We’re asking some of our industry’s leading figures to nominate their digital hero and to explain what’s so special about them.
Matt White, Vice President, Quantcast.
Who is your digital hero?
Michael Recce, a former Quantcast employee and now Chief Data Scientist at Neuberger Berman, a private, independent, employee-owned investment management firm.
Michael represents the successful link between academia and business, being a university professor for over twenty years and helping set up and manage two successful start-up companies. He holds a PhD in Neuroscience from University College London and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Physics from the University of California in Santa Cruz.
Michael is a polymath. Not only has he been successful in academia and business ventures, he’s a visionary, he’s even contributed to gun safety in the US by developing a smart grip for handguns to help prevent accidents.
How has their heroism helped drive digital?
With a background in neuroscience and artificial intelligence, Michael Recce simplified the science behind digital advertising. His work has broadened the debate around how the brain reacts to advertising regarding cause and effect.
What the biggest challenges in digital we need another hero to solve?
Measurement for incrementality; understanding incrementality allows advertisers to optimise their ad budgets by distributing and retargeting ad spend in the most impactful way.
Performance metrics like click-through rates, cost per acquisition and return on ad spend don’t always tell the full story.
What is your most heroic personal achievement so far in digital?
It’s not heroic, but one recent achievement we’re proud of at Quantcast is the launch of Quantcast Choice, the first widely-available implementation of the IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent Framework.
Just two months later in July 2018, Quantcast Choice had already powered more than one billion consumers worldwide, equivalent to around one-eighth of the world population with the average consumer consent rate topping 90 per cent. Quantcast Choice helps publishers continue to fund themselves by delivering more relevant content and advertising.
