MIAMI – An apt analogy for planning and executing addressable television advertising could be tackling a giant jigsaw puzzle. Unless you’re a robot, there’s no way to automate the process of piecing it all together.
Jamie Power began to learn this about three years ago when she joined the launch of GroupM’s Modi Media advanced TV unit, now employing some 30 people. Nonetheless, it’s a challenge she’s heartily embraced.
“To be honest, it’s been the best three years of my career, it’s been so much fun,” Power says in an interview with Beet.TV. “TV is in such a transformational state, so that’s why I feel just lucky to be a part of that.”
She started with tune-in advertisers because set-top box data from MVPD’s was readily available, and then scaled the process out to categories like automotive and financial. “Even if the data set isn’t currently hooked directly with an MVPD, we can work directly with Acxiom or Experian and they can do rev share,” Power says. “So basically the answer is never no. The answer might be, ‘give me three days to let me figure out how to connect all the pieces.’”
While it’s easier to justify the cost of addressable for more expensive products or services—say, a $7 allergy medicine versus a $40,000 car—there are no limits given a proper analysis of the effective cost per thousand impressions, according to Power.
She views Modi as unique in that the background of most of its people is either in TV, strategy or research, whereas other holding companies have their digital leads heading up addressable advertising. “Our understanding is it’s TV first,” she says. “We understand it’s TV and respect that it’s TV. Now data and tech are just bringing new opportunities.”
Asked by interviewer Tim Hanlon, Founder and CEO of The Vertere Group, what would make her daily work easier, Power points to automation and standardization. “There’s definitely a need for pieces of the process to be automated. There’s definitely a need for standards. You can’t scale anything without standards,” Power says.
Nonetheless, “The future holds amazing things for addressability. We just have to connect the pieces and stay positive,” Power adds.
This interview was conducted at Beet Retreat 2016: The Transformation of Television Advertising, an executive retreat presented by Videology with AT&T AdWorks and the 605. Please find more videos from the event here.
