NDA has always been dedicated to celebrating the digital industry and as the pandemic took hold we launched our Reasons to be Cheerful series. As we face an uncertain economic future, we’ll be hearing from leaders across our industry to discover what’s keeping them smiling as we enter 2023. Next up is Freddie Turner, EMEA Managing Director, MiQ.
What are you most excited about in the digital industry in 2023?
The convergence of traditional channels into the digital world.
First, because in programmatic, we’re now able to deliver so much more creativity to channels like TV, out-of-home and audio, and this will continue to increase in 2023. Second, because integrated advertising campaigns measuring incremental reach, consistent messaging to consumers and understanding the true impact of a brand’s media spend has always been such a critical success measure for marketers.
I’m also excited by the continued surge in identity-based solutions – better for consumers, better for the industry and better for advertisers. MiQ’s recent acquisition of AirGrid, enabling the use of more relevant, publisher direct, privacy-first data. This year MiQ UK has delivered 75% of all impressions using cookieless targeting solutions and they’ve proved to be just as effective, if not more so, than the traditional cookie-based solutions – all the while giving consumers the confidence that their data is being used in an ethical, trustworthy way.
It feels like the advertising world has been debating the coming of cookieless and the impact it will have on the industry forever. My view is that the industry shouldn’t wait any longer – improving privacy is vital to protect consumers and build trust in advertising, but also to increase the quality of the data we use, which will ultimately benefit the efficacy of brands media spend in digital.
What are you most positive about for your business in 2023?
For MiQ, it has to be our Advanced TV solution, which is the biggest opportunity in the programmatic space for 2023, because, for the first time, it enables brands to coordinate the planning and execution of programmatic TV advertising campaigns seamlessly and simultaneously across linear and digital channels, regardless of platform, through a single point of access.
The opportunities for targeting, measuring, and activating solutions across connected TV in the programmatic space are huge, as are those for the now highly sophisticated solutions that work in conjunction with traditional linear TV. So, in 2023 we’re really excited about taking our agencies and advertisers on a journey that brings the two worlds together.
How will the digital industry, and your company, help make life better for consumers or partners in 2023?
This ultimately comes down to enabling the delivery of more effective advertising campaigns, so that brands get more impact for their spend, and consumers enjoy a better experience.
Our Advanced TV solution leads the charge, unifying the fragmented world of programmatic. Where previously campaigns had to be run and measured separately across different linear, OTT and digital platforms, marketers can now reach highly targeted audiences throughout the CTV and video landscape, while delivering incremental reach and critically proving the efficacy of doing so..
Effectiveness will also be boosted by using more relevant, accurate data through the adoption of identity-based solutions, which will also reassure consumers over their privacy concerns.
What technologies have you been most impressed with this year and which will have the most impact in 2023?
First, AirGrid, a cookieless technology that I feel will be an absolute game-changer in the mission to maintain and improve programmatic performance in a cookieless, identity-first, privacy-first world. In fact, at MiQ we were so impressed with AirGrid that we recently made it our first ever acquisition!
Second, sustainability solutions like Scope 3 that support businesses like MiQ in significantly reduce the carbon footprint of programmatic advertising campaigns. Like many in the industry, I’ve been shocked at the effect programmatic campaigns are having on the environment. So, data and technology that enables us to maximise performance and minimise carbon emissions is front and centre of our strategy for next year.
What, if any, positive impacts on the digital industry could an economic downturn have?
A recession is absolutely the last thing anyone wants to see, the devastating impact it can have across society and business affects everyone. Usually, in times of economic uncertainty traditional marketing spend usually shrinks as advertisers tighten their belts, however, recent experience tells us that some gets funnelled into digital advertising therefore increasing investment in this area.
This is due to the attribution and measurability that digital and specifically programmatic can deliver, enabling advertisers to gauge return on their spend more accurately, so they know their investment working. Now, being able to incorporate traditional channels into the digital marketing ecosystem will drive further efficiencies and hopefully increase spend in the digital world, as well as help advertisers deliver on their business challenges, even more important in challenging times.
