On Marketing Technology

MTS: Tell us a little bit about your role at Jun Group and how you got here.

I started Jun Group many years ago out of my house. I was at a crossroads in my career, having just left a senior position at a global ad agency. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with myself and so I started Jun Group as a way to do some work while I found my direction. I’d never had any inclination to be an entrepreneur, and yet I found I was good at it and that I enjoyed it. In retrospect it was an important lesson about getting out of my comfort zone.

MTS: Given the massive proliferation of programmatic ad platforms, how do you see this market evolving over the next few years?

Programmatic has been fascinating to watch, and it’s changing the industry in important and fundamental ways. Everyone wants greater efficiency and specificity in digital media. Over the long run, that’s where programmatic will take us.

MTS: What do you see as the single most important technology trend or development that’s going to impact us?

The single most important issue in our industry is ad fraud. It was a $7 billion problem last year, and that number is likely a drastic underestimate. It was great to see Procter & Gamble take a stand earlier this quarter and I think other big advertisers will soon follow suit.

MTS: What’s the biggest challenge for startups to integrate an ad platform like Jun with their existing Martech stack?

We’re big believers in value exchange because it’s the safest, most effective form of digital advertising. Non-interruptive placements are a departure from the old reach-and-frequency mindset and that’s a big change for some clients. Once they see the results, though, it’s all over.

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

We’re working with a company called Justworks. It is a PEO that manages payroll, benefits, etc. So far it’s been a terrific experience!

MTS: What tools does your marketing stack consist of in 2017?

Our job is to get millions of people to watch videos and visit Web pages from Fortune 500 advertisers. We have an SDK (software development kit) that provides access to over 100 million people via the biggest and best mobile apps. We create specific groups of people for advertisers to target by asking poll questions and tying the answers to unique mobile ad IDs. We also provide mediation services for our app developer partners.

MTS: Could you tell us about a standout digital campaign? (Who was your target audience and how did you measure success)

We recently ran a series of videos for a pharma brand. We needed to reach a narrow audience with a certain ailment so we served a question before the video and only showed it to people who said they were suffering. Ninety-four percent of viewers watched the videos to the end, and over 129,000 people clicked to the brand’s Web site after watching. Forty-seven percent of the people who visited the site went to more than one page. It’s a great demonstration of the power of value exchange advertising.

MTS: How do you prepare for an AI-centric world as a business leader?

AI is already having an effect on ad targeting, and we expect it to become more ingrained in the industry over time. A responsible business leader constantly reads, learns, and experiments. That’s how we’re approaching this particular phenomenon.

This Is How I Work

MTS: One word that best describes how you work.

Driven.

MTS: What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?

My calendar!

MTS: What’s your smartest work related shortcut or productivity hack?

In my opinion smart business-people don’t look for hacks and shortcuts; they look for clarity. The right answers are rarely easy answers and finding them takes prolonged and concentrated effort.

MTS: What are you currently reading? (What do you read, and how do you consume information?)

One of the best resources for people in our business is First Round Capital’s Review. It is consistently outstanding. I also love Jason Hirschhorn’s REDEF newsletter. It’s mind-blowing.

MTS: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Someone once told me there are two words that can make you successful: don’t stop. When you start a company, the temptation to give up can be overwhelming. It’s a long, angst-ridden, and sometimes tedious journey. So long as you wake up every day and put one foot in front of another you’ll get to a good place. Each “failure” becomes another stone in the foundation of your ultimate success.

MTS: Something you do better than others – the secret of your success?

I work hard every day and I am not afraid to get out of my comfort zone. That’s all it takes.

MTS: Tag the one person whose answers to these questions you would love to read:

Elon Musk