To say the last 18 months have been challenging would be a huge understatement. Given COVID and related postponements and cancellations, a series of climate-related catastrophes, cultural and political wars (and real wars ending), this period of time has been and continues to be historic. I don’t know about you, but it feels like more than five years of a never-ending series of events in just a year and a half.
The advertising industry has also faced its own challenges and opportunities over the last 18 months. Let’s review: we started with COVID’s impact on advertisers and their budgets (on again, off again), consumers more digitally engaged than ever before, cookies—like COVID—never seeming to go away, consolidation, renewed market interest, and the stress on everyone to make it all work from inside of our homes. The great news is that the industry is doing well despite all of the pressures and headwinds. Frankly, I’m an optimist, and I think we are finding our way to a new advertising normal where we can all succeed and thrive.
Given all of this change, I can think of many reasons to join next week’s Quantcast Virtual NOVA event, but three stand out. We’ll cover current societal, multicultural, and diversity challenges, speak with several industry experts who express their views on a cookieless future, and get advice from some of the world’s leading brands, agencies, and publishers. Trust me, these will be conversations you will not want to miss. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s to come:
Power diverse and multicultural voices. We’ll tackle head-on the challenges of and possibilities for including multicultural and diverse voices in advertising, and what it means for brands, agencies, and publishers. Hear from Gonzalo Del Fa, President of GroupM Multicultural, who is putting real money and effort into this space; Damian Benders, General Manager from B Code Media, a BIPOC publisher; and Ki-Hoon Chung, Integrated Media Director from WITHIN, an agency addressing issues directly and making a difference.
Somer Simpson, Quantcast VP of Product, leads a lively and sometimes tough conversation about what’s working, what we need to do more of, and why it matters. We will continue to champion this topic; Quantcast intends to do everything possible with our platform, our relationships, and our people to make a long overdue difference, and help solve this issue so it is not an afterthought, but part of all we do. The participants are thoughtful, passionate, and are all intent on highlighting what could and should be done
- Learn what is possible in a post-cookie world. For several years now, we’ve all witnessed the “Cookie Conundrum,” as we call it, zigging and zagging down a road to the ultimate cookie demise. This is not new, nor should anyone be tapping the brakes just yet, but many ask—what is possible? How do we solve this? We will not only hear advice from several industry experts, including dentsu Media’s Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Consumer Insights, Jackie Mattina, but explore what is possible today with the Quantcast Platform, led by Quantcast CTO, Dr. Peter Day, and his team. This is a reveal that you won’t want to miss.
- Real-world examples help us all learn and improve. We’ve gathered some of the world’s most respected brands, agencies, and publishing leaders to share their perspectives on what they’ve faced over the last 18 months, how it’s helped them learn and work on new strategies and tactics, and the opportunities for the future. Leaders from Adobe, Autodesk, B Code Media, Dell Technologies, dentsu Media, GroupM Multicultural, Havas Media, Hearst Magazines, Kia, and WITHIN will have engaging discussions which will help you navigate the months and years ahead.
Whether you work at a brand, an agency, or a publisher, you will learn something new at Quantcast Virtual NOVA. Be sure to engage with us and the speakers by sharing your opinions through live polls and chats. Register for one of the regional Virtual NOVA events to stay simply smarter and connected. I know you will be inspired; I am. “See” you there!