Phil Smith, Director General, ISBA. was picked by Location Science’s Mark Slade as his digital hero. Now Phil passes on the honour by picking his own.
.Who is your digital hero?
No question, Steve Chester, ISBA’s Director of Media.
What has he done to win hero status in your eyes?
Steve was the originator and driving force behind the AOP-backed ISBA/Pwc Programmatic Supply Chain Study, a world first end-to-end audit for 15 advertisers and 12 quality publishers.
A huge effort, spanning two years, that required heroic persistence from Steve, from his team and from PwC.
How has his heroism helped drive digital?
The study has clarified the need for cost transparency in programmatic and pinpointed the areas of difficulty.
It has led to an industry-backed task force dedicated to addressing these issues.
What the biggest challenges in digital we need another hero to solve?
Fraud of all types is a perennial, mutating issue, with estimates of its cost varying significantly according to the interests of the source.
We need a hero with an objective, forensic approach and the ability to bring together all parts of the industry to a shared view and a collective approach.
What is your most heroic personal achievement so far in digital?
It’s far from complete – but delivering massive advertiser backing for accountable cross-media measurement and establishing true momentum behind Project Origin as a global pilot ranks number one.
