On Marketing Technology

MTS: Tell us a little bit about your role at Beachfront and how you got here.(what inspired you to start a programmatic video company)
I am the Founder and CEO. I started Beachfront because I saw the power of video to connect people from around the world, in many different ways. We believe that access to video should remain universal and free, and as a result, a vast majority of video will need to be ad-supported. Beachfront is a video advertising platform that supports this mission.

MTS: Given how quickly programmatic video ad strategies have been accepted, how do you see this market evolving over the next few years?
Programmatic is “growing up” quickly. In a few years, I don’t expect it to be called “programmatic” anymore. That will be a given. We will just be transacting advertising via automated means, period.

MTS: What do you see as the single most important technology trend or development that’s going to impact us?
The next big phase in technology, in all sectors, will be Artificial Intelligence. More specifically, Machine Learning. As it relates to advertising, Machine Learning will give us the ability to more accurately find the most desirable audience for brands, automatically.

MTS: What’s the biggest challenge for startups to integrate a programmatic ad platform like Beachfront in to their stack?
Integrating a new platform has become very simple. The biggest challenge today is understanding the most effective way to use the tools available. There is still a lot to learn in programmatic as the standards and new technologies are evolving quickly, but startups can be adaptable.

MTS: What startups are you watching/keen on right now?
RebelAI

MTS: What tools does your marketing stack consist of in 2017?
Our video content marketing is our own platform, Beachfront Reach. To reach the OTT / cord-cutting audience, we use Rise. For Inbound Marketing, we use Hubspot. Other than that, I believe that the marketing stack is continually evolving to meet the demands of our customers.

MTS: Could you tell us about a standout digital campaign? (Who was your target audience and how did you measure success)
Beachfront runs so many campaigns that it is difficult to pick just one. But one in particular, which has resulted in a lot of repeat business, has been an awareness campaign for a major food chain. Not only was the campaign super effective in creating awareness, we were able to use our mobile expertise to properly polygon geo-fence the right audience, at the right time for some great KPIs.

Our KPIs range from core ones such as view completion rate to viewability, to in-demo audience, to foot traffic. We are flexible and always focus on the brand outcome as the No. 1 success metric.

MTS: How do you prepare for an AI-centric world as a business leader?
Reading books. Currently, I am diving deep into Deep Learning, by Ian Goodfellow, Yoshua Bengio and Aaron Courville. It’s an extensive read on the topic, comprehensively covering a lot of what deep learning can do for business.

This Is How I Work

MTS: One word that best describes how you work.
Constant.

MTS: What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?
Honestly, I use whatever tools are available. I am pliable and can adapt.

MTS: What’s your smartest work related shortcut or productivity hack?
I float around the office and take any available desk. Not only does the change of scenery work, but it also starts unexpected and exciting conversations that I would have not had if I would always been in my office.

MTS: What are you currently reading? (What do you read, and how do you consume information?)
As mentioned, I’m in the middle of reading through Deep Learning. I read mostly non-fiction books. There is way too much to learn.

MTS: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the very good.” is something that my first boss, Eli Wylen, used to say. Meaning, you can’t always be perfect. It is important to get customer feedback in the process of creating and refining your product.

MTS: Something you do better than others – the secret of your success?
Hard work, tenacity, and ability to adapt & learn while remaining focused.

MTS: Tag the one person whose answers to these questions you would love to read:
Manny Puentes, Founder & CEO of RebelAI

MTS: Thank you Frank! That was fun and hope to see you back on MarTech Series soon.