We asked Dan Jones, Commercial Director UK at Cavai to name his digital hero…
Who is your digital hero?
Steffen Svartberg & Tommy Torjesen, co-founders of Cavai, interactive creative platform, specialising in conversational display – and they are brothers-in-arms. Entrepreneurs and media ad tech guys from Oslo. One can kind of mention them in the same breath, very different characters and personalities but as a unit, they’re a great partnership.
What have they done to win hero status in your eyes?
They ripped up the rule-book and created a totally different company culture and a cutting edge ever-evolving solution to boot. And a new interactive solution that actually works and real people actually engage with it. It’s genius. But moreover, they joined forces with a couple of crazy cool Finns, Mikko and Nikke, and created one of the most unique and fulfilling companies to work for, with a proper, open culture, the best I personally have ever experienced. Fair to say, I’ve been around a while.
They brought their Norwegian-ness and showed us in the UK how to just ‘go’. British Culture is much more centred around forensic planning, so I learnt a lot how to blend the two cultural aspects in a business approach. Very cool stuff!
How has their heroism helped drive digital?
Ripping up a rule book and taking the plunge to set up a solution they envisioned to solve real problems, and one in which they both truly believed, pushed the boundaries in online advertising itself, challenged a few bits of received wisdom in the status quo, moved the needle a bit by challenging bad/ineffective/old-skool digital advertising practises too. That’s brave! Not all heroes wear capes.
What are the biggest challenges in digital we need another hero to solve?
Attribution modelling – keep it real by evolving it, without dismantling the whole system – who’s gonna do it? Having ALL video-asset builds for online advertising usage.that are always 100% digital-first and not rehashes of TVCs. Who’s gonna do it?
What is your most heroic personal achievement so far in digital?
Launching Cavai in the UK with Ed Preedy, George Seed and team… it was brand new and no-one knew what it was or how to pronounce it. We covered a lot of ground, literally, albeit on a scooter with George on the back.!
