The dust may have well and truly settled on the Vienna Publisher Forum but the learnings that those who attended acquired across the three-day event will manifest themselves in the months and years ahead.
Here’s a quick run-down of ten points I think we should all take heed of – Publisher or not.
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Working in Ad Operations can often be a thankless task, where you’re charged with ridiculous turnarounds and feel as though you’re stuck on the end of the chain – whether or not this should be part of the job remains to be seen but what is clear is that by being at the end of the chain you hold the power and should wield it responsibly, effectively and efficiently.
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Data is key – going forward data is becoming more and more valuable and with the right know-how you can not only use this to your advantage by knowing your users better but you can go as far as to trade data with other Publishers.
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In this industry of ours expertise is key – but never assume you’re dealing with one, if anything break down your ideas and tasks to their base level when relaying to colleagues or staff for a more rounded approach
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We need new metrics – not just in Display but in online marketing in general. Will we ever have all encompassing metrics? An uber cookie of sorts? This remains to be seen but the call for more quantifiable metrics is loud and must be heard for the money to continue flowing
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There is a definitive lack of knowledge between Sales & Ops teams (predominantly – not always) but with a little education this divide can be bridged, take the time to talk through your issue rather than shut a colleague down and all will benefit.
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Training is imperative not just for Sales teams and those chasing revenue but for Ops professionals too – you don’t know it all, although sometimes you may feel like you do, set aside time with your line manager and tell them you want to be educated on certain aspects you may feel weak on, don’t shy away from knowledge, and yes you do have the time.
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Whilst Video is extremely popular the monetization engine hasn’t quite caught up, the creative possibilities are available but there just doesn’t seem to be enough agencies either convincing their clients or clients willing to take the plunge, this needs to change but for it to happen someone needs to start doing it well – and with decent ROI.
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The top three ranking ad units in this day and age were all created before 2003, the logical next step then has to be creative – we need better creative to utilize these positions otherwise we’re stagnating.
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Private Marketplaces are gaining popularity but that doesn’t mean they’re for everyone – but you won’t know unless you try (and have the inventory to do so), a good test is to team up with another like for like publisher and give up some of your inventory for testing purposes, you might find it useful – you might not, but you’ll know.
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People hate and love change in equal measure, there are pros and cons to both and in Ops change predominantly means more work for you. Embrace it but don’t crave it, make sure the change is right for you and your business and at the end of the day increases revenue potential – that’s what we’re all ultimately judged on.