The world is glued to the Summer Olympics action in London, gazing in wonder as competitors put the human body and spirit to the test. Of course, while these athletes have poured hellacious amounts of blood, sweat and tears into training for this moment – but could they meet the challenges of ad operations? We’re talking a whole other set of blood, sweat and tears.
So it got us thinking: what would the Opslympics look like, the ultimate competition for digital strategists? We came up with a bunch of events that would challenge even the most hardened ops veterans. But we want you to come with more – add them on Twitter with the hashtag #opslympics.
The Ad Server Migration: The longest event of the Opslympics, it’s also the most grueling. Competitors must juggle changing business requirements, vendor obstacles and incompatible technology – all while maintaining current operations.
Workflow Relay: While speed helps, winning at this relay is all about the handoff. Teams can vary in setup but all must take a RFP through the insertion order process, trafficking and the most daunting portion: Billing and Reconciliation.
Salesperson Hurdles: Competitors don’t have far to go, but the field is filled with sales people coming back from a three-martini lunch with a demanding client. Points are deducted for physically or verbally assaulting the sales people. No one in the history of the Opslympics has achieved a perfect score.
Remnant Strategy Gymnastics (Floor Routine): Participants must devise a routine that impresses the judges with its challenge, revenue lift, efficiency and grace. The landing is the most crucial part – any porn or belly fat ads result in immediate disqualification.
Lumascape Long Jump: With the field designed like the Lumascape infographic, competitors must jump from logo to logo all the way from marketer to publisher. With each jump, ad spend points are deducted but relevance scores increase. A controversial sport as many argue the whole measurement process makes little to no sense. Everyone is hoping the branding version of this event will be an actual Opslympic event in 2016.
Screen Decathlon: One campaign from one client is scheduled to every permutation of device and operating system. Competitors are rejoicing that IE 6 has not been included this year.
Remember, add your own events on Twitter with the hashtag #opslympics – see ya on the platform (the one for medals, not data management).
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Macro-level changes are coming, and you can sieze the opportunities that follow at OPS NY. This event will bring together digital advertising leaders and ops professionals to discuss a rapidly evolving landscape and develop strategies for monetization. Register today for OPS NY which will be held Oct. 4, 2012. |