In this exclusive “Masters of Media” series, Integral Ad Science (IAS) speaks to the Movers and Shakers of the APAC advertising industry on all digital matters.

Nic Jones is Head of Strategy, APAC at EssenceMediacom, GroupM’s newest and largest agency that is committed to delivering marketing breakthroughs for brands in the new communications economy.

In his role, Nic is responsible for overseeing EssenceMediacom’s strategy and planning function in the region. He is also the end-to-end experience lead in ASEAN and South Pacific for WPP Open, the bespoke global agency partner of The Coca-Cola Company. Additionally, he is currently driving the development of the agency’s addressable product offering and capability building in APAC.

With 16 years of experience, Nic has a deep understanding of all aspects of media and marketing transformation, from digital to above-the-line media, to addressable audiences, to data. He brings with him a proven track record of delivering innovation and integrated solutions to some of the world’s largest brands.

Questions:

IAS: Can you share your career journey in the digital media industry, highlighting key milestones and experiences that have shaped your professional path?

Nic: I’ve spent the last 16 years working in media agencies in the UK, China, and Singapore, and unsurprisingly, the job has changed a lot in that time. Working mostly in strategy roles, the role has changed from being a singular function to one that has to act as the bridge between the ever-growing number of specialisms and disciplines that have emerged.

It seems many marketers are on a constant journey of transformation and it’s been interesting to see how these have played out since the advent of digital advertising. We’ve been through several waves of digital advertising, from search, to social, and now retail, and while the pace of change has increased, the fundamental job of delivering value and growth for clients remains constant.

I currently spend a lot of time working with The Coca-Cola Company as part of the integrated WPP Open X model. It’s been stimulating to work a lot more closely with different disciplines and operating companies to provide truly integrated solutions for brands. I suspect we’ll see more agencies moving towards this consolidated agency group model for large multinational clients, given the potential upside from this integration.

IAS: If there’s one myth related to programmatic you’d like squashed, what would that be?

Nic: The perception that clients have the option to go down a programmatic route or a premium one. Programmatic has become a bit of a misnomer, one associated with cost-effective, broad reach through non-premium inventory. 

While there may have been an element of historical truth to this, the programmatic of today has a wealth of connected TV (CTV), digital out-of-home (DOOH), and broadcast video on demand (BVOD) inventory, to name a few, that can deliver a cost-effective, yet premium solution for clients.

It’s also no longer a blunt tool, and it has huge potential to deliver tailored messaging across valuable audience segments and platforms.

IAS: What challenges have you encountered in achieving audience addressability in diverse markets across APAC, and how have you adapted your approach to overcome them?

Nic: Addressability isn’t really anything new – the role of a media planner/buyer has always been to serve the right audience in the right context with the right message. The difference now is that technology has advanced to a point where we deliver both precision and scale, in a way that makes sense commercially. 

A lot of the reticence of embracing addressable planning and activation comes from the perception that it adds many layers of complexity and cost for only a marginal return. This has partly been driven by the industry, which has much to gain by making something seem more complicated than it needs to be. 

At EssenceMediacom, we’ve spent a lot of energy upskilling our people to be able to work with clients to identify the optimal addressable solution. This has had two main benefits:

• Addressable approaches are tied to a client’s maturity in the space and business opportunity, resulting in effective campaigns that operate on a singular insight with a suitably complex solution.
• Rather than bringing in specialists, upskilling all of our people has translated into more holistic human-centric thinking throughout the campaign cycle.
  
  

IAS: How do you foresee audience addressability evolving in the APAC region in the coming years, and what opportunities do you see for your company to further leverage this capability?

Nic: I see audience addressability taking a more central role in advertising and communications as a whole in the coming years. A number of our clients want to see greater value from media and creative working closer together to provide more relevant experiences to high-value audiences.

Technology, particularly on the creative side, will help remove some of the barriers to delivering addressable content at scale, particularly around cost and manual effort saved. We are working with partners to provide scalable addressable content solutions that can be plugged directly into current planning and activation processes.

We’re also seeing a lot more data opportunities opening up, particularly in the retail space that can be leveraged on and off retail platforms. This is going to benefit our clients as they look for more robust, deterministic segmentation.


IAS: Any advice for leaders on talent retention and supporting a hybrid workforce in the digital media space?

Nic: Focus on creating and propagating a culture that goes beyond corporate values and performance. While it’s important that agencies maintain a competitive and differentiated position in the market and that employees are advocates of that, having principles that promote inclusiveness are perhaps more important.

We live in a time where it feels like there’s a greater digital and geographic distance between people – due to hybrid working, reduced travel, or a pandemic-driven preference for simply doing something alone.

There is significant value in bringing people together to problem-solve and create something together, but this doesn’t necessarily need to be physically mandated. A culture that promotes collaboration and cross-functional support goes a long way in bridging some of these divides.

We’ve seen successes by promoting learning and development programmes, cultural inspiration days, and business challenge hackathons, amongst other initiatives, to give our people opportunities to get together in areas outside of the day-to-day.

IAS: What is your advice to the fresh talent entering the digital media industry, especially in the APAC region?

Nic: There’s never been a more exciting time to enter the digital media industry. Many of the promises of digital such as retail segmentation, fully addressable communications, and one-to-one transactions are coming to fruition for brands.

My advice for someone entering the industry would be to:

• Embrace the rapid pace of change and uncertainty – with experience comes inertia and as a digital native, you’re best placed to see the future opportunities.
• Find a good mentor – having a neutral sounding board is extremely valuable and it often helps to get an outside perspective on career development.
• Learn how to have a holistic view of communications – digital activation will shape the brand strategies of tomorrow, so elevating its value will stand you in good stead.

IAS: What’s your favourite book/podcast/movie, and how has it influenced your approach to strategy or leadership?

Nic: I’m a big fan of the book Emotion by Design: Creative Leadership Lessons from a Life at Nike by Greg Hoffman. In it, the former Nike CMO codifies some of his experience of what makes great storytelling and creativity that build global brands. 

With our industry becoming more complex by the day with an ever-increasing number of specialisms and products, it’s a reminder that great advertising isn’t purely the product of a specialist creative team working on an award-winning video. 

Where creativity is able to reach its full potential is where a culture of collaboration across specialisms exists, from creative, to media, to commerce and retail. In his words,

“Talent starts the game, chemistry wins it. Pass the ball. Create a culture where the left and right brains multiply each other. Drive radical creative collaboration between the minds, skills, and dreams of each other.”

The post Masters of Media – Nic Jones, Head of Strategy, APAC, EssenceMediacom appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

The objective of this study is to uncover what Singaporean consumers regard as brand safe/unsafe content and also to understand the impact the ad environment has on their perceptions of brands and their advertising.

The report looks at three specific areas:

• Appropriate and inappropriate content
• Perceptions of Brands and Advertising
• Safety in Journalism and News

Key Takeaways include:

• 91% of Singaporean consumers say that it is important to them that the content surrounding online ads is appropriate
• 83% of Singaporean consumers say that brands are responsible for the content surrounding their ads
• 84% of Singaporean consumers say it is important to them that ad funding supports responsible journalism

Download the full research report here today

The post RESEARCH: Brand Safety in Singapore – A Consumer Report appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

In this exclusive “Masters of Media” series, Integral Ad Science (IAS) speaks to the Movers and Shakers of the APAC advertising industry on all digital matters.

Gemma leads the PHD agency agenda and capabilities in the areas of technology, digital and data at a national level. Her experience in these fields spans EMEA and Australia, having worked overseas and in international roles. She is actively involved in broader industry initiatives through her work with the MFA, IAB and AANA, with a mission to build the effectiveness of advertising and safeguard the interests of our clients.

Gemma’s particular area of passion is in media responsibility, ranging from brand safety to ethics. She recently completed a Data and Privacy Law certification from the London School of Economics and is ready for the next wave of online regulation.

IAS: Can you share your career journey in the digital media industry, highlighting key milestones and experiences that have shaped your professional path?

Gemma: I’ve had a few knockbacks in my career; in fact, it took me a year and multiple attempts to get onto a graduate scheme. Each time I got that rejection it really stung, but I got a job in marketing for a year and kept trying until eventually I got the acceptance email. This experience made me want a career in media even more. I became more confident that this was the job for me with each presentation I had to give on “a media campaign that had impressed me.” I think knowing how hard I had to work to get here in the first place humbled me and has made me grateful that I get to work in this industry every day.

Eventually, I started my career in London as a planner. When a client win necessitated an agency restructure, I was moved into the digital team. I still remember the day I was informed; I was devastated and insisted I could not be in the digital team because I didn’t know anything about technology. “I don’t even own a smartphone,” I cried to my manager. But it worked out ok in the end!

I moved to Australia almost 8 years ago, and being in a smaller market meant I was exposed to a whole new facet of my role and was hands-on across all digital touchpoints. I went from planning the brand digital display for a client (there were about 15 of us in the digital team for this particular client) to being the only digital person across several clients.

I’ve had some great experiences along the way – I was on the first-ever Squared program in the UK, I volunteered with the Prince’s Trust to help disadvantaged teenagers get marketing internships, I joined the MFA Interactive Committee and was part of the Digital Foundations Certification creation. I’ve even won a couple of industry awards.

I rarely make a conscious decision to shape my career path, but I’ve always put my hand up for every opportunity that comes my way. As a result, this has sometimes benefitted me professionally but always benefited me personally (I’m not even sure where I made friends before I was in media!).

IAS: What are some challenges Australian marketers face regarding digital advertising?

Gemma: The complexity facing marketers is getting harder to navigate, not easier. And, advertising is just one component of the role of a marketer, so lumping in privacy regulations, cookie deprecation, attribution challenges, eCommerce growth and the monthly brand safety press exposé can make digital seem overwhelming.

Whilst the landscape has become more complex, we’ve seen a reduction in the diversification of investment and many brands have consolidated spend into a few key platforms. Initially, it might seem that fewer platforms mean compliance is easier. There is less creative hassle and managing frequency across your audience is possible, but this consolidation brings a host of new challenges. Now brands face a reliance on platforms and are at the mercy of constant changes to advertising services. Each time an automated ad product is released, we move further into the ‘black box’ of algorithms and further away from control over how and where our ad dollars are spent.

As marketers, we must stay informed of changes, ensure we are consistently evaluating their effectiveness and can demonstrate how our marketing efforts are driving business outcomes. It has never been more challenging to do this.

IAS: If there’s one myth related to programmatic you’d like squashed, what would that be?

Gemma: That programmatic inventory is not quality inventory. I think that we still hold a legacy view of programmatic activity being placed on long-tail sites, below the fold and with ad stacking. At PHD, over 80% of our programmatic investment is on premium inventory secured through PMP or PG deals. Anything that runs open exchange is done on an inclusion list, with an SPO strategy in place and third-party verification to measure and mitigate low viewability and ad fraud. With planning principles and buying rigour in place, programmatic activity is absolutely quality inventory.

IAS: In a rapidly changing industry like digital media, how do you and your agency stay at the forefront of innovation and adapt to new technologies and trends?

Gemma: We are exceptionally lucky at PHD to be supported by the diverse services at OMG, and a lot of our learning comes from working alongside these specialists. For example, last year we appointed a Head of Cleanroom Development and having this capability in-house has allowed our team to expand their knowledge as adoption of cleanroom solutions accelerates.

I’d caution against investing too much time in trends. We’re in the business of helping our clients grow their brands and rarely will investing heavily in a trend lead to long-term brand growth.

IAS: In your opinion, is the industry doing enough to combat the trust and transparency challenges in the digital supply chain?

Gemma: In 2018, the MFA, IAB and AANA released the ‘Australian Digital Advertising Principles’ to build trust, instil confidence, and foster shared responsibility for the digital advertising value chain. As a member of this task force, I am hugely proud to see Australia leading the way in transparency conversations, with lean-in from across our industry.

In fact, one of the things that attracted me to OMG is that they have been incredibly vocal in this space, with transparency agreements signed with over 300 partners. However, this isn’t just the role of an agency. Clients need to lean into this conversation, using the checklists provided in the ADAP document, to ensure that they are comfortable with where their media dollars are being invested and the outcomes being driven for them.

IAS: Any advice for leaders on talent retention and supporting a hybrid workforce?

Gemma: The dynamic between employer and employee has been in a constant shift since 2020. I think where we have settled is that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is no longer relevant for today’s workforce. People want a personalised experience at work and want an employer to meet different needs at different life stages. This can be incredibly complex to deliver at scale, so we have to balance the needs of individual teams with the greater agency good.

My focus is not necessarily on retention in our digital team; instead, we are focused on developing talent to ensure that our people always feel that they are learning, motivated and have a voice, regardless of experience or tenure. This is achieved through a program that encourages critical thinking, empowers people to share opinions and inspires us outside of the day-to-day. Our program consists of monthly digital debates, national huddle sessions, mentoring opportunities and our ‘Sparkle Series’ that gets us out of the office quarterly. We hope that by dedicating time and effort to creating a personalised learning agenda for our people, they feel supported in their development. This is all I could hope for our next generation of leaders.

IAS: What’s your favourite book/podcast/movie and why?

Gemma: I’m a big reader (and a recent library convert – free books, how good!) Nothing has made me cry and given me the feels like A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. It ruined all other books for me for about a year afterwards.

IAS: What is your advice to the fresh talent in the industry?

Gemma: My advice to the fresh talent in the industry is to be adaptable. The only constant in this industry is change, so embrace every opportunity that comes your way as you never know what doors it may open for you.

The post Masters of Media – Gemma Dawkins, National Head of Digital, PHD appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

SINGAPORE, Jan 18, 2024 — Integral Ad Science, a leading global media measurement and optimisation platform, today announced business expansion in four key APAC markets- Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam along with senior leadership appointments to accelerate AI-driven measurement and optimisation solutions for both local and global advertisers and publishers. 

“APAC presents a prime opportunity for IAS to expand its global footprint and connect with a dynamic customer base for long-term growth and market leadership,” said Yannis Dosios, Chief Commercial Officer. “We’re doubling down on agility and local relevance by building strong, regional teams that understand the nuances of each market, which is key to tailoring our solutions and creating lasting relationships with international and local brands in the region.”

Appointments include Sowarose Charuwatpaiboon as the Country Head of Thailand, Thanh Nguyen as the Country Head of Vietnam, Melvin Wong as the Region Head of Hong Kong & Taiwan and Arfitrianto Zulnaini, Sales Director of Indonesia, who will be stepping up as the Country Head of Indonesia and Malaysia.  

Sowarose Charuwatpaiboon– Country Head, Thailand: Brings over a decade of experience in the digital advertising industry with a proven track record of success in sales, account management, and business development at companies including Adcolony, Taboola and Innity. Charuwatpaiboon joined IAS in 2023 as Sales Director to expand operations in Thailand, and now, as the Country Head will lead the team to drive continued growth. 

“I am excited to bring IAS’s world-class media measurement and optimisation solutions to advertisers and publishers in Thailand,” said Sowarose Charuwatpaiboon. “IAS’s commitment to providing effective and transparent advertising environments for brands and media owners alike will resonate with brands seeking to navigate the complexities of the digital advertising ecosystem and driving efficiencies.”

Thanh Nguyen- Country Head, Vietnam: A veteran of the digital advertising industry with over 25 years of experience in the Vietnamese media and advertising landscape, Thanh brings a wealth of experience from companies like JOYY Inc, Vietcetera Media and TikTok Vietnam. She has a deep understanding of the local market dynamics and her extensive relationships with prominent advertisers, publishers, and industry stakeholders will help drive IAS’s growth and solidify its position as a trusted partner in Vietnam’s flourishing digital advertising ecosystem. 

“I am thrilled to join IAS and help expand its presence in Vietnam,” said Thanh Nguyen. “Brands in Vietnam are investing significant budgets across digital media, and there’s a growing adoption of measurement and optimisation solutions among advertisers and publishers. With its superior solutions and dedicated teams, IAS empowers Vietnamese brands and media owners to navigate the evolving digital landscape and unlock their full potential.” 

Melvin Wong- Region Head, Hong Kong & Taiwan: With global experience across Hong Kong, New York and Toronto, Wong spent over a decade in sales and business development roles at companies including Teads and TripleLift. He joins IAS to propel growth and expansion in Hong Kong and Taiwan and will leverage his extensive global experience and strategic acumen to establish IAS as a trusted partner for brands and agencies within this vibrant digital landscape.

“Joining IAS amidst their remarkable growth in programmatic is an absolute privilege,” said Wong. “Having witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by top brands and agencies, I deeply understand the crucial role efficiency and ROI play in our partnerships. I’m committed to working with brands and agencies to drive widespread adoption of IAS’s industry-leading measurement and optimisation solutions to drive superior business results for advertisers and publishers.” 

Arfitrianto Zulnaini- Country Head Malaysia and Indonesia: As an industry veteran with over 24 years of sales and leadership experience in digital media at companies including Yahoo, Carat, and Mindshare, Zulnaini joined IAS in 2020 as the Sales Director of Indonesia. He drove programmatic adoption and incremental revenue growth for IAS in Indonesia and will now focus on growing IAS’s measurement and optimisation adoption in both Indonesia and Malaysia.

“I am honoured to take on the additional responsibility of leading IAS’s Malaysia business and keen to build further on the solid foundation developed over the years in the market,” said Zulnaini. “Malaysia, much like Indonesia, is an evolving digital media market with high growth potential, so it’s no surprise that it has become a strategic focus. I look forward to advancing the company’s superior media quality solutions in these markets.”

“We are delighted to announce the expansion of IAS’s footprint in multiple regional markets and excited to have a team of very experienced Country Heads leading these operations,” said Laura Quigley, Senior Vice President of APAC, IAS.“This investment will benefit regional and global brands, agencies and publishers seeking the highest quality digital ad impressions. Our cutting-edge technology, transformative AI solutions, a keen understanding of local client’s needs, and deep integration with client tech stacks make IAS the media quality partner of choice in the APAC region.”

IAS’s APAC in-market operations now include Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

About Integral Ad Science

Integral Ad Science (IAS) is a leading global media measurement and optimization platform that delivers the industry’s most actionable data to drive superior results for the world’s largest advertisers, publishers, and media platforms. IAS’s software provides comprehensive and enriched data that ensures ads are seen by real people in safe and suitable environments, while improving return on ad spend for advertisers and yield for publishers. Our mission is to be the global benchmark for trust and transparency in digital media quality. For more information, visit integralads.com.

Contact: press@integralads.com 

The post Integral Ad Science Accelerates APAC Expansion with Multiple Market Launches & Senior Appointments appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

In this exclusive “Masters of Media” series, Integral Ad Science (IAS) speaks to the Movers and Shakers of the APAC advertising industry on all digital matters.

Atul Sharma is a media industry veteran, having worked for over 22 years across the entire advertising/ communications value chain, i.e., publisher, agencies, and clients. During this period, he had long stints over various marketing functions, including media planning, buying operations, client/marketing services, sales, data modelling/ analytics, consumer insights & communication planning, and more. These varied roles saw Atul work extensively on FMCG businesses and across multiple categories such as durables, automobiles, BFSI, cellular services, e-commerce, luxury goods, etc.

Questions:

IAS: Please tell us about your digital advertising journey.

Atul: My digital advertising journey began in 2012 when Facebook (now known as Meta) and YouTube were all that digital had to offer. Since then, the introduction of newer platforms such as YouTube and emerging mediums such as OTT platforms and music apps have spurred the digital advertising industry in a new direction.

During my time at Zenith, I noticed how newer ecosystems such as audience activation, commerce, content and programmatic impacted the way marketers interact with digital advertising. 

As we head into an era ushered on the back of privacy laws, we will see more opaqueness for advertisers and planners alike. I also observed that there is a lack of transparency between platforms that needs to be addressed when we speak about digital advertising. Importantly, I still think we truly have the answer to cross-channel planning in the light of rapidly increasing digital numbers, and yet, no single source brings it all together.

IAS: Can you discuss any recent changes or advancements in digital advertising technologies or platforms that have had a significant impact on your digital campaigns?

Atul: I would be tempted to say AI has significantly impacted digital advertising technologies, but I believe it is more of an enabler than an end in itself. For example, performance max campaigns, which in spirit try to follow consumers’ journeys, and we have been talking about this for years. I feel it is the thinking of what outcome we want to achieve which is a bigger vector than the technologies that power them. There is no denying that well-trained AI algorithms have in theory the potential to change a lot. 

IAS: If there’s one myth related to programmatic you’d like squashed, what would that be?

Atul: I’d like to squash the myth that programmatic is a silver bullet — every targeting parameter is available and answers every problem. It solves everything that mass market channels do not; however, both have their place under the sun.

IAS: What metrics or KPIs do you track to measure the effectiveness of digital advertising campaigns at Zenith? How do you ensure these metrics align with the company’s overall goals?

Atul: Which metrics or KPIs to track depends on the objective of the campaign. But, of late, conversion-related metrics like conversion rate, sales, and return on ad spends (ROAS)  seem to be gaining traction. Zenith is built on ROI thinking and these pretty much talk the same language. This line of thought is a secular metric which can be applied to everything.

IAS: What measures can the advertising industry take to combat the trust and transparency challenges in the digital supply chain?

Atul: The rules remain the same to combat the trust and transparency challenges in the digital supply chain — don`t overpromise and underdeliver. Setting the expectations correctly for both sides of the digital supply chain is important.

IAS: Any advice for leaders on talent retention and supporting a hybrid workforce?

Atul: Leaders everywhere should invest in the careers of those they work with. Also, leaders should pass on what they have learned to the younger talent through experience and skills.

IAS: What’s your favourite book/podcast/movie and why?

Atul: My favourite book is Freakonomics, and my favourite movie is The Big Short.

IAS: What is your advice to the fresh talent in the industry?

Atul: My advice to the fresh talent in the industry is to use common sense before anything else. A concept is the same only the translations change with platforms and disciplines. The who, what, when, where, and why are the starting point of everything.

The post Masters of Media – Atul Sharma, Managing Partner: North, Publicis Media appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

In this exclusive “Masters of Media” series, Integral Ad Science (IAS) speaks to the Movers and Shakers of the APAC advertising industry on all digital matters.

Sam Buchanan is the CEO of the Independent Media Agencies Australia (IMAA) and has more than 25 years of experience in the media and marketing industry. He started his career in broadcast media and spent almost 20 years developing a strong knowledge of the media through sales and business development roles with leading media companies Southern Cross Austereo, News Corp Australia and Fairfax Media.

His experience working with media owners, on the client side and in agencies led him on a path to the IMAA, starting with the organisation at its launch in 2020 as General Manager before taking on the role of CEO in 2022. Since joining the IMAA as General Manager and now as its CEO, Sam has fostered the growth of the IMAA, going from 20 foundation members in 2020 to more than 155 in early-2023. Sam has been instrumental in changing the media landscape and providing a voice for the media sector. 

Known as a dynamic media and relationship specialist, Sam is highly regarded for raising the profile of the IMAA to be the gold standard in associations, garnering worldwide recognition for his approach and leadership. 

Sam is married with two children, enjoys the outdoors and doing a bad job of coaching the local under 7’s soccer team.

Questions:

IAS: Please tell us about your journey in digital media and your current role at IMAA

Sam: I have been lucky enough to have experienced all three sides of the media equation: vendor, client and agency. My media career began on the publisher side of media where I enjoyed a variety of roles at SCA and News Corp before moving to the client side for several years. 

My love of independent media agencies came when I moved to McKenzie Partners as Chief Commercial Officer. I love the opportunities that an Australian owned agency could offer, and the ability to impact real business outcomes. From there we founded the IMAA, with five other agencies in 2019, where I am CEO. 

IAS: Can you shed some light on why IMAA was launched and how it has evolved since inception?

Sam: The original idea for an industry body that specifically catered to the independent media agency sector was conceived by a group of five media agencies; we desired a stronger and unified voice for the sector.  We knew that the combined independent agency sector represented more than 50% of digital advertising expenditure, and by harnessing our sector and bringing everyone together, we could help advocate for and promote indie agencies to clients, lobby the government and make our industry a better, strong place along the way.

We wanted to stress the economic importance for clients to work with 100% Australian owned media agencies and since then we have worked hard to level the playing field with international holding companies with a range of initiatives, including group deals to access data tools, research and other things to achieve that.

There are many benefits for advertisers to work with independent media agencies, one of the most important being the depth and longevity of experience they provide and staff consistency and stability.

Starting our journey with 13 members, we now have more than 160 members across the country. We pride ourselves on being a progressive association and have launched a raft of initiatives including diversity and inclusion, environment and sustainability, and reconciliation.

IAS: As a professional with vast experience in digital media, what advice would you give to someone starting their journey in this field?

Sam: Always be curious, always ask questions and find a great mentor.

If you are starting out, then sign up to our new education initiative, the IMAA Academy, our e-learning course that has a Digital module, as well as all other media channels to get a well-rounded understanding of the industry.

IAS: How is IMAA helping media agencies to propagate the AdTech space?

Sam: We have partnered with the world’s best digital and ad tech companies including IAS.  These partners help bridge the education gap through our platforms and channels.

We have a learning hub to ensure our members are across the latest and greatest training and certification.

We host regular webinars where our partners and guests are able to present to our members, offering education, the latest insights, trends and research to ensure all members are fully up to date with the ever changing AdTech space.

IAS: In your opinion, what are some challenges that Australian independent media agencies are facing in today’s world?

Sam: Our greatest challenge – although I prefer to see it as an opportunity – is to convince larger clients and the Government of the benefits of working with independent agencies. We can truly compete with the multinationals now, not to mention the benefit of getting to work with the people who own the agency and, importantly in this economic climate, the ability to be nimble and agile.

We are actively lobbying both the Federal and State governments to include a provision for a proportion of government ad spend to go to the independent, Australian-owned, indie media agency sector. We firmly believe that the government has a social and economic responsibility to support Australian owned businesses, so money spent and taxes remain in Australia.

Our second biggest challenge is talent – finding it and retaining it. We have launched various initiatives to address this – including our IMAA Academy e-learning program and we recently launched a trade campaign in the UK to attract talent to live and work in Australia at indie agencies. We’ve seen a definite trend where multinational agency executives have decided to move to an indie agency – for many reasons, but mainly because they have greater flexibility, more control of their destiny and can make a real difference to clients’ business outcomes.

IAS: What are some ways for agencies and organisations in the media landscape to monitor and reduce their environmental impact?

Sam: The environment and sustainability is one of the key strategic pillars of the IMAA. 

This is a big issue among our members, with one of our Pulse Surveys finding that three quarters of our members said that the environment was important to their agency. Another 58% said they are expecting that a media owner’s sustainability credentials, such as carbon offsetting capabilities and carbon-neutral products, will start to influence their buying decisions.

We began by hosting two carbon positive events, in partnership with C2Zero.

Late last year we launched IMAA Project Earth, a series of initiatives and partnerships to help develop environmental management and sustainability within the indie media agency sector and greater media landscape. 

We partnered with several environmental organisations including Trace, C2Zero, Scope3, Net Zero Media and SeenThis to help achieve this vision. And for the IMAA itself, we partnered with Trace to become a carbon neutral organisation.

This initiative and partnerships are designed to educate and offer support to our members on how to run a sustainable campaign and become a carbon neutral business.

And this year for the first time our members from across the country participated in Clean Up Australia Day’s corporate day.

We see our role as helping our members to achieve their sustainability goals.

IAS: Any advice for leaders on talent retention and supporting/ encouraging diversity at workplaces?

Sam: We firmly believe that independent media agencies offer talent a fantastic career and workplace. Our members have so many staff benefits, from unlimited leave, flexible working options, and mental health training. At an independent media agency, people really feel like they are part of something and have a real opportunity to make a difference.

The IMAA wants to lead by example. We have launched a raft of initiatives for career support, including the IMAA Academy, a Careers Board and a subsidised Leaders for Good DEI course. We have a Diversity & Inclusion Council, that has recently launched a mentor program for women in independent media agencies. And we have ratified our Reconciliation Action Program (RAP) as part of our mission to make a difference in the media industry by educating them on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures, including supporting First Nations charity, Kings Narrative.

IAS: What’s your favourite book/podcast/movie and why?

Sam: I’m reading Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor (I am obsessed); streaming – Succession. So many podcasts – but SmartLess is a great one!

The post Masters of Media – Sam Buchanan, CEO at Independent Media Agencies Australia (IMAA) appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

In this exclusive “Masters of Media” series, Integral Ad Science (IAS) speaks to the Movers and Shakers of the APAC advertising industry on all digital matters.

Isabella (also known as Bella) Spragg is the Director of Partnerships, APAC, at Media.Monks. After almost a decade of commercial lawyering, Bella moved into the digital media/advertising world, joining the American digital media start-up, MightyHive, as its first operations focused employee in APAC. Over 6.5 years with the company (now called Media.Monks), Bella has been a media trader, led account management teams and focused on growing the business through its tech vendor relationships.  In her current role as Director of Partnerships, APAC, her focus is managing Media.Monk’s regional corporate relationships with key strategic technology partners to drive growth and maturity for the business (and its clients). In December of 2022, she was also awarded Google Marketing Platform’s Practitioner of the Year and is an inaugural member of the Tealium Partner Advisory Board.

Outside of work, Bella is a wife, mum to two little boys, deeply obsessed with her ageing (gracefully) aussie bulldog named Meatball, a book lover, gigantic sweets lover and, most importantly, a Survivor fanatic.

Questions:

IAS: Please tell us about your journey in digital media and your current role at Media.Monks

Isabella: My journey into the digital media/ advertising world started as the fun police ensuring the copy on advertising campaigns wasn’t breaching any laws, and the ‘Terms & Conditions’ listed at the bottom were jam packed with all the good legal stuff. At that point in my career, I had no value for how powerful those M-RECS were and how many more I’d see in my life! I’d been lawyering for almost a decade and was feeling super burnt out when a friend was approached to open the APAC office of an American digital media start-up focused on reselling and servicing Google Marketing Platform (at the time it was called Double Click). He was just beginning his search for staff and I’d decided I was ready to jump ship into something different. Seven interviews later, copious amounts of research into what digital media actually was, how it worked and trying to understand why there were so many acronyms – I landed myself a job as the first operations focused employee in APAC (and I think I was within the first 40 employees globally). We swiftly hired a bunch of smart folks straight after me and boom, shots fired – our race was off! 

What “they” say about joining a rocketship start-up during the tech boom is true. Within a year, I had been to Mexico for the weekend to celebrate the company’s birthday, multiple trips to San Francisco and all around Asia. My career progression was equally as crazy – within about 18 months, I was leading a team of 6 people working with all sizes of businesses (from small to enterprise) and independent agencies educating and activating digital media campaigns for them.

I’ve also stepped out of the hustle and bustle twice to have my little boys. During one of those times, MightyHive was purchased by an even bigger rocket – S4 Capital. And with that, came the name change to Media.Monks plus new friends, new businesses with different tech vendor relationships, almost 10,000 incredibly talented people, a clear POV on market trends/topics and strong messaging around our direction + future. 

After 6.5 years and a few grey hairs – I’m still here! My current role is Director of Partnerships, APAC. In conjunction with our global partnership team, relevant go-to-market teams, capability leaders and epic growth team, I am developing our APAC partnership offering. My focus is on growing and maturing our regional corporate relationships with key strategic technology partners plus identifying and building out new service offerings alongside innovative independent tech players within the media, data and creative space. 

IAS: AI-powered platforms such as ChatGPT have created a lot of buzz in various industries across the spectrum. How do you think AI will influence digital media, and transform the industry in the near future?

Isabella: Evolution is inevitable, right? It transforms our industry, pushing it to change and grow. When programmatic hit our trading desks, people proclaimed it would be the end of thousands of jobs. Whilst some may have shifted roles, it made us better, smarter, and more efficient media traders. Inefficient workflows were reduced and people were able to access more data to make educated and strategic decisions. I take a similar view with Generative AI and its powerful necessary impact on our industry – across all disciplines from data, media, and the cool stuff happening with creativity. Again, it’ll work to make us better at our jobs – leading to a pivot and upskill in labour, maturation of industry needs, shift in priorities, increase in efficiency but ultimately, it’ll result in better work being done. 

The real concern for our industry is not how AI impacts it, rather it’s how brands are being educated on what this change actually means (and it’s certainly not operational efficiency meaning fewer people and translating to a healthy bottom line) as well as completely understanding Generative AI beyond buzzwords. No point hiding in the shadows with this one i.e. our industry needs to be upskilling and creating a point of view on how generative AI can assist brands. Agencies/consultancies providing services around the adoption or incorporation of Generative AI – (through education, implementation, change management, efficiencies and upskilling of labour, etc.) are sure to not only win this transition phase but be market leaders embracing the future. 

In the spirit of inclusivity, I asked ChatGPT what it thought of its impact on the digital media industry: “AI is already transforming the digital media industry and will continue to do so in the near future. Through personalised content, content creation, enhanced user experience, better data analytics and improved search and discovery. Overall, AI is likely to play an increasingly significant role in the digital media industry, helping companies create more personalised and engaging content, improve user experience, and streamline processes”. 

IAS: What advice would you give to someone starting their journey in digital media?

Isabella: Hold on tight – this industry is a wild (often fun, sometimes stressful, but generally great) place to be. There are constant evolutions, huge pieces of work to be done, you’re surrounded by some seriously smart people across data, strategy, media, and creative who do work that drives consumerism whilst invoking all the feels with customers. The people in this industry know people/customers. They know what we want, what motivates us, how we want to spend money, where we want to spend it and when. It’s pretty amazing to watch the impact of the work we do and realise how powerful it is. 

Plenty of folks laugh whenever I say I’m in the advertising industry; then I laugh at how the beautifully engaging ad they saw this morning whilst scrolling on social media coming into work, which lead them to check out the brand’s website or research the product further, will continue to resurface at all the right times until that person decides to purchase it and absolutely none of that was by coincidence rather, it was completely strategic and planned. Watch their eyes light up with a touch of intrigue mixed with fear! 

IAS: Since brands are now bringing trading in-house, many parts of the industry are pivoting to a consultancy framework. How do you see the media landscape evolving with respect to this?

Isabella: It’s that same old story of evolution. Here the industry is successfully maturing from being the “doers” to utilising that tried and tested expert knowledge to educate others to “do”. The whole ‘give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’ concept is playing out. This movement allows brands to have more control, whilst leaning on experts to provide strategic input, training, education coupled with, no doubt, short term bursts of ‘hands on keyboards’. It’s a win that builds trust through transparency. 

We will also see the creation of new service avenues around publisher relationships. As inventory quality will be assessed more deeply (i.e. due to an increase in data requirements, and publishers needing to understand their buyers more due to working directly with them). Direct sales will evolve from working with a handful of agencies to hundreds of individual in-house teams. Will this lead the industry to shift towards partners who work with brands to assist with inventory deals? Or, do publishers become far more accessible through increased awareness campaigns, easy to use self-service platforms and education pieces? 

IAS: In your opinion, what measures can the advertising industry take to combat the trust and transparency challenges in the digital supply chain?

Isabella: Before we turn to the continued changes required, acknowledgement of the great strides already made in our industry is necessary. Over the last few years, the industry has put this issue front and centre and we’ve seen a strong evolution and improvement in trust and transparency across our supply chain; bolstered by both legislative changes and deep commitments from Vendors. 

But, the key to maintaining the momentum comes down to accountability from agencies and brands. In my opinion, both are now aware of what to ask, educated on what good looks like and, often, demand more from inventory partners or DSPs. 

Continued transparency will be driven as publishers prepare for the impact of cookie deprecation and how these supply chains are enhanced to maximise the connection of 1st party data sources; solving for addressability between logged in on site audiences and brand customers. Another initiative in combating trust and transparency issues comes with everyone speaking the same language. Standardising industry terminology, especially in reporting, reduces those pockets of misalignment, misinformation or reduced information sharing that result in a weakening of trust. 

IAS: Any advice for leaders on talent retention and supporting/ encouraging diversity at workplaces?

Isabella: I recently read that most people leave a job due to their direct leader. Our industry has its fair share of awesome leaders, so my advice for any business would be to stop and take stock of your leaders (from middle management to c-suite) – who could do with a little additional support/coaching that allows them to invest time in growing their people, who is doing a wonderful job at retaining talent and deserves a shout out for it and where are the up and coming superstars in the business that management should nurture.

More importantly, don’t be scared of the “mum returning to work”. I can guarantee she will work 5 times more efficiently and effectively whilst, probably, leaving at 4:30 to get her kids from day-care/school; but the job will be done with serious dedication. Obviously coming from a position of total bias. 

IAS: What’s your favourite book/podcast/movie and why?

Isabella: I am a book nerd and always have something on the go. I recently finished Bewilderment by Richard Flannigan, which I highly recommend. Otherwise, my other current favourite is Educated by Tara Westover. 

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In this exclusive “Masters of Media” series, Integral Ad Science (IAS) speaks to the Movers and Shakers of the APAC advertising industry on all digital matters.

Dru Nho is the National Head of Digital at Wavemaker Australia, where he is leading the national digital and performance team to deliver the best-in-class strategy in digital, performance, data, tech and analytics. A graduate of the University of Technology at Sydney, Dru has mastered the ins and outs of the media industry while working with organisations such as UM Worldwide, MindShare, Ikon Communications, and Dentsu Aegis Network in the last decade.

IAS: Please tell us about your digital advertising journey and your current role at Wavemaker.

Dru: Interestingly, I never intended to get into media. After graduating from university, I managed a small retail shop outside of Town Hall Station.

A friend who had just completed a brief stint in U.M. asked me if I was interested in working at a media agency. Without the faintest idea of what a media agency was, I was fortunate enough to land my first professional gig as a Digital Coordinator across the Federal Government account.

Over a decade later, I am now the National Head of Digital for Wavemaker and find myself with no other transferable professional skills outside of media. My role here is simple; positively provoke digital growth for our clients and people. 

IAS: According to you, what should marketers prioritise in their digital advertising campaigns?

Dru: Marketers should understand the intricacies of the human psyche. Whilst much of what we do today is rooted in binary numbers and subjective statistics analysis, there is beauty underneath this science — getting deeper into the behavioural spiderweb of our consumers’ brains. The psychological element of our industry has been diluted & reduced to reductive 12-question survey ‘test & learn’ campaigns combined with arbitrary measurement frameworks that do not represent how humans operate, think, are influenced, or process the abundance of advertiser information. Advertising campaigns should be an experience rooted in consumer connection, not if pixels were viewed.

IAS: Which key changes do you anticipate taking shape in 2023 with regard to digital advertising?

Dru: In 2023, concerning digital advertising, I see permutations of the changes that took shape in 2022. Furthermore, below are a few key changes I anticipate taking shape in 2023.

1. At the core of our roles is a commercial obligation that organisations are predicated by. Given that reality, the core changes or adjustments will be made to macro areas such as measurement, effectiveness and the structural tech changes businesses will make to become data-savvy & compliant.
2. The new kid on the block could be the creation & adoption of deep experiential-based comms. Whether this is done in a digital realm or not, the value exchange will now tip in favour of the consumer. To achieve true cut-through in a comms-saturated and economically unstable society, organisations need to pivot and provide consumers with tangible and sensory-heightening experiences to be remembered. 
3. Web 3.0’s expected decentralisation of the internet will begin to garner more consumer disruption. This, in turn, will force advertisers to discover new ways to keep them engaged. It may also mean the end of society; the word disruption may look more like decimation.

IAS: If there’s one myth related to programmatic you’d like squashed, what would that be?

Dru: The first myth I would like to squash is that it’s easy or beyond mistake.

The second myth would be that the aspect of control was touted as one of the great advancements with programmatic advertising; we forget that with control comes the element of human involvement. I’ve seen the hours, effort, and concentration many of my programmatic colleagues put into their work. While there are significant benefits we need to acknowledge that the relationship between machines, humans & efficacy is mutually exclusive.

IAS: In your opinion, is the industry doing enough to combat the trust and transparency challenges in the digital supply chain?

Dru: For this question, I think it depends on your definition of ‘doing enough’.

The digital supply chain conversation has evolved considerably in the last few months. We started talking about transparency and safety, and now to the environmental & social impacts. We need to be clear on which issue we are looking to solve, only then can we collectively devise the appropriate method to combat it.

Having been part of this industry for the greater part of my adult life – we are incredible at celebrating differences in thought and opinion; it is truly a remarkable industry where individualism is celebrated. The other side of the coin is that it becomes harder to reach a consensus.

IAS: Any advice for leaders on talent retention and supporting a hybrid workforce?

Dru: My first advice for leaders on talent retention and supporting a hybrid workforce is to find the right balance between empathy and resistance. Agencies are built on culture, having a hybrid workforce can be a gift and curse.

Second, now more than ever, we live in a culture and society where the two can become contentious subjects in a professional environment. Generational differences between how things ‘were done’ and how things ‘are done now’ means that the ‘traditional’ ways of leadership require more emotional nuance in 2022 to get the best out of our younger talent.

Third, I find that if you invest time early to understand the motivations of your younger staff, that will most likely mitigate less comfortable conversations in the future. It needs to work both ways: be transparent in communicating the impact of the choices being made, and discover how a mutually beneficial understanding can be built.

Last, it is also important to encourage your staff leads to be more resilient.

IAS: What’s your favourite book/podcast/movie and why?

Dru: My favourite book is Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson. This book continues to help me navigate people personally & professionally.

IAS: What is your advice to the fresh talent in the industry?

Dru: My advice to the fresh talent in the industry would be to be humble and learn how to listen. Learning to listen will make your speech more impactful.

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