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Marketing Wiki: Omnichannel’s Importance to Consumer-Centric Marketing

September 20, 2017 — by MediaMath

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Consumer-Centric marketing is an approach to media that allows marketers to create seamless experiences for customers across screens. Marketing is most effective when it is centered on the customer — understanding their behavior, relationship with the brand, and location in the buy cycle. This is extremely difficult to do well, particularly as customers begin interacting with brands on mobile devices, connected TVs, social media, and emerging touchpoints. In order to create customer-centric experiences, marketers need to purchase their media on all of these channels, as if they were a single channel, with a unified view of the customer and a coherent strategy about how to interact with them across devices.

Why is Consumer-Centric Marketing important?

Years ago when people just watched TV, read print and listened to radio, it made sense to execute one omnibus buy across channels and blast out a single message. In 2017, the average person uses  7.2 Internet-connected devices and that figure is likely to rise as the Internet of Things (IoT) becomes mainstream. In this environment, it’s important not to hit consumers with one message at too high a frequency or present them with inappropriate messages. The benefits of this approach include: 1) unified audience and media management 2) holistic machine-based learning and attribution across all channels and 3) a consolidated source of measurement aligned with marketers’ goals. By contrast, operating with point solutions or channel silos leads to a lack of cost transparency and a fragmented message, among other issues.

What is the difference between Multichannel and Omnichannel?

Just because you put the same creative on multiple channels does NOT mean you are omnichannel. Multichannel means that a marketer is using other channels through disconnected platforms that cannot fully share data. In order to get to omnichannel, marketers should be using a cross-device identity solution and a single DSP to sync their strategies, budgets, messaging, frequency, and measurement across those channels.

What are the problems with realizing Omnichannel?

For the most part today, omnichannel is more an ideal than a reality. Only 14% of marketers say they can track consumers across channels and act on the data they uncover from those interactions, according to L2. In practice, it can be difficult to establish a consumer’s single identity across various devices, synchronize marketing messages across platforms and attribute a sale to the right media and messages. Today, marketers should be laying the foundation of their omnichannel strategy by establishing cross-device solutions, implementing a data strategy to maximize your first party data, and organizing your marketing teams around shared goals and views of the customer

EducationVideo

Let’s Make an Ad: Part 2

September 7, 2017 — by MediaMath

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In part one of Let’s Make an Ad, we looked at what actually goes into creating an HTML5 ad unit and some of the many options out there. I today’s post, I have done a screen capture showing how to make a simple. animated HTML5 ad in Google Web Designer. This will hopefully show people unfamiliar with the process what it actually takes to make an ad!

Download a copy of Google Web Designer here: https://www.google.com/webdesigner/

Interested in other options? Read part one of Let’s Make an Ad here.

EducationPeople

What I’ve Learned as an Intern in the AdTech Space

August 18, 2017 — by MediaMath

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As someone who had always dreamed of working in the technology industry, I became more and more excited as my first day as an Intern at MediaMath’s Marketing department approached. As much as I was excited, I was just as nervous and moments of self-doubt started to creep in. I thought to myself “is this over my head?” and “what the hell am I getting myself into?” As I stepped into the lobby of 4 WTC for the first time, I got even more nervous! What if I can’t contribute to my team, thus the organization as a whole? What if I just don’t get it? But all my “first-timer” nerves quickly dissipated as I started to throw myself into various projects.

In a workplace that seemed so foreign to me as a result of my prior experience in traditional marketing and an education in liberal arts, I instantly felt like I belonged when MediaMath’s President, Mike Lamb, tapped my shoulder and said, “so you’re the famous marketing intern!” This gave me the confidence to truly dive into my work head first.

I made it a priority to talk to as many people across all departments — talking to others gave me perspective into how the organization operates as a unit and gave me insight on the types of initiatives people at MediaMath were working on.

I began to notice the size and power of the network I was working with and challenges that previously seemed impossible and daunting became exciting problems that needed solutions. I took on three major projects, including optimization of our website through Google Analytics and other UI analysis software, competitor and industry landscape analysis with a large focus on analyst relations reporting, as well as researching industry events that would be of value to MediaMath for sponsorship and participation. By the end of my internship I felt like a true contributing member of the marketing team. I will never be able to thank them enough for equipping me with the skill sets necessary in order to grow as a critical thinker and team player. Additionally, I was fortunate enough to participate in the annual MediaMath Marketing Summit in which our global team (including team members from London, Paris, Sao Paolo, and Singapore) met in NYC to workshop how the team functions. To sum it up…

MediaMath taught me the importance in:

  • Attention to detail
    I made it a point to pay attention to the small details — whether it was proof reading emails or working on complex excel sheets — in efforts to avoid any cracks or errors.
  • Effective communication skills
    Ask clarifying questions, listen, and be as upfront and communicative as clear as possible to understand everything around you and effectively work with the people around you.
  • Effective collaboration skills 
    Working well with others is part of the culture at MediaMath. After all, there is ‘strength in numbers.’
  • Truly learning from mistakes, making adjustments, and moving on
    Don’t get hung up on mistakes that cannot be changed, learn from them and adjust the way you work accordingly.
  • Effort and hunger
    Bring the same amount of effort to every project, no matter how large or small the project is because every project has more of an impact on the larger organization and culture of a company.
  • Staying curious and always learning 
    There is always room for personal growth — staying up-to-date with industry news, trends and training programs allows you to work much more effectively and grow professionally.

When I accepted a role as an intern, little did I know that I would be immersing myself in a transformative learning experience with greater depth and breadth than I had ever experienced before. With a great balance of meaningful work, mindless fun, and constructive structured learnings, I can confidently say that my time at MediaMath is something I would never trade…for anything.

Education

Why Don’t Schools Teach Programmatic?

July 18, 2017 — by MediaMath — 1

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As graduation season rolls around each year, I often attend career fairs with recent grads who are interested in a career in ad tech.  I can expect to come across some bright young people who are eager to work, learn and offer new perspectives. What I don’t expect to see is deep knowledge of programmatic.

Programmatic is now a 10-year-old technology. And more than two-thirds of display ad spending is conducted programmatically. It’s also slowly becoming a bigger part of the way that traditional media, like TV and print, is bought and sold. It’s not a stretch to say that a decade from now, all media will be transacted programmatically.

Yet, I continue to see college graduates who know little to nothing about the topic. This is why I launched New Marketing Institute (NMI) five years ago – MediaMath’s education arm that offers courses and certification programs to train aspiring digital marketers on programmatic techniques and technologies. It’s our mission to solve for the skills and talent gap in the adtech space and though there are some encouraging signs that colleges are also looking to address this gap, schools in general need to step up their game.

Traditional marketing is still the norm at universities

One major reason for this lag is that four-year schools especially have a classically rooted philosophy when it comes to education. Students usually enter college at around age 18 when their minds are still being formed. Rather than jump straight into acquiring technical skills, young people need to first learn how to think critically and analytically. In other words, they need to learn how to learn.

While I’m receptive to that argument, I don’t understand why colleges are teaching the basics of Don Draper-era marketing when the world has changed so much. The next generation of CMOs for instance will likely be data jockeys who apply their skills to marketing, not marketers who learn data.

My other objection is that this isn’t the way schools prepare others for the world of work. Even 20 years ago, journalism program students learned how to write articles, how to interview people and how to edit. Medical school is all about learning the intricacies of the human body via the real-life experience of interacting with real patients. Why are we teaching students the Four P’s, but not teaching them what real-time bidding is?

Signs of change

 Most four-year institutions are very bureaucratic. It takes years to implement new programs. This pace works against change in two ways: First, it means changes come slowly. Second, it means that professors often logically conclude that by the time they start teaching about the current state of programmatic, it will have changed.

While there’s truth in this, it hasn’t stopped some universities from adapting to a dynamic marketplace. One shining example is Penn State, which last year launched a minor in Digital Media Trends and Analysis, an initiative led by Lee Ahern, an associate professor in the Department of Advertising/Public Relations. Ahern is also an active NMI advisory board member where we work together to provide insights and serve as a resource globally for new ideas and trends in digital marketing. I’m looking forward to seeing the first graduates of that program hitting the workforce this year.

Elsewhere, the industry has stepped in. For instance, the IAB offers professional certification for digital media buying and planning.

And then there’s NMI, which has taught digital marketing certification and training courses to more than 11,000 participants across the globe. To further our commitment to programmatic education, we created the Marketing Engineer Program in 2014 – an immersive and dynamic training program to give future marketers a unique opportunity to gain technical and professional skills that are equired to be successful in an ever-evolving industry. Since it’s launch, MEP has expanded it’s 12-week training program, launching MEP Berlin this year.

Both NMI and MEP are designed to provide career opportunities in programmatic to individuals across all backgrounds and is based on the idea of “meeting the learner where they are” by understanding each learner’s needs and motivations. It’s my belief that educating young people in programmatic will ultimately make the ad tech industry more diverse and bring in new thinking. It also helps level the playing field and bring new opportunities to students who might not have known that they could have a future in ad tech.

That said, I haven’t lost faith in our educational system. Two-year colleges tend to be more nimble and can integrate new technologies into their course offerings quicker than their four-year counterparts. Finally, most marketing programs advocate internships as a vehicle for learning about the industry.

These are all encouraging signs. It may be that academic programs will always fall a bit short of marketplace needs for whatever reason. Many coders didn’t study computer science in college and those that did, often found that they learned programming outside the classroom.

That may be the case with programmatic too, but I expect that to change. While it will always be important to learn the fundamentals of marketing, I know educators want to prepare their students for the current job market as well. That’s why it’s heartening to see academics already filling this gap.

EducationTrends

Programmatic and Science: A Leap Forward with Joe Zawadzki

May 26, 2017 — by MediaMath

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Joe Zawadzki is the CEO of MediaMath, and is a respected pioneer in the online marketing industry. With his deep experience in audience targeting and optimization, ad networks and exchanges, and real-time bidding, Joe is regularly invited to speak at industry conferences, roundtables, and major events. On today’s conversation, Joe discusses where programmatic marketing is headed, how AI will affect the industry, and the rise in popularity of header bidding.

Listen here now!

Education

Breaking Down the Programmatic Umbrella: What Is A Private Marketplace?

May 18, 2017 — by MediaMath

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Previously in our educational video series, Breaking Down the Programmatic Umbrella, we explored programmatic marketing and the public auctions that represent the open exchange. This week, we consider private marketplaces, and what makes these auctions unique from their public counterparts.

Stay tuned for more videos to be released weekly as we explore the programmatic umbrella in-depth!

Watch below!

Education

Getting In-Depth With MEP

May 3, 2017 — by MediaMath

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In this special bonus episode of Programmatic Untangled, I had the pleasure of interviewing Adam Yamaguchi, NMI’s Director of Program Development who founded the very successful Marketing Engineer Program (MEP) here at MediaMath. In the three years since the program launched, we have seen cohorts thrive at our headquarters in New York, as well as in London, Berlin, and Sao Paulo.

Joining Adam on the podcast was a recent graduate of the program, David Khalev, who told us about his experience with the program and his plans for the future.

Here are a few highlights from the episode:

Michelle: Where did the idea for the program start?

Adam: The idea was let’s create a program where we can set people up to be successful, have them learn from people who are subject matter experts within the industry, and then send them out to go about and find jobs afterwards.  So really kind of a — or what it’s evolved into, at least, is a career accelerator within digital marketing and programmatic.

Michelle: We have a lot of varied backgrounds in any given cohort. How do you pick out which candidates will be successful in a program like this?

Adam: I think one of the great things about MEP, one of the things I particularly love is that we do have folks who have incredibly diverse backgrounds, and you know, I believe and we believe, within MediaMath and NMI, if you give people the right tools, anybody can be successful.  I think that’s what MEP is a perfect example of. Folks in the program come from all different work and educational experience.  And I don’t think it matters so much where you come from.  I think there are certain things and certain indicators of success, as you mentioned, and a couple of those are folks who do like digging into data, who are somewhat quantitative and analytical, as there is a lot of that in the program.

That is one thing that I think a lot of participants who go through and do well certainly have.  But also other things, like an insatiable appetite for learning.  It’s a lot to learn, and it is immersive.  When I say that, it truly is.  It’s sometimes being fed from a fire hose.  So you have to want to learn, right?  That’s a big thing.  I think you want to have that insatiable appetite.  You want to be really passionate about what it is that we’re doing, because it is immersive, so if you don’t really love it, it’d be hard to stay engaged.

Strong communication is also a big one.  It’s very collaborative and is very much about working with people. So being able to communicate effectively and work well with others is all about how you interact and build relationships.

Michelle: David, can you tell me about your experience as a MEP?

David: My experience has only been positive here.  Everybody is a great resource to you all throughout the company.  Whatever projects or trainings or shadowing that we’re involved in, we’re always supported by, wonderful, intelligent people here, that always know how to make an impact.

And another thing that I really enjoy about the program is the partner visits, for sure.  Being able to invite innovative companies into our office and just see what they have going on, what they have planned for the future, how they’re adapting to a changing industry.  And then going to partners’ offices and seeing how other companies in this space just function day-to-day.

We’re all different, we’re all innovative.  And it’s been really interesting and rewarding.

Michelle: I know that it started here in New York, but we are also expanding all over the globe.  Can you tell me how we’ve launched that and how it’s working?

Adam: In New York, we launched in June of 2014, and then soon after that, in the summer of 2015, we launched in London, which is another big hub for MediaMath. I think the same kind of roles and problems apply just about everywhere, right?  Around the world.  And that there is this dearth of, of talent.  And we recognized that.  And wanted to see, how can we bring this to other locations?

London was the first way that we did that, and we’ve run, I believe, now, uh, four programs, three or four programs in London.  Boy, sometimes it’s hard to keep track of, I should know that.  In that time, we have launched one in Sao Paolo in Brazil, which was great to be able to bring that there, where, again, there is a huge demand for talent out there.

Just this past year in March, we launched in Berlin, have a program there. It’s exciting to see this grow.  I wouldn’t have ever expected that when I started. Because people really do need this training.  And, and you know, more on the horizon too, I think looking at where we can continue to bring this, even regionally here within North America?

As there’s a lot of different cities where I think there could be a huge benefit as well.  And then also to other regions too.  So looking in that and seeing, where in the future we can run another program.

Michelle: Can you tell me about the relationships you’ve made with your fellow cohort and how you guys have been working together?

David: I can honestly say that I’ve made friends for life here.  These people that I’m working with in the cohort are among the most ambitious and intelligent people that I’ve had the pleasure to work with and to learn with.  Apart from seeing each other every day for three months and spending a large majority of our time in one conference room, we also get together outside of the program. I know even some of us from the program are going to be living together in the future.

Michelle: Oh, wow.

David: Yeah, so —

Adam: Roommates.

David: Yeah, MEP roommates.

Michelle: That’s so cool.

David:  I’m really thankful for the amount of energy and the amount of passion that everybody’s put into developing themselves within the program, and then helping develop others as well.

I’d like to personally wish the sixth MEP cohort with the best luck as they go out into the world! To anybody who is interested in the program, please visit the NMI site to learn more and apply for our August rotation in New York.

You can listen to the full interview on Programmatic Untangled (podcast) here.

In case you missed last week’s blog post, NMI will be releasing a series of microlearning videos that the MEPs found helpful in their learning process. These videos were produced with NMI’s microlearning partner Grovo to take programmatic concepts and break them down into bite-sized videos. Catch the first video in the series on the blog here.

Education

Programmatic Down Under: People and Culture

April 28, 2017 — by MediaMath

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The latest episode of Programmatic Untangled goes around the globe to interview Indy Khabra, the National Managing Director of Amnet, ANZ. Indy has over 10 years of business leadership experience with expertise in data-driven programmatic advertising. In this episode, he shares his thoughts on how programmatic has changed the Australian marketplace.

Listen now to hear about the Australian digital marketing workforce, the varying degrees of programmatic adoption and how that impacts campaigns, and how marketers can combine the data-driven programmatic side and the artistic creative side.

Listen here now!

Education

Breaking Down the Programmatic Umbrella: What is Programmatic?

April 26, 2017 — by MediaMath

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People who have attended New Marketing Institute’s courses Introduction to Digital Marketing and Programmatic 101 may already be familiar with our bite-sized educational videos that cover everything from pixels to real-time bidding to the key players of the ad tech market place.

The marketplace has expanded and changed so quickly that it has created a need for more videos that would further break down the industry in easily digestible, microlearning bits.

We worked with our partner Grovo to create a new series that breaks down topics within the programmatic umbrella.

In the first episode of this series, we explore what programmatic is, how it works, and why it is important.

Stay tuned for more videos to be released weekly as we explore the programmatic umbrella in-depth.

Watch below!

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