IAB Australia chief executive Gai Le Roy believes the industry is ending the year in a “weird state of efficiency and innovation-seeking” as it prepares for the challenges of 2024.
Speaking at the IAB’s end-of-year party, Le Roy acknowledged the unique market challenges of 2023.
“I’m trying to think what the markets like at the moment, but where I landed is the market is in this really weird state of efficiency and innovation-seeking. So we’re trying to look back we’re trying to deal with a market that’s a little bit slow, we’re also trying to reinvent.
“It’s a really interesting space at the moment where we know good things will come out of it. It can be a bit tough what we’re going through at the moment, but that’s some of the feeling that I’m getting from the market at the moment.”
Casting her eye into 2024, Le Roy touched on the key focus areas for the year ahead, including data and privacy, collaboration with other industry bodies, and sustainability.
She also acknowledged the IAB’s work in the industry, including the launch of its new digital audience measurement currency Ipsos Iris, its collaboration with MFA, ACA and AANA on the Advertising Pays report.
“I’m really thrilled that we’re getting more and more of those data pieces, stories, and things that we can stand by and yell to the high ceilings.”
The IAB’s efforts in aligning the industry opposition on privacy and feeding into the government process was “a huge amount of work”, reflected Le Roy.
“Many different organisations from all sectors of the industry coming together to say we have functioning ecosystem where data can trade in a responsible way and keep out industry going,” she said.
Looking ahead to its work privacy review matters, Le Roy said next year will be another huge year for the IAB working with government and the industry to the privacy review.
Le Roy also highlighted the IAB’s education programming, which includes 12 major events on their roster, it’s mentorship program and e-learning program with over 1600 learners enrolled in a least one of their programs.
In the learning space, Le Roy celebrated the launch of two industry-university co-created micro-credentials. “Again, it is no small feat to actually develop postgraduate-level training programmes and get them out in the market in an industry that’s changing constantly,” she said.
–
Top image: Matt Rowley and Gai Le Roy