Sky Media boss: adtech over-promising, under-delivering

A culture of over-promising and under-delivering is creating a “very, very complicated” adtech market, the deputy MD of Sky Media has warned.
Speaking at a debate hosted by Videonet and Mediatel at this year’s Dmexco, Cologne, Jamie West said one of his “biggest frustrations” was the technology and sales side of the media business offering clients and their agencies “Nirvana”, but not following through with the promise.

“What adtech companies say is possible, what is actually possible, and what the client and agency wants to do – they are three different points on a continuum,” he said.
“One of my biggest frustrations operating in this space is working with multiple adtech partners and when you start the process you’re told you can reach Nirvana, but then you end up somewhere quite different.
“It means you have to re-craft your messaging to say: ‘I know I said this, but I can’t do it.

“We’re in a world at the moment where the technology and sales side are over-promising and under-delivering. That applies all the way through the line, whatever lens you’re looking through.”
West added that the problem has created “a very, very complicated marketplace.”

The comments came during a debate that explored whether programmatic technology is working for the supply-side, as well as investigating concerns broadcasters still have about adopting or expanding programmatic trading, and developments that will accelerate uptake.

Other participants, including Andrew Buckman, managing director, EMEA, OpenX, said that the problem was compounded by a “gap in understanding” – which was making it difficult to effectively satisfy both publishers’ and advertisers’ needs in video.

However, he said one solution was to simply listen more to the needs of the end user.
“Currently, I think too many in this industry are blinding people with acronyms and science and not taking a step back to learn and understand,” Buckman said.

“We are, as an entire sector, guilty of not listening enough to what people actually want…that is the wrong approach and not one I want to take. For instance, it shouldn’t be my job only to provide a short-term tech solution, but to offer a long-term partnership that meets the needs of the client.”

Similarly, YuMe’s vice president, corporate marketing, Stephanie Gaines, said that the adtech world still needs to operate with much more transparency.

Speaking after the debate, she told Newsline: “The adtech world is continually innovating – and at such a pace that there will always be obstacles to overcome. That requires a very thoughtful approach that is underpinned by dialogue and transparency.”