Publisher Thoughts about Automation
A synopsis of the “Direct-Sold - Impact With Automation” session at Base Camp: Newport Beach
Nick Gardiner, Sales Director at Clipcentric
Among the many sessions offered at Base Camp in Newport Beach, “Direct Sold: Impact with Automation,” generated a ton of interest and garnered intriguing conversation. This discussion highlighted the significance of automation in enhancing efficiency and reducing manual workloads. The breakout group initially thought it would be beneficial to define automation as a whole. Everyone agreed with defining it as "any activity that creates more efficiency while streamlining resources and reducing complexity", citing various technologies and AI as examples of automation.
During the session, the attendees discussed the various forms of automation currently being used or explored by publishers, including automation in media planning, campaign optimization, billing reconciliation, connecting agencies to traditional media, optimizing for viewability, streamlining creative, and the use of self-serve systems. The attendees also talked about how automation is enabling publishers to introduce more fluid templates, which allow ad layouts to be more flexible, creating more opportunities around content. One publisher, for instance, has been leveraging a partner’s technology to handle their automatic creative swaps, saving time and manual resources while improving performance.
There was much discussion around the impact of automation on their staff, with some expressing concern about the possibility of staff cuts. Leaders from multiple publishers stressed to their employees that automation would reduce repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on more meaningful work. Senior leadership will need to keep stressing the need for staff and operations with an emphasis that operations shouldn’t be viewed solely as a "cost."
Overall, the consensus was that automation will ultimately improve performance, reduce errors, and create opportunities for staff to focus on more core functional work, as opposed to repetitive process-driven tasks. As technology continues to evolve, so will these conversations.
Nick Gardiner joined Clipcentric as sales director in 2021, and he works with top publishers to help them develop compelling rich media and premium ad products built on Clipcentric’s platform. He has spent his entire career in advertising, starting with Digital First Media, where he led regional sales efforts for online news publications in the Philadelphia region. He then spent several years at SEBPO as Business Development Director, working with multiple ad tech firms, agencies, and publishers to develop ad ops outsourced solutions. Nick lives in New Jersey and loves to talk movies and sports (Go Phillies and Eagles!)