Transitioning into a new role can be daunting, especially at a prestigious institution like The Washington Post. But Jana Meron, now the VP of Revenue Operations and Data, embraced this challenge head-on. In a recent LinkedIn Live session, hosted by yours truly, Lynne d Johnson, Content Director at AdMonsters, Meron opened up about her transition, the state of the digital advertising industry, and her vision for The Washington Post’s future.

In this lively session, Meron spills the beans on her career journey and the challenges of the ad tech ecosystem. Discover how she plans to tackle brand safety issues, harness first-party data, and drive innovation at one of the world’s most respected news outlets.

Plus, don’t miss her pearls of wisdom on mentorship, career growth, and the ever-evolving landscape of digital advertising. Tune in to gain invaluable perspectives on the intersection of ad tech and journalism.

Rekindling Connections: From Coronado to LinkedIn Live

It’s always a blast reconnecting with industry peers, and this LinkedIn Live was no different. The last time Meron and I crossed paths was at AdMonsters PubForum Coronado in 2023.  That encounter was unforgettable, filled with intense discussions about the bloated advertising ecosystem, and even a few well-deserved F-bombs were dropped on stage. Meron’s passion for the industry and her desire to see publishers win shone through every word.

Check out the video below and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn so that you can stay up-to-date on more conversations like these.

“As long as we’re focusing on our readers… we’ll be able to do better for our advertisers.” – Jana Meron 7/25/2024

The Washington Post: A New Chapter

During our chat, Meron radiated excitement about her new role at The Washington Post. The day she announced her new gig on LinkedIn as VP of Revenue Operations and Data, we knew we had to bring her into our AdMonsters community discussions.

Mark your calendars. She’ll be one of our keynotes at AdMonsters PubForum Boston, discussing: Boosting Revenue through Brand Suitability. With her vast experience in ad tech and a keen understanding of the advertising landscape, Meron is an invaluable asset to the Post. Her journey to this role is steeped in her passion for news and media, representing a chance to make meaningful changes in an industry she loves.

“Twenty-five years of experience, and this role gives me the ability to do it all in one place,” she shared. 

Jana Meron’s Background and Motivation

Meron’s career kicked off as a media buyer in the early days of digital advertising when it was still considered an added value to traditional platforms like TV and print. Her diverse experience spans TV, digital display, print, programmatic, and data strategy. This new role allows her to channel her 25 years of expertise into a brand she is deeply passionate about. Her mission is clear: to combat the bloated ad tech ecosystem and ensure the news survives and thrives.

Challenges in the News Industry

Brand safety measures significantly impact news, Meron explained. She cited instances where crucial articles were blocked from receiving ads, limiting their reach and impact. To explain further, she highlighted how ad networks often penalize articles covering the elections. 

“Why would you avoid reaching them when they’re most engaged?” she emphasized, noting that news is a vital part of daily life and that should be supported by advertisers, not shunned.

Ad Tech and Privacy Concerns

“The media has always been ad-funded,” Meron affirmed. “We wanted information to be available, but we forgot to tell people that the exchange for that was going to be seeing ads.”

She underscored the complexities of the ad tech ecosystem and rising privacy concerns. Recalling an interaction with an ad tech company admitting to being the ad tech tax, she stressed the need for a balanced approach that prioritizes both advertisers’ needs and user privacy.

Strategies for Success

Meron champions the importance of first-party data and user engagement as strategies for tackling these issues and improving the news advertising ecosystem. “I’m always excited about first-party data and what we can do with it,” she stated. She sees it as a way to innovate and improve the relationship between publishers, advertisers, and audiences.

She also advocates for better advertiser education and an updated approach to ad tech practices that align with the evolving landscape.

Mentorship and Career Development

The discussion also touched on the significance of mentorship and career development. Having learned the industry mostly on her own and later through collaborative efforts with peers, Meron stressed the importance of curiosity, asking questions, and voicing opinions. For her, mentorship is about guiding the next generation with her wealth of knowledge and experience.

Work-Life Balance

Balancing a demanding career with a personal life is no small feat, and Meron candidly spoke about her approach. She prioritized her children’s needs at different stages of their lives, adjusting her professional commitments accordingly. This flexibility allowed her to maintain a balance that worked for her and her family.

Her drive comes from a deep curiosity about how things work and the satisfaction of solving complex problems. Meron thrives on making ad tech work efficiently while enhancing user experiences. Her inquisitive nature pushes her to seek better solutions and improve industry practices.

Future Trends in Digital Media and Ad Tech

Looking ahead, Meron is particularly excited about the potential of first-party data to model better user experiences. With the digital media landscape and ad tech constantly evolving, she’s keen to see how new technologies and strategies will shape the future.

The post Jana Meron on Her New Role as VP of Revenue Operations at The Washington Post appeared first on AdMonsters.

In a detailed discussion with AdMonsters’ Yakira Young, James Rosewell, co-founder of Movement for an Open Web, discussed the nuances of the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) recent report and concerns regarding Google’s Privacy Sandbox. 

Exploring the pivotal changes and challenges in digital privacy and competition, this analysis highlights the tension between innovation and regulation, examining how new policies may reshape the digital advertising landscape. 

Here are Rosewell’s insights into the evolving dynamics of digital privacy and its potential ramifications for the industry. This recap highlights the significant aspects of his analysis, touching on the tensions between privacy, competition, and interoperability, as well as the future steps for addressing these emerging challenges.

Tensions at the Triangular Table

• Digital Industry’s Inflection Point: Rosewell describes the CMA’s April report as a pivotal moment that could dictate future directions for digital advertising and privacy. It’s a tipping point for the digital industry, marking significant changes in the regulatory landscape.
• Interplay of Competition and Privacy: The report underscores the ongoing tension between competition and privacy, pointing to the need for balance between these elements.
• Interagency Dynamics: Rosewell clarifies the distinct roles of the ICO and CMA in the UK’s regulatory framework, emphasizing their collaborative yet focused mandates on privacy and competition, respectively.
• Google’s Compliance Challenges: The ongoing scrutiny over whether Google’s Privacy Sandbox meets the dual mandates of the ICO and CMA.
• Future Projections for Google: Insights into potential changes Google might need to implement to align with regulatory expectations.

Unpacking Compliance and Concerns

• Non-Compliance with ICO Guidelines: Rosewell points out significant gaps in Google’s adherence to privacy standards, particularly in how the Privacy Sandbox handles data. While Google’s Privacy Sandbox has not fully complied with the ICO’s privacy guidelines, this could signal significant shifts in how data privacy is managed. Rosewell suggests that the ongoing non-compliance could lead to more stringent oversight and possibly a rethinking of current data privacy frameworks.
• Technical Shortcomings in APIs: There are concerns about the technical limitations and the potential misuse of de-identified data. The report details criticism of how privacy APIs might still be processing personal data, indicating a lack of true anonymization.
• Call for Clarity and Compliance: Upcoming, more detailed ICO reports, are expected to address these compliance issues. 
• Stakeholder Feedback: Reflections on the broader industry concerns regarding the overreach of the Privacy Sandbox beyond basic legal frameworks.

Governance and Technical Hurdles

• Need for Robust Governance: The discussion emphasizes the essential role of governance in managing digital practices fairly and transparently.
• Governance in Digital Operations: There is a necessity for proper governance frameworks that ensure fairness and compliance in digital operations, as opposed to automated, unchecked processes.
• Challenges of Ensuring Reliability: There are limitations in current technological solutions like the Attribution Reporting API’s Coordinator Service.
• Industry’s Call for Protection: There is a potential need for warranty language to safeguard the interests of advertisers and ad tech partners.
• Technical Challenges of Latency: The discussion of latency issues within digital platforms, emphasizes the limitations of browser-based solutions and the potential need for server-side solutions.

The Smaller Players’ Predicament

• Disproportionate Impact on Smaller Entities: Changes driven by the Privacy Sandbox could particularly challenge smaller publishers and advertisers.
• Potential for Increased Market Consolidation: Stringent privacy regulations may inadvertently push smaller players towards more restrictive platforms and into less competitive environments.

Looking Ahead: Remedies and Regulations

• Advocacy for Meaningful Dialogue: Rosewell calls for a balanced discussion that does not sacrifice interoperability, privacy, or competition.
• Engagement with Regulation: The importance of engaging with regulatory processes to influence and adapt to new market conditions.
• Envisioning Future Remedies: Data labeling and enhanced privacy guidelines could serve as potential solutions for the industry.

In this crucial moment for digital advertising, Rosewell’s insights underscore the importance of a collaborative regulatory approach that balances innovation with privacy and competition. As the industry anticipates the next phases of the CMA’s evaluations and Google’s responses, the continued dialogue at AdMonsters Ops — during Rosewell’s closing keynote June 4, 2024 — promises to provide a vital forum for shaping the future of digital advertising. 

The challenges and opportunities discussed highlight the critical need for an industry-wide dialogue and cooperation to ensure that future developments benefit all stakeholders.

The post LinkedIn Live Rewind: Unpacking the Implications of CMA’s Surveillance on Google’s Privacy Sandbox appeared first on AdMonsters.

Want’s diverse background spans across e-commerce, social media, entertainment, and gaming. With a foundation in philosophy from Sydney University, followed by a master’s in economics and public policy at Columbia University, her approach to data is both holistic and strategic. Co-authoring “Precisely: Working with Precision Systems in a World of Data” further cements her as a thought leader in this space. The book is a detailed examination of global data applications and reflects her deep understanding of how data shapes industries from agriculture to education.

As a keynote speaker at AdMonsters OPs, Madeleine will delve into “DATA DYNAMICS: HARNESSING FANATICISM IN THE PRIVACY ERA.” This session, scheduled for 9:30 am-10:00 am, promises to be a deep dive into the art of monetizing customer relationships amidst the complexities of the open web. Drawing on her rich experiences at both Fanatics and Index Exchange, Want will unpack how aligning incentives across the ecosystem can fundamentally alter audience engagement strategies.

At Fanatics, she led the creation of a ‘Customer 360’ view, establishing the company as a beacon in sports customer relations. Her session at OPs will reveal how publishers can smartly use their first-party data to nurture customer relationships while offering new opportunities to partners. Expect to hear about innovative strategies like Private Marketplace deals, audience matching, and identity solutions — all geared towards thriving in the current digital, privacy-conscious market.

Now, let’s take a closer look at our LinkedIn Live chat with Madeleine Want, which highlights her insights and contributions positioning her as a pivotal figure in today’s data-driven world.

Charting a Data-Driven Path in Ad Tech and Betting

Madeleine Want’s career path led her through various roles in Australia, Berlin, and New York before becoming VP of Data at Fanatics. Her journey from Sydney’s product management scene to the high-stakes world of betting and gaming in NYC is nothing short of inspiring. With a career that pivoted from Australia’s biggest ecommerce clothing provider to tech in Berlin, and finally to Audible in the U.S., her story is a playbook for seizing opportunities in the ever-evolving ad tech landscape. Her journey illustrates how diverse experiences can forge a path to roles like VP of Data at Fanatics.

Data: The Asset and the Art

Want speaks about data with a passion that’s infectious. Her intrigue with the ‘physicality of data’ — moving beyond just figures on a screen to the real-world impact — is a fresh take. It’s fascinating how she views data as an asset, to be leveraged for growth and innovation. The way she articulates it, data is not just a tool; it’s a canvas for creativity.

The AI Revolution in Behavioral Data

The conversation took an interesting turn when discussing AI’s role in identifying behavioral patterns in gambling. Want’s work in developing predictive models to flag potential gambling problems showcases how AI can be used responsibly and ethically. It’s a delicate balance of tech and morality, emphasizing the impact of tech beyond just business outcomes.

Audible Memories and the AI Integration Challenge

Her stint at Audible was a period of significant change, focusing on integrating AI with data science teams. This wasn’t just a technical challenge but a transformative shift in how the company approached data. It’s a compelling example of how AI is not just about algorithms and coding but about culture and strategy.

Fanatics: A Data Powerhouse

In the realm of betting and gaming, Fanatics stands out with its unique approach to contextual data. Want’s insights into how the company uses customer data to personalize experiences are a peek into the future of customer engagement. Fanatics’ ability to interact with the same customers across multiple properties gives them unique contextual data advantages. It’s a testament to how data can create a competitive edge, especially when you have the ‘Amazon of betting and gaming’ at your helm.

Writing ‘Precisely’: A Journey Through Data’s Impact

Want’s book, co-authored during her master’s degree, is a reflection of her depth of understanding and curiosity about data. From weed identification on farms to music genre classification, her exploration of data’s role across sectors is a reminder of its pervasive impact. Understanding business goals and existing data assets is important before determining analytical systems. Trial and error can be effective for businesses to learn what systems work best for their needs.

Navigating the Regulatory Maze

The regulatory landscape in ad tech and gambling was another focal point of the discussion. Want’s comparison of the two – especially the nuanced, state-by-state approach in gambling – highlights the complexity and importance of compliance. It’s a stark reminder of the challenges businesses face in aligning with legal frameworks.

The Future of Data: Complexity, Access, and Consolidation

Her vision of the future in customer data resonates with anyone who’s felt overwhelmed by the current complexity. The future may bring consolidation of customer data tools and strategies as the industry matures. Her hope for more accessible data practices for smaller businesses is not just insightful but also speaks to an inclusive future.

The post Harnessing Data with a Touch of Fanaticism: Madeleine Want’s Journey to AdMonsters Ops Keynote 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.

If you missed the thrill of our AdMonsters 2023 Recap LinkedIn Live, fear not – we’ve got the highlights, the insights, and all the scoop you need right here. We dove headfirst into the hottest topics of last year and peeked into the crystal ball for 2024, all in the company of the ever-insightful Chris Kane. 

Who foresaw MediaMath’s dramatic twists? Is the industry truly braced for the post-Chrome cookie era? Are walled gardens forever? 

We have the tea, so check out the video streaming below. It was a must-see discussion. 

Chrome Cookie Deprecation

Chrome’s deprecation of third-party cookies will significantly impact digital advertising. Chris Kane said, “We’re going to have a big frigging emergency whenever it is that cookies are fully deprecated. And I think a lot of companies are going to get caught flat-footed.” 

There is a disparity in approaches among ad tech companies, some dedicating resources to building support for Chrome APIs, while others opt for alternative solutions to thrive in a post-cookie open web. Kane also predicts a shift towards probabilistic identity solutions, enabling bid requests to maintain functionality even in non-cookied environments like Safari. 

However, he warns of a potential attribution crisis, suggesting that while ad tech focuses on targeting solutions, it overlooks building future-proofed attribution systems, possibly leading to challenges in measuring ad effectiveness and driving business outcomes in the future.

MediaMath Bankruptcy

MediaMath’s bankruptcy reverberated across the ad tech industry. I mean, they did leave behind a $100 million debt. Kane was surprised to see MediaMath go bankrupt rather than being acquired. 

“Notably, the bankruptcy spurred a heightened sense of urgency among publishers to comprehend counter-party risk, leading to the implementation of improved financial controls,” said Kane. There were only a few SSPs that opted to waive sequential liability clauses, leaving publishers to grapple with the ramifications. Publishers wondered if all would fall to them. 

However, the resurrection of MediaMath by Infillion could ease some publishers’ concerns. Kane advocates for “a pragmatic approach instead of emotional reactions despite those who were burned by MediaMath’s bankruptcy.” 

Big Tech Regulation

In 2023, the tech industry witnessed a surge in antitrust lawsuits against big tech companies like Google, Meta (formerly Facebook), Apple, and Amazon sparking discussions about their triopolistic control over ad tech. 

Kane was doubtful that these lawsuits would bring about major changes, stating, “It seems very unlikely to me that on any kind of reasonable timeline, there’s going to be any kind of restructuring of the Google ad tech business.” 

In contrast, he praises the power of independent ad tech. “While big tech moves slowly due to regulatory constraints, independent ad tech demonstrates agility, outmaneuvering giants like Google and Amazon amid regulatory pressures,” he shared. Kane predicts a scenario where independent ad tech could gain market share due to their ability to innovate and adapt faster than the entrenched walled gardens.

Supply Chain Complexity

Supply chain complexity within programmatic advertising has become increasingly convoluted, leading to what Kane identifies as “bid stream bloat.” 

For example, he said, “DSPs receive a filtered view of the available supply, encountering an excess of duplicated high-value impressions while remaining unaware of lower and medium value ones. As this issue intensifies, it adversely affects the unit economics of ad tech companies, particularly SSPs. The costs incurred by SSPs for processing auctions contrast with their revenue generation from cleared impressions, resulting in deteriorating unit economics.” 

While acknowledging the need for a solution, Kane expresses uncertainty about how to navigate this complex issue effectively. He suggests a potential approach where DSPs directly integrate with publishers through mechanisms like prebid. This can streamline the process by encountering only one bid request for each available impression. 

MFA Sites

The MFA debate started in 2020 when the industry wanted to understand ad arbitrage publishers, according to Kane. The discussion heated in 2023 in June when an ANA Publishers’ Report revealed that 15% of allocated ad spend went towards MFA publishers. 

Following this revelation, the industry witnessed both positive and negative shifts. 

Positive shift: SSPs, DSPs, verification companies, and agencies took action that led to a reduction in MFA spend. 

Negative Shift: Publishers feared that reputable media companies could suffer economically due to inadvertent misclassifications. Kane stresses the importance of transparency in classification decisions but acknowledges the industry’s current lack of readiness in this regard.

The post LinkedIn Live Rewind: AdMonsters 2023 Recap W/ Chris Kane, Founder of Jounce Media appeared first on AdMonsters.

AdMonsters hosted a Linkedin Live with Rachael Savage, SVP of Ad Revenue Operations at Hearst, and Brooke Edwards-Plant, VP of Global Ad Ops and Revenue Platforms at Condé Nast, in preparation for their PubForum Coronado Keynote, “Growing Your Career Through the Rev Ops Ranks.”  

This dynamic duo walked us through the past and present of their Rev Ops careers, talked about the skills required for being a good leader, and offered the audience insights about which of their takeaways they hoped will continue to resonate with them after the session. 

Click on the image below to be taken directly to Linkedin Live…

What is the best career advice you’ve ever gotten? 

Rachael Savage: “It’s really easy to get mired in the weeds of our work. When digging into campaigns or metrics, sometimes you need to remember to take the time to take a step back and ask yourself why you’re doing it, why it’s essential, and what should happen next. At some point, I was working on something huge, and an executive told me, pick your head up and don’t be Little Miss Ad Ops. In retrospect, it was a little insulting, but it’s right. Sometimes I  have to remind myself to step back and think about the big picture when I get into the thick of things.”

How would you describe a great Rev Ops Professional? 

Brooke Edwards-Plant: “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.”

The post PubForum Coronado Preview: w/ Rachael Savage and Brooke Edwards-Plant appeared first on AdMonsters.