Tell us a bit more about your session at PI LIVE 2018?
During my session, I’ll be providing insights into how brands and buyers can effectively leverage programmatic technology to help to deliver on their business goals. This will include identifying the key pillars that are essential to successful programmatic campaigns and how these pillars should be applied across the various pieces of programmatic technology, including data management platforms, demand-side platforms and dynamic creative.
What key takeaways do you think will drive the most debate?
I’d like people to be able to come away and be able to effectively question and evaluate how they are currently activating their own programmatic technology, be that via their agency or in-house teams. This can then serve as the basis for a debate on how well they’re currently utilising each of their pieces of programmatic technology and how they can better set themselves up for success.
How has the role of programmatic evolved over the past year?
It’s been a big year for programmatic with a number of changes in the landscape via merger and acquisition activity and GDPR coming into effect, but what’s really stood out for me is a sense that programmatic is being taken more seriously by brands. Whilst programmatic is still very much in a growing up phase, we are seeing the applicability of programmatic moving into other channels such as Connected TV and digital out-of-home advertising. This has caught the attention of brands and has pushed programmatic to be much higher on their agenda and accelerated the trend of actively engaging with and owning their programmatic strategy and technology.
What’s been the best programmatic technology you’ve seen launch this year?
There’s been a lot of promise in ad tech this year with releases of blockchain solutions, futures marketplaces, and widespread adoption of ads.txt, all of which look to solve challenges in the way that media is procured through programmatic today. But, I’m personally most excited about the release of the OpenRTB 3.0 framework, which is currently open for public comment and beta testing with full release due at the end of the year. This release will provide enhanced security and reduce fraud, giving buyers more confidence that they are getting exactly what they think they are buying.
The show isn’t far away – what are you most looking forward to?
With such a diverse set of panels, speakers and keynotes I’m really looking forward to seeing how different brands and their partners are utilising technology in different ways to drive performance for their business. In a time when connected consumer journeys are so important, it will be great to see how different channels are using technology to reach their consumers and where synergies can be formed between those channels and the work that brands are doing within programmatic.