Adtech Unfiltered

Today's digital agency landscape is hyper-competitive. With swift shifts in technology, changing privacy laws, the sharp rise of new platforms and competitive disruptors, it's more challenging than ever to maintain an agency's success. For perspective on this topic, we speak with former digital agency president and partner Mitch Joel about his experience building, running and selling agency Twist Image (to WPP). Joel shares his thoughts on meeting client expectations, managing talent, assessing revenue models, and more.

The word "innovative" gets thrown around a lot in ad tech. But what does it really take to consistently deliver innovation that resonates with advertising clients? Walter Geer III shares how he empowers his team to keep innovation at the forefront of approaching client business. He also discusses his passions for mentorship, DEI, and connecting authentically with his growing social media following.

With an onslaught of data privacy updates stemming from legislation and big tech, once-reliable targeting tactics are rapidly diminishing. Marketers must consider the loss of cookies, and find new ways to target audiences. Staying up-to-date on new regulations and advertising implications is no easy task. But for Pedro Pavon, who oversees Privacy, Data Policy, and Advertising at Facebook, it's a daily challenge. In this episode, Pavon shares his views on consumer privacy laws and how advertisers must plan for a cookieless future.

In recent years, many advertisers have considered bringing programmatic media buying in-house. For others, a lack of infrastructure and support makes it difficult to take the plunge.

In this episode, Centro's EVP of Media Services and Operations shares the different ways advertisers can approach in-housing, as well as how to best prepare beforehand. Finally, she shares how advertising professionals can enhance their careers in today's crowded and fast-evolving media environment.

These days, professional development can feel more challenging than ever before. Many professionals are experiencing fatigue from working remotely for months, yet they still understand the need to develop their careers and skills in uncertain times. Accomplished tech leader, speaker, and author Jeffrey Smith joins the podcast to discuss finding new ways to grow during COVID-19, what authentic tech leadership looks like, and how to not let the pandemic—or your mindset—hold you back from career growth.

Staying on top of the tricks of the trade as a media buyer has become steadily more complicated. With so much emphasis on programmatic buying and self-service adtech solutions, an updated education on the latest is hard to maintain. As the leader of industry-recognized adtech client education program Centro Certified, Christine Kim finds ways to do it and helps clients do the same. Christine provides insight on why curriculum-based adtech education programs are so important and will continue to be, even once eLearning and social distancing aren't required quite like they have been in 2020.

In reaction to the current worldwide social movement against racial inequality, many companies are scrambling to improve their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies. In this episode, DEI executive and educator Veronica Appleton provides a primer and shares her perspective on addressing DEI in the greater advertising and marketing landscape.

While most consumers are familiar with ads that promote the sale of products and services, many may be less familiar with cause-based campaigns—campaigns that the market the missions and movements of cause-based organizations.

For some perspective on this topic, we speak to Jordan Ruden, Co-Founder of cause-driven ad agency Craft and Commerce, and Amanda Pyron, Executive Director of The Network, a membership organization that advocates against domestic violence.

Amanda shares her inside perspective on the unique challenges that non-profits face, while Jordan provides color on how organizations can approach mission-driven advertising in today's world.

The subscription box market is worth an estimated $15 billion, according to McKinsey. In addition to the convenience factor, this industry's radical growth is partly due to our transition into a post-COVID world.

Dustin McAdams, CEO of petcare subscription service PupJoy, joins the podcast to share what he's learned in his pursuit of offering the best customer care in the subscription services space.

Dustin also shares how he cuts through a cluttered marketplace to offer the greatest products and service to his existing digital customers, while gaining the attention of prospective clients.

Even with social distancing feeling like the new normal, advertising and marketing professionals must continue grappling with the constraints a 'work from home' lifestyle puts on their professional and personal lives.

The real-life distance from colleagues and clients, increased connection via technology, and general state of uncertainty around the economy, make coping with this current way of life quite challenging. This episode features Lola Wright, a Conscious Leadership coach and consultant, who supports teams from a diverse array of industries through transition and conflict. Listen in, as she discusses how advertising professionals - or anyone - can think clearly and productively in these adverse and unusual times.