A few weeks ago, we posted a poll asking ad ops professionals to tell us how they were handling the Q4 traffic deluge. Our poll asked ten questions and went into the nitty gritty of how ad operations teams deal with high volume seasons. We are posting the full results of the poll below, but first, a few highlights:
Preparedness is Key Overall, respondents said they were well prepared for Q4. 86% felt their ad ops staff is ready and available to provide complete holiday coverage, 73% said their team was available to handle any client request promptly and with personal care. This displays true confidence in the majority of ad ops departments. It takes intense planning to determine the added volume you expect for Q4 and then to staff appropriately. Generally, the respondents to our survey are doing a good job of that, as 73% of them said they were pleased with the current efficiency of their department.
Beware of the Spikes However prepared those responding said they were, there was still a widespread acknowledgement that multi-line orders could prove problematic. Two thirds of respondents told us that their teams were unable to handle 1,000+ line item requests. Those spikes can turn even the most well-oiled ad ops machines into a mess, causing widespread problems even in the face of the most meticulous preparation. Are you prepared to handle mega spikes?
Not Just Traffickers An overwhelming majority of respondents told us that their ad ops team brings more value than just strictly trafficking. This is especially important in today’s ad ops environment, where a blending of ad ops and sales is more commonplace due to the rising emphasis on RTB and technology based ad sales. Today, ad ops professionals are called upon more and more to assist in organization level applications of ad technology. Having valuable ad ops team members spend time on simple trafficking may hurt business overall. Are you managing your ad ops team’s time efficiently?
Now it’s time to draw your own conclusions, here are the results in full. Let us know your takeaways:
Originally published at Operative’s The OP-ED. Reprinted with permission.