The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Digital Ad Ops conference, held in Surry Hills last month, brought together the leading experts in the field to discuss innovations, trends and solutions.
Gai Le Roy, CEO of IAB, lead a panel discussing transparency for programmatic transactions panel with Megan McEwin, director of policy and regulatory affairs, AANA, and Philip Pollock, COO, Omnicom Media Group, representing the MFA.
Le Roy spoke to Mediaweek about the future of data in advertising in a cookieless world, IAB’s recent move to Ipsos and the inaugural careers fair.
Transparency in programmatic transactions
As the industry and investments grow, Le Roy noted that transparency in programmatic transactions is increasingly essential.
“There are different ways of different ad tech vendors along the chain making sure that an advertiser can see where their money’s going have competence in their spend.
“It’s not always the easiest thing to do because there are different ways of each player in the chain looking at the world quite differently. So that’s why we need to look at both the requests from the government and marketers on how we can make that chain a little bit clearer,” she added.
Looking at the future of data in advertising, ahead of Google’s plan to go cookie-less, Le Roy said that changes would be interesting for the industry.
The IAB CEO explained that changes to Google’s privacy regulation impact how consumers interact with marketers and advertisers but anyone they give data to.
“The data relationship with consumers will be more based on trust and those direct relationships with brands they trust, meaning the advertising industry will have to be more transparent around how they intend to use that consumer data and what they’re getting out of it. So, that value exchange is for someone giving their data to a company,” she added.
The Ipsos deal
Le Roy also discussed the IAB’s three-year deal audience measurement system Ipsos, which commenced in Q2 2022.
Ipsos was appointed last year as the industry’s exclusive and preferred supplier for the planning, buying, and reporting of digital audience measurement data in Australia.
Le Roy said it was a “very big project”, moving from Nielsen, who ran the ratings for the past ten years.
“There’s a lot of work going on in the background from the IAB and publishers to take up sites to make sure they’re ready for the launch of the new currency.
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“It’s a heavy lift, but it’s something that we have to do on behalf of the industry,” she said.
“It’s about giving marketers confidence that they can look at comparable data across all publishers and understand what those audience numbers look like compared to each other,” she added.
Le Roy noted that the change is still in build mode but that the response to the new direction has been positive.
“I guess within publisher land; it’s one of many competing priorities to make sure that they’re tagging up and educating their team.
“Overall, it’s been positive. Once we get to market with numbers, there’ll be people who, hopefully, most of them love their numbers. It’s a very personal thing with the rating currency. By the middle of the year, we’ll start being able to share some of that data,” she added.
Challenges face the industry
Le Roy noted that the industry faces several competing issues, particularly the shortage of talent and finding people to fill roles.
To help solve that issue, she noted that the IAB has invested in a senior director of learning and development, Liz Eades, whose appointment was announced this week.
Le Roy explained that Eades will work with universities and the industry to ensure they build capability with the industry and encourage new people to consider digital marketing, advertising, and the media as an exciting and fun career option.
Liz Eades
“We are competing for talent globally with other markets, and it’s a big problem in terms of local companies trying to grow,” she said.
To help address the issue, the IAB recently announced it would be holding its inaugural careers fair at Luna Park.
“That will be a fun one to bring a lot of students through at Luna Park, show them how amazing our industry is, and have those real conversations with leaders.”
Le Roy advised those curious about the industry to take advantage of free training programmes, particularly platform-specific ones from either Google, LinkedIn or The Trade Desk. She said: “Just play around with the ideas because then when you do go and look to apply for a job, it’s going be incredibly powerful if you’ve already had that appetite.”
The IAB CEO also noted that those interested in the industry should read up on the issues concerning the industry by reading trade press publications, such as Mediaweek.
“Keep across the issues so then when you are interviewing. We speak in a lot of jargon in our industry, and if you know the hot topics or identity or whatever it might be, it’s a great way of getting in.”
“I think most people going through marketing comms understand what advertising and marketing all are about and the opportunities there. Possibly too many of them want to be creative directors.”
Le Roy said they are also talking to different faculties, professors and lecturers in data science and engineering to open the industry as an option for those students.
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Top image: Gai Le Roy