the mantra is clear: test relentlessly, choose your partners wisely, and stay agile.

Lee’s advice? Don’t just look at the numbers—look at the whole stack, and make sure you’re not comparing apples to oranges. “Continue to test various solutions, and make sure when you measure, you’re looking at your entire stack, not just certain demand channels,” she emphasized.

And as Shub pointed out, identity solutions should work for everyone involved, creating a win-win situation for both publishers and advertisers. “Identity is sustainable as long as it works for both sides,” he concluded.

The post How Fandom Is Mastering the Art of Addressability and Privacy With an Assist From Intent IQ appeared first on AdMonsters.

What do you think is the biggest problem in ad tech? 

Some might say the loss of revenue, others might say privacy concerns that create increased signal loss and more difficult audience targeting, and I’m sure there are a host more issues to list off. However, many problems in the industry are linked to a lack of transparency in the supply chain, says Claire Atkin, Co-founder and CEO of Check My Ads. 

Digital advertising, long been plagued by a lack of transparency, allows bad actors to profit from spreading disinformation and extremism online. In a recent keynote session, Atkin warned that publishers and advertisers should address these issues and restore trust in digital advertising.

“If advertisers are given the opportunity to have control over their ads, we will actually have a media system that works for you,” shared Atkin. 

Without more transparency, advertisers don’t know where their ads are showing up, often supporting the very things they want to avoid.

Beyond supply chain issues, Atkin highlighted how digital advertising hurts quality journalism by diverting funds to low-quality, disinformation-filled sites. To address this, she encourages publishers to build direct relationships with advertisers and boost their brand strength, aiming to restore trust and realign incentives in the industry.

Check My Transparent Supply Chain

The opaque nature of digital advertising has devastatingly impacted publisher revenue. As Atkin pointed out, many advertisers are blissfully unaware of their ad placements. “Our ads are off the asshole of the internet,” one executive confessed after Check My Ads audited their campaigns. 

This lack of visibility and control has allowed unscrupulous actors to profit at the expense of legitimate publishers. “Hundreds of thousands of dollars could be in your bank account daily, but it’s not — it’s going to fund chaos, not just disinformation, but useless stuff,” Atkin said. The systematic defunding of quality journalism results from advertisers’ inability to monitor and govern their ad placements effectively. 

Atkin urges publishers to build direct brand relationships to combat this trend rather than relying on intermediaries. If advertisers control their ad placements, Atkin believes publishers will have a media system that works for them. By strengthening their brand equity, publishers can attract advertisers willing to pay a premium to be associated with trusted, high-quality content — a strategy that could help realign incentives and restore financial viability to the news industry. 

Check My Disinformation

Unfortunately, digital advertising has inadvertently become a breeding ground for disinformation and extremism. The very structure of the ad tech industry has created perverse incentives that allow bad actors to profit from the spread of harmful narratives, explained Atkin.

“Around every politician that is politically advancing due to disinformation and hate, there is now a donut of Grifters making money off those same narratives,” Atkin said.

Since brands lack visibility into some of their ad placements, they have unwittingly funded websites and individuals peddling conspiracy theories, hate speech, and outright lies. Atkin’s organization, Check My Ads, works to identify and defund these malicious actors, successfully targeting prominent figures like Dan Bongino and Steve Bannon.

Addressing the root of the problem, Atkin argued that the ad tech industry must embrace a new era of accountability and transparency. She advocates for hourly log-level data and “know your customer” requirements to empower advertisers and help them monitor their placements, ensuring purveyors of disinformation are not co-opting their brand messaging. 

By realigning the incentives within the supply chain, publishers and advertisers can start reconfiguring digital advertising from a conduit for misinformation to a force for supporting quality journalism and democratic discourse. 

All in all, this will create a healthier supply chain that allows publishers and advertisers to get the most bang for their buck.

The post Check My Ads, Check My Transparency, and Check My Disinformation: Notes From AdMonsters Publisher Forum Boston appeared first on AdMonsters.

Who said cookieless targeting doesn’t scale?

Dotdash Meredith’s cookieless targeting tool, D/Cipher, has propelled the publisher to a 12% increase in digital ad revenue year-over-year, marking the second consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.  

D/Cipher is proving its worth in driving campaigns like the one the media company conducted with Pandora. The campaign resulted in 76% higher foot traffic when compared to other targeting methods. 

But this isn’t just about impressive numbers. It’s about Dotdash Meredith setting a new standard in the industry. With third-party cookies becoming obsolete, their ability to pivot and innovate with tools like D/Cipher is a masterclass in adaptation. 

“The performance is amazing because the industry is always trying to find ways to tie media buys to real results. This proves that Dotdash Meredith can drive national brick-and-mortar sales for a brand without any cookie or identifier,” Lindsay Van Kirk, Senior Vice President and General Manager of D/Cipher told ADWEEK. 

The publisher’s success is part of a broader narrative vividly discussed at the recent AdMonsters Publisher Forum in Boston. Let’s connect the dots between Dotdash Meredith’s achievements and the strategies shared by top publishers.

Connecting the Dots from Publisher Forum

Several sessions highlighted how publishers leverage data to secure ad spend and ensure brand safety, aligning perfectly with Dotdash Meredith’s success story. Conversations weren’t merely about surviving the post-cookie apocalypse — they were about thriving.

Data-Driven Strategies:

Patrick McCarthy, SVP, Programmatic Monetization, Dotdash Meredith, emphasized the importance of big data in ad operations. “We are a very data-driven company. When you go into meetings with our C-suite team, hunches really aren’t acceptable. Our whole programmatic and advertising part of our business is really driven by our CFO and Chief Innovation Officer, who is a former data scientist. Data is absolutely paramount to making your case for new investment, for new products to be rolled out,”  he said.

This reflects D/Cipher’s ability to utilize first-party data and contextual signals to outperform traditional cookie-based methods. He also highlighted the role of predictive analytics and real-time data applications. The publisher is proving that first-party data and advanced analytics are the future.

Echoing the power of data, Jesse Waldele, SVP, Digital Operations and Client Success at Dow Jones, shared how they’ve ditched third-party data in favor of first-party insights, fueling more effective ad solutions. Their “Thematic AI” tool, which predicts the best content placement using AI, has driven noticeable performance lifts for advertisers. Dow Jones’ focus on real-time measurement ensures that advertisers keep rebooking.

While the benefits of big data are clear, reliance on it also comes with obstacles. The high cost of data management and the risk of data privacy issues can be a significant barrier for smaller publishers.

Brand Suitability and First-Party Data:

In her keynote, Jana Meron, Vice President of Revenue Operations & Data, The Washington Post, discussed the power of first-party data in achieving brand suitability and effective ad placements. She noted, “The intersection of deterministic and probabilistic first-party data is where we get our power.”

The Washington Post observed a 3x performance lift when using first-party data compared to third-party data with standard display, and a 5x lift when integrating custom ad units designed for their audience.

While first-party data offers significant benefits in targeting and personalization, the session also highlighted potential downsides, such as difficulties in scaling deterministic data due to the reliance on user logins, which can limit reach. Additionally, there are concerns about balancing privacy with data collection, as overly aggressive data strategies might lead to consumer pushback or regulatory scrutiny.

Still, The Washington Post’s direction is a fundamental shift in how publishers view and leverage their audience data. By focusing on the nuances of their data, publishers can create a more personalized and effective advertising ecosystem, which is essential as consumers become increasingly wary of invasive data practices.

Harnessing Audience Power: Future’s Strategy

Jeff Goldstein, Head of Programmatic at Future, offered a compelling keynote on the importance of understanding and harnessing audience passions. He explained how Future’s approach to audience segmentation — dividing users into “practical intenders” and “passionate intenders” — has allowed the publisher to optimize its content and ad strategies.

Goldstein shared that through their first-party data platform, Aperture, Future has identified high-intent users, leading to a 30% higher purchase likelihood among these users. He emphasized the value of deep audience insights and the role of AI-driven data in refining targeting strategies.

Future’s approach underscores the value of deep audience insights, enabling them to create more personalized and effective media products. By leveraging AI and contextual data, Future exceeds advertiser expectations, driving better outcomes across its 200+ owned and operated properties.

ID Bridging: Navigating the Benefits and Risks

In another session, the topic of ID bridging was explored in depth, highlighting how this technology enables publishers to maintain addressable audiences in a cookieless environment. Ianna Feliciano, Senior Director, Programmatic Advertising, Raptive, and Jasper Liu, Senior Programmatic Yield Analyst, Daily Mail, explained how ID bridging allows for deterministic and probabilistic matching across devices and browsers. While deterministic matching offers precision, it often lacks scale. On the other hand, probabilistic matching provides greater reach but with potential trade-offs in accuracy.

The speakers also explained the risks associated with ID bridging, such as increased complexity in managing multiple ID partners and the potential for data leakage, which can have severe privacy implications. Additionally, the costs associated with ID bridging can be significant, especially when considering the need for continuous vendor management and compliance with evolving privacy regulations.

But when connected with the right partners, ID bridging is becoming essential for maintaining campaign effectiveness in the face of increasing privacy regulations and the decline of third-party cookies. The session emphasized the importance of choosing the right ID-bridging partners and continually testing and adapting strategies to balance accuracy, scale, and compliance with privacy laws.

Innovative Revenue Strategies:

The “One Big Problem” session, a town hall publisher-only conversation, underscored the challenges and strategies in ramping up revenue. One standout solution was monetizing social media audiences. Publishers are turning their social followers into a goldmine, leveraging these platforms to drive engagement and revenue. This strategy, highlighted by some ad ops leaders shows the innovative ways publishers are navigating the post-cookie landscape.

This strategy doesn’t come without its downsides though. Relying heavily on social platforms means publishers are subject to the algorithms and policies of those platforms, which can change suddenly and impact reach and monetization.

Another exciting approach discussed during the Forum was Deal Curation as a Service (DCaaS). This strategy empowers publishers to showcase and monetize high-quality inventory effectively, leveraging first-party data for improved targeting and higher CPMs. Yet, implementing DCaaS can be resource-intensive, requiring significant investments in technology and data management. It can also lead to increased operational complexity, as publishers must manage and coordinate with multiple partners and ensure the integrity of their curated deals. 

In the long haul, DCaaS enables publishers to regain control over their inventory, creating a more curated and valuable marketplace that benefits publishers and advertisers alike. As Scott Messer of Messer Media explained, DCaaS alleviates costs, aggregates sales efforts, and delivers a good product.

The Existential Crisis and Future-Proofing Revenue

Despite Google’s flip-flop on third-party cookies, savvy publishers are already adapting. Our recent Publisher Pulse report, Ramping Up Your Revenue: Digital Publishers Reveal Key Growth Strategies, shows that 71% of publishers are investing in new tools and technologies to drive revenue growth, with the most invested tools including audience segmentation (65%), identity resolution (50%), and AI-driven/advanced analytics platforms (40%).

But this isn’t just about technology for technology’s sake, it’s about addressing the existential crisis of trust and relevance. Publishers like Dotdash Meredith, The Washington Post, and Future are leading the way, demonstrating that investing in first-party data and contextual targeting is key to thriving in a cookieless world.

As Dotdash Meredith’s McCarthy explained, predictive analytics and real-time data are revolutionizing how we approach ad operations, ensuring we stay ahead of the curve. This aligns seamlessly with the broader industry trends discussed at the Forum, showing a unified move towards data-driven, privacy-safe ad tech solutions.

The landscape is shifting, and those who don’t adapt will be left behind. Since many of these approaches may require significant investment in technology and talent, it’s a survival of the fittest scenario, where only the most innovative and forward-thinking publishers will thrive. Regardless of the size of your operation, your best bet is to start small and keep testing iteratively.

Innovation must be balanced with caution — embrace your data, invest in the right tools, and keep innovating.

Editor’s Update 08/14/2024 An earlier version of this article omitted insights from Jesse Waldele, SVP of Digital Operations and Client Services at Dow Jones, and Jeff Goldstein, Head of Programmatic at Future’s keynote.

The post Dotdash Meredith’s Cookieless Conquest and the Publisher Pulse: Notes from AdMonsters Publisher Forum Boston appeared first on AdMonsters.

The 2024 AdMonsters Dream Team comprises carefully selected industry powerhouses recognized for their exceptional innovation, dedication, and trailblazing spirit in turning digital ad challenges into realized revenue gold.

These ad ops wizards and revenue rockstars were chosen to represent who AdMonsters would hire if they were launching an ad ops team. They have earned their places among the best of the best, redefining the boundaries of possibility in the dynamic world of ad tech. The Dream Team will be celebrated at Publisher Forum Boston, taking place August 4-6, with roundtables, in-depth conversations and networking with fellow publishers.

Meet the 2024 Dream Team
AdMonsters is proud to introduce the inaugural members of the 2024 AdMonsters Dream Team and their appointed roles:

Scott Messer – CRO
Current: Principal & Founder, Messer Media

Matthew Kent – SVP, Client Services
Current: VP, Client Services, Tubi

Connie Walsh – SVP, Yield & Monetization
Current: VP, Advertising, Legacy.com

Linda Chen – VP, Revenue Operations
Current: Director, Programmatic Revenue Strategy, Chegg

Zip Nguyen – VP, Business Intelligence
Current: Business Intelligence & Yield Lead, BBC

Pooja Singh – VP, Data & Analytics
Current: Director, Data Science, Kroger Precision Marketing

Kevin Antoine – Head of Programmatic
Current: Head of Digital Inventory Optimization, Graham Media Group

Addy Atienza – Head of CTV Revenue Operations
Current: VP, Programmatic Revenue and Operations, Streaming TV, Trusted Media Brands

Catherine Beattie – Head of Mobile Monetization
Current: Director of Programmatic, WeatherBug

Lauren Farber – Head of Sales Operations
Current: Advertising Tooling & Infrastructure, Netflix

Kimberly Hall – Sr. Director, Ad Operations
Current: Director of Digital Ad Operations, & Technology, Farm Journal

Jasper Liu – Sr. Director, Yield Management
Current: Sr. Programmatic Yield Analyst, Daily Mail/Mail Online

Sarah Webb – Manager, Ad Products
Current: Ad Production Coordinator, Bloomberg

See the Dream Team and learn more here.

“We are absolutely thrilled to introduce the AdMonsters Dream Team, celebrating the top talent in digital advertising operations. These professionals have demonstrated exceptional innovation and dedication, embodying the essence of our community and charting the course for its future. We eagerly anticipate how their expertise will inspire and elevate the entire industry,” said Becky Peck, Group Publisher, AdMonsters.”

“The Dream Team initiative underscores our commitment to fostering excellence and leadership within the AdMonsters community,” added Lynne d Johnson, Content Director, AdMonsters. “By bringing together these industry leaders, we are creating a powerful platform for collaboration and growth. We can’t wait to see the magic they will bring to our events and the broader digital advertising landscape. We look forward to the innovation, leadership, and inspiration the 2024 Dream Team will bring to the AdMonsters community and the digital advertising industry at large.”

About AdMonsters Dream Team
The AdMonsters Dream Team program celebrates the most influential and innovative minds in digital advertising operations. Members are handpicked for their outstanding contributions and leadership in their fields. As Dream Team members, they will receive widespread recognition, participate in exclusive Publisher Forum events, and enjoy special privileges designed to further enhance their professional journey.

For publishers in the digital advertising industry, the Dream Team represents an unparalleled resource of expertise and innovation. The insights and leadership of these professionals will empower publishers to navigate the complex digital ad ecosystem, optimize their revenue streams, and enhance audience engagement. By collaborating with the Dream Team, publishers can stay at the forefront of industry trends and achieve sustainable growth.

About AdMonsters
AdMonsters is the leading community for digital advertising operations and revenue optimization. We provide insights, training, and networking opportunities to help professionals and organizations stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry. With a focus on collaboration and innovation, AdMonsters is dedicated to supporting the success of its members and the digital advertising ecosystem.

Media Contact:
Trish Borrelli
Sr. Marketing Director
AdMonsters, AdExchanger and Folio:
tborrelli@accessintel.com

Visit admonsters.online/dreamteam24 for more information.

Follow @AdMonsters on LinkedIn for the latest updates and announcements.

The post AdMonsters Announces Inaugural 2024 Dream Team Picks appeared first on AdMonsters.

How do publishers plan to rev up their revenue in the coming years?

Share your insight in our 5-minute survey.

We want to understand where you see the biggest opportunities and challenges in the digital publishing landscape. Your feedback will help us identify key trends, innovative strategies, and potential obstacles in pursuing sustainable growth and profitability.

Let’s uncover where the opportunities are together, as an industry. Your contributions to this survey will help other publishers better understand the industry’s challenges, and learn the strategies to help them sustain, and even thrive. Results will be announced at Publisher Forum Boston, August 4-6.

The post AdMonsters Publisher Pulse Survey: Unlock the Keys to Ramp Up Your Revenue Strategies appeared first on AdMonsters.

In a league of their own, the AdMonsters Dream Team seeks to assemble a powerhouse squad comprised of ad ops wizards and revenue rockstars who continually surpass expectations, turning digital ad challenges into golden opportunities. This is not just any team; it’s a dream team of innovators and achievers who redefine the boundaries of possibility in the dynamic world of ad tech.

“Ad operations and digital revenue teams are at the forefront of driving revenue for their publishing organizations. The goal of our AdMonsters Dream Team initiative is to not only recognize these superstars, but also to elevate the role of ad ops professionals in the eyes of senior management and bring greater visibility to the skillsets and talent that make these individuals successful,” said Lynne d Johnson, Content Director at AdMonsters. “We’re excited to build an inspiring and unstoppable lineup of talent and shine a light on the remarkable individuals who are driving positive change and pushing boundaries in our industry.”

The call for nominations is open for ad ops professionals and their peers to nominate a deserving colleague or themselves.

Each Dream Team Member Receives:
• Recognition in the AdMonsters Dream Team feature story
• A free ticket to Publisher Forum Boston
• Participation on a panel at Publisher Forum Boston
• Super unique Dream Team SWAG
• Generous discounts for their team to upcoming AdMonsters events
• Digital badge and creative assets for well-deserved bragging rights!

Nominations are entirely free, offering a prime opportunity to elevate an outstanding colleague or put yourself forward for recognition.

Nomination Deadline: May 10, 2024: Learn more and submit a nomination here.

The post Announcing the AdMonsters Dream Team: Nominations Now Open for the Inaugural Fantasy League of Ad Tech All-Stars appeared first on AdMonsters.

Romero leads a 40-person sales and marketing partnership team, with the ad ops team also reporting to him. His background in sales and marketing and having grown up in a large family provided him with keen insight into leadership and cross-team collaboration.

A Recipe for Success: Luis Romero’s Leadership Ingredients In this talk, Romero spilled the beans on his leadership style, inspired by his crowded New York City upbringing. Like a well-oiled kitchen, every family member played a crucial role, teaching Romero the value of team dynamics and defined responsibilities. He stresses that in a team, much like in a family, everyone’s contribution, big or small, is vital for overall success.

The Sales Stew: Stirring Up a Strong Sales Force Romero, who manages a 40-person sales and marketing team, reflected on his journey from a highly directive leader to one who values trust and expertise. He emphasized the importance of not having all the answers and the power of learning from his team. Romero likens his leadership to the ancient war general Hannibal, skillfully uniting diverse talents for a common goal, proving that a varied team can be a formidable force in sales.

The Secret Sauce of Ad Ops and Sales Collaboration Navigating the complex relationship between ad ops and sales, Romero advocates for a balanced blend of recognition and involvement. He highlights the essential role of ad ops in the forefront of business operations, challenging the notion of it being a mere backroom function. Romero believes that understanding and valuing the ‘art’ of ad ops is crucial for sales teams to thrive, advocating for equal participation and respect in planning and decision-making processes.

Communication: The Main Course for Team Collaboration In our world of over-communication, Romero reminds us that simplicity and clarity are key. He encourages asking the obvious questions and embracing vulnerability in not knowing everything. This approach fosters respect among team members and paves the way for effective collaboration. Romero’s strategy is akin to a well-prepared dish, where every ingredient complements the other, ensuring no flavor is lost in translation.

A Feast of Knowledge and Inspiration As Romero prepares to share his insights at the Pub Forum Austin — Can Sales and Ad Ops Just Get Along? —  he leaves us with a taste of his leadership philosophy: recognizing and valuing each team member’s contribution and fostering an environment where collaboration is not just encouraged but essential. His approach is a blueprint for any team looking to blend different skills and perspectives into a successful, cohesive unit.

The post #PublisherPOV: Bridging the Gap Between Sales and Ad Ops With Luis Romero appeared first on AdMonsters.

The rapidly evolving landscape of AI and its integration into the publishing sector was the highlight of AdMonsters recent discussion with Burhan Hamid, a pivotal figure in the media and ad tech ecosystem.

Hamid’s journey — from his extensive experience in data engineering and media to his passion for specialty coffee roasting to leading innovations at Time.com — underlines his distinctive approach to technology and media and also shapes his viewpoint on the intersection of AI and publishing.

Before diving into the main event, AdMonsters Content Manager, Yakira Young, and Hamid held a lively discussion about virtual kitchens and fusion cuisine, as well as Hamid’s obsession with coffee. That passion led him to learn everything about the origins of roasting coffee, from learning how to roast coffee himself to launching a coffee editor and running that business out of his brother’s virtual kitchen in Maryland.

But guess what? Hamid doesn’t drink coffee. “Some people who know me might be surprised by this, but I drink tea every morning. I have something called Chai every morning. My body handles tea a whole lot better than it handles coffee. So I save the coffee for special occasions,” he shared.

Introduction to a Tech and Media Visionary

Young also asked him which song best describes his leadership style, to which he responded Incubus’, “Are you in?” “The words in there are really, ‘It’s always better when everyone is in.’ And that’s my leadership style,” he explained. “I like to have everybody commit and be collaborative and all in on the work they’re doing. We have a small but really close team, where everybody is in.”

Considering over the past six months Hamid built a data engineering and martech team from the ground up to re-platform TIME.com,  he really needed a lot of teamwork to make the dream work — rejiggering the front end, back end, and pretty much all of the infrastructure.

Reflecting a deep-seated curiosity and a knack for innovation, Hamid set the stage for his insights into the AI realm, where his dual roles in tech and media provide a balanced viewpoint on emerging technologies.

AI in Content Personalization and Recommendation

A key focus of the discussion was the role of AI in personalization and improving content recommendation, areas where Hamid’s team has been pioneering at TIME. He highlighted his team’s efforts in employing machine learning to enhance user experiences, emphasizing the potential of generative AI to revolutionize content creation and delivery.

Addressing AI Challenges and Ethics

However, Hamid also addressed the challenges and ethical considerations in deploying AI, particularly in content authenticity and verification. The conversation delved into the complex relationship between AI technologies and the journalistic content they rely on, emphasizing the need for licensing and attribution models to maintain integrity and trust in journalism.

AI Misconceptions and Workforce Impact

Addressing common AI misconceptions, Hamid emphasized that AI tools are meant to augment human work, not replace it. AI, he says, enables more effective and efficient work. He envisions AI as a democratizing force in knowledge access, democratizing information beyond traditional search engines.

Looking Ahead to PubForum Austin

Hamid expressed excitement to delve deeper into AI’s ethical considerations and practical applications across various media roles in his upcoming keynote at PubForum Austin, during his keynote, The Publisher’s AI Advantage: Leveraging the Power of AI to Stay Ahead of the Curve. His collaborative leadership style, inspired by the ethos of the song “Are You In?” by Incubus, promises a session of engaging and insightful discourse.

The post #PublisherPOV: Leveraging the Power of AI w/ Burhan Hamid, SVP, Data, Product, Engineering at TIME appeared first on AdMonsters.

The importance of Ad Ops and Rev Ops within media organizations has never been more mission-critical than this year.

AdMonsters is bringing you the events, webinars, playbooks, awards, and networking opportunities to help you and your org own 2024. Want a little 2024 preview? Read on.

Mark your calendar with the official 2024 AdMonsters Events

My challenge to you: Plan to join your peers for at least two events this year. Bolster your skills and grow your professional network in 2024!

• March 3-5: Publisher Forum Austin
• March 13-14: CTV Connect | NYC (New!)
• June 3-4: AdMonsters Ops | NYC
• June 3: Top Women in Media & Ad Tech Awards | NYC
• August 4-6: Publisher Forum Boston
• November 10-12: Publisher Forum Scottsdale

Our flexible season passes get your team more education and actionable insights without breaking your budget. Ask me about the AdMonsters season pass program.

Our live events will be better than ever.
I’m excited to announce how we’re giving AdMonsters a glow-up at our live events:

1. More of the publisher’s POV. We’re going to lean into our core value proposition in 2024: more of the tactics and tips you need, directly from your peers. We are the Publisher Forum, after all.
2. More on buy-side partnerships. You want to have more sessions led by buy-side visionaries to help you understand how to best serve your advertisers. We got you!
3. Less time out of the office. 2024 Publisher Forums will be 2.5 days, beginning Sunday evening with our Welcome events and ending Tuesday evening with our Pubs Night Out (after our famous off-site activities, of course). Fly home Wednesday morning.
4. More opportunity for peer-to-peer workshopping. We get rave reviews on PubForum’s Wednesday Workshops, but sadly many folks end up missing out due to travel & time constraints. We’re moving them up to Monday so everyone can take part!
5. Hotel booking upgrade. Attendees can now book their AdMonsters hotel rooms (at our guaranteed lowest group rate) just like any other hotel booking site. Book online and manage your reservation with full transparency. You also no longer have to pay the full room rate upfront, and you earn all the points! After you register for a 2024 event, you’ll be sent your hotel booking link.

There’s more! Our editorial coverage is going to slay. At AdMonsters, we’re a people-first organization, and that’s our focus for 2024: Our community. We’re here to champion you, the people who make digital advertising work.

Here’s to the work. Here’s to growth. And here’s to our community!  We hope to get stronger and smarter together in this new year and beyond.

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AdMonsters hosts conferences four times a year, and with each, our keynotes lead by example and teach us all how to be better ad ops professionals. Of course, we have great speakers for each session, but there is nothing like a great keynote to set the day’s tone or end the day with a severe mic drop. 

In 2023, the ad tech industry was preparing for many significant shifts — Chrome cookie deprecation, the generative AI takeover, and supply chain complexity — but we had leaders guiding the industry and learning from one another. 

Here is the list of the AdMonsters keynotes that shaped 2023:

PubForum Miami

With the gorgeous Miami beach at the backdrop, our spring keynotes covered the power of Bloomberg’s first-party data strategies, podcasts’ effect on brand safety, and a live recording of the Minority Report Podcast. 

How Podcasting Is Transforming Brand Safety For Everyone

Speaker: Maria Breza, VP, Ad Quality Measurement and Audience Data Operations, SXM Media, Sirius XM

Quote: “As ad technologists, our job is to make it easier to spend at scale,” said Breza. “I’m eager for the industry to get better at defining and managing adjacency in all streaming environments, tightening definitions of standards and infractions, and getting better at the context and tone words appear in – not just words themselves.”

Minority Report Podcast Live — Developing a Leadership Career in Digital Media and Ad Tech

Speakers: Kerel Cooper and Erik Requidan Co-Founders and Co-Hosts of The Minority Report Podcast; Chris Contreras, Chief Customer Officer, MNTN

Quote: “I am a servant leader through and through,” said Chris Contreras, Chief Customer Officer, MNTN. “I had a pretty horrible experience with leadership early in my career. I told myself that when I had the opportunity and the privilege to lead others, I would help cultivate an atmosphere where folks understood what it takes to move from a junior to a more senior role.”

What Would Bloomberg Do?

Speaker: Janelle F. Faulk, Global Head of Advertising Operations, Bloomberg

Quote: “First-party data platforms offer publishers like Bloomberg a unique ability to offer the context and audience that advertisers need to sustain personalized advertising at scale while thoughtfully cultivating those relationships in a way that maintains the trust that our audience has in us.” 

AdMonsters Ops

While our PubForum conferences are publisher-focused, our Ops conferences in New York bring together all sides of the ad tech industry for a day and a half of ad ops knowledge. The keynotes from this year covered issues from ad tech environmental woes to calling BS on identity and schooled the attendees on all things ad ops. 

Calling BS on Identity: An In-depth Guide to Identity Solutions

Speaker: Shiv Gupta, Founder of U of Digital

Quote: “If it feels like everyone in ad tech is pitching an identity solution for a post-identity world, it’s because they are. But the identity conversation is loaded with BS because everyone talks about it like they know what the future holds. Worse, they’re presenting solutions based on what they know.” 

Redefining Success: Leading With Vision and Innovation in the Modern Workplace

Speaker: Christena Pyle, Chief Equity Officer, dentsu Americas

Quote: “Equal access to opportunities should be available to everyone, and we must look to change our hiring practices. To achieve this, agencies must consciously seek out and hire individuals from diverse backgrounds and provide them with pathways to leadership roles.”

How Ad Tech Became an Environmental Nightmare and How We Can Solve it in 2023

Speakers: Brian O’Kelley, CEO, Scope3; Shoshana Wodinsky, Tech Reporter

Quote: “It’s very interesting to see this tension between business and environment, and I feel like I’ve lived with that tension my whole life. I think of Scope3 as a natural evolution: what if you could do both? What if you could be good for business and good for the environment? What if these weren’t at odds?” 

How AI is Reshaping Media Buying and Selling

Speaker: Mark Sturino, VP of Data and Analytics, Good Apple

Quote: AI is playing more of a role from a publisher selection perspective. At least at Good Apple, it is less and less about flash, and it’s more about what are the actual results you’re giving us because, at the end of the day, everybody will be judged based on performance

PubForum Coronado

On the beautiful Coronado Island, the keynotes were all about effective audience targeting in a post-cookie world, taking a step into the ad trenches with an ad tech vet, and a town hall about growing your career through the town hall ranks.

Publishers Take the Wheel: Effective Audience Targeting in a Cookieless World

Speaker: Dr. Jon Roberts, Chief Innovation Officer, Dotdash Meredith

Quote: “We as an industry must get comfortable with non-identity-based targeting and measurement in the next year to 18 months so that when the cookie gets fully deprecated, you’re not trying to figure out how to do cookieless targeting in the second half of 2024 because you’re going to be doing it with little data to play with and a lot of disruption.” 

Lessons From the Trenches – 25 Years As A Publisher Navigating Ad Tech

Speaker: “Grouchy” Greg Watkins Co-founder, AllHipHop.com

Quote: “I did know that the advertising business would be big on the Internet and that this would be a way to directly speak to consumers in a way that possibly had never happened in media history. When you’re dealing with television, it’s usually a one-way transaction. When you’re dealing with the internet, especially at the time, you could develop actual relationships with these consumers, depending on what type of ad campaign you’re running.” 

Growing Your Career Through the Rev Ops Ranks

Speakers: Rachael Savage, SVP of Ad Revenue Operations at Hearst; Brooke Edwards-Plant, VP of Global Ad Ops and Revenue Platforms at Condé Nast

Quotes: “You need to be resourceful. This job can be stressful. It often requires, in some cases, very junior folks working on things that are visible to senior people. You must ensure you build a team that can work independently and problem-solve. Resourcefulness will get you by in everything, not just ad ops. As you rise through the ranks and want to expand into other things, the ability to problem solve and come up with the solution is significant,” said Edwards-Plant. 

PubForum New Orleans 

While New Orleans is known for its spooky environment, our conference had a divine visit from ad tech’s premiere deity. Our keynotes in NOLA included a visit from AdTechGod, who declared his CTV commandments, a rundown on Forbes’ first-party data platform, and a look inside the mind of the buy side.

One Publisher, One Brand: United By First-Party Data 

Speaker: Alyson Williams, SVP, Digital Operations & Strategy, Forbes

Quote: “We can provide a robust, first-party powered story about specific audiences to understand how to better serve our readers with the most engaging and relevant content and to allow our editorial team to understand who’s consuming their content and why.”

AdTechGod’s Commandments for the Future of CTV

Speaker: AdTechGod: The Lord of RTB, God of Programmatic Prophecy, Savior of AdTech Sinners

Quote: Thou Shalt Know Thy Audience — “You can’t monetize effectively if you don’t know who’s watching. Dig into that data, segment your audience, and then tailor your monetization strategies to suit. Data’s your guiding star. Use it to make informed decisions, target your audience, and personalize experiences. Just be mindful of privacy rules, yeah? While you’re hustling with data, be upfront about how you collect and use it. GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy rules are not to be trifled with.” 

I Want To Spend More With You, Really. A Buy Side’s Perspective on Securing Incremental Spend

Speaker: Jay Friedman, CEO of Goodway Group

Quote: “With more than 40% of the market being unaddressable due to cookie deprecation, cookies are more of a signal for directional understanding rather than direct measurement. The best marketers are already utilizing media mix modeling and incrementality testing, but the challenge is helping convey results to the executive team of a brand. Technical knowledge and storytelling techniques are critical to share this information in a clear way.”

The post In the Spotlight: AdMonsters’ Keynotes of 2023 appeared first on AdMonsters.