Programmatic, a Gateway for Creativity

What are the challenges advertising firms are facing in making the shift to programmatic, both from a technical standpoint and in convincing clients to make the leap?

Ultimately, it is only a leap when the outcome is unknown. Therefore, the first challenge is in understanding what programmatic is and how it benefits the parties involved. Cutting through the acronyms and understanding the efficiencies in process and granularity in targeting that can be achieved, go a long way to increase the interest in programmatic trading. Benefits of increased demand on inventory and higher fill rates is attractive for a seller, where boosting reach, relevance and minimising wastage are strong drivers for the buy side/advertisers. Having a holistic approach to programmatic is also important. Realising that it is in fact a complimentary tool for buyers and sellers alike and not something that works in isolation as it can pave the way for greater success. Important to note is that there are large investments in technology platforms and human capital needed to manage and optimise programmatic despite much of the ‘heavy lifting’ being done in an automated fashion. This is why entire teams are employed to get the best out of the platforms and maximise their effectiveness on both sides of the transaction. This can be a barrier to entry for many but an area that DMS has placed a massive amount of emphasis on. Finally, evolving the way of thinking towards media transactions and campaign delivery from traditional methods of buying and selling towards the often daunting but ultimately efficient and effective programmatic can take some time and effort. However, by increasing understanding, driving results and embracing the tech and process effectiveness, the level of convincing will drop.

Originally from New Zealand, Daniel Young has been working in the UAE since Feb 2015. Prior to joining the Choueiry Group, Young has worked in London from late 2007 for the likes of AOL, Vevo and The Weather Channel where he was responsible for international programmatic revenues and overall yield across multiple platforms and products. Today, he is based in Dubai and working as the Yield and Programmatic Director for Digital Media Services (DMS), the digital branch of the Choueiri Group, where he is concentrating on building and developing the programmatic offering and maximising overall yield from its array of audiences, titles and platforms. In the following interview, Young delves into programmatic buying and expands on how programmatic can serve creativity and achieve success.