Success in the fast-paced world of advertising requires a focus on innovation and adaptation to the latest trends. This includes staying informed on changes in cookie usage, the growing importance of identity, and exploring opportunities in emerging platforms like connected TV (CTV).
John Gentry, CEO of OpenX, joined me on the SEJShow to discuss the opportunities of ad exchanges, distribution beyond Google & Microsoft, how header bidding works, ad opportunities growing on mobile devices and CTV, and the role of identity and cookies in ad targeting.
Gain insights on how to take your PPC and advertising efforts to new heights.
The key is to put an offering in front of somebody who has articulated their interest. Reaching a consumer in real-time and understanding that they want something –they want a car, they want to get tickets to a baseball game. So you’re responding to them at that exact time, making that work compelling. The big magic of that model was that real-time response to a user’s needs. –John Gentry, 04:26
Paid search is a great entry point into an ecosystem of advertising models working together to identify that intent. And then, if someone may not make the purchase decision at that moment, you can then remarket/retarget. You can then remind them, or at least you have the data. Maybe they’re somewhere in the funnel where you are looking at a blog post, buyer guide, or comparison page, and then you can follow them through. –Loren Baker, 05:07
Programmatic came out of that idea to take intent and see if you can respond to the user in some timeframe. The goal here is to try and keep that offer in front of the user when you think you understand the consumer wants to buy something. Programmatic extended that opportunity to be in front of that user and target that user with a different time window. –John Gentry, 05:53
[00:00] – About John.
[05:07] – Where Programmatic comes in.
[06:59] – Overview of OpenX.
[09:46] – How is First-Party Data different from cookie-based advertising?
[11:21] – How buyers match to data.
[18:19] – More about Open audience.
[19:38] – Will there ever be an alternative to Google?
[22:34] – How AI will change the search experience.
[25:42] – How targeting works in CTV.
[33:09] – Ways OpenX stays sustainable.
[39:28] – The next big thing to look out for.
Resources Mentioned:
OpenX – https://www.linkedin.com/company/openx/
Being able to target the level of an individual user is very powerful. All of this stuff is protected and wrapped up, and done safely. There’s a recent move towards clean rooms, which are safe ways to exchange data so that you’re guarding the person who owns the data; the company owns the data that’s not leaking out. And there’s a lot of investment in that, which is excellent because that goes back to privacy. How do, how do we keep these things? How can we do targeted advertising in a way that protects people’s personal information? –John Gentry, 17:10
With CTV, you can now understand the household watching that content, which means you can now look at the behavior of those households to understand more directly potential attribution from an ad. That’s a massive game-changer. And I think that’s the big move. What we’re seeing advertisers do–the first thing they did when Streaming came out–they realized that the early streamer audience was precious. I think what we’re seeing now is kind of the expected and, not surprising, migration to more addressability and the ability to understand how can I target a given household. –John Gentry, 26:22
Do we see consumer behavior move with AI? Because if the user moves to AI, that will be a new form of marketing, right? That’s a place we’re going to have to reframe. How do we engage with the consumer and help them find what they need or address what’s coming up? So I think that’s a fascinating area in terms of where things will go on the advertising side. –John Gentry. 40:06
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Connect With John Gentry:
A veteran of the technology and media industries, John Gentry, serves as CEO of OpenX, a world-renowned provider of digital advertising technology.
Before joining OpenX, he was President of Spot Runner, CRO of Green Dot, SVP, and GM of overture Services’ Affiliate Business. In addition, he held executive positions at Disney/ABC and Discovery Communications.
Having 20 years of leadership experience, an engineering background, and a product innovation background makes him an ideal leader for navigating changing times. With his invaluable contribution to OpenX, he is committed to further accelerating OpenX’s rapid trajectory.
Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gentry-93561/
Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal:
Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker
Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker