The Women In Programmatic Network was set up to represent women in the programmatic industry. To celebrate its work and its members, NDA is running a series of interviews with its members. Next up is Ashleigh Footit, Senior Programmatic Manager at The Independent.
Why did you join the Women in Programmatic network and what do you hope to get out of it?
I joined the network in the UK having recently emigrated from South Africa. I want to ensure that the knowledge I share within the company is inline with industry trends and updates.
What are the biggest challenges, and opportunities for women in the programmatic industry today?
Digital media, generally, is a heavily male-biased industry. However, I believe this is more based on legacy. Women are, in fact, celebrated and encouraged to stamp their mark within this space.
What does the industry need to do to champion women in the programmatic industry better?
I believe continuing to highlight successful women and their contributions to effective change in the industry will allow us to be top of mind.
What are the biggest challenges, and opportunities overall for programmatic advertising this year?
Identity, identity, identity. Media buyers need to get used to buying differently now, i.e. accepting cross domain targeting is a thing of the past, and media owners need to work hard on their identity strategy, offering buyers multiple, viable options to buy media.
What is your biggest achievement in programmatic to date?
Speaking on an all-woman panel about the importance of data at an IAB conference in South Africa, as well as being a key contributor to the South African IAB whitepaper on viewability.
