MarTech Interview with Kevin Kohn, CEO at iQ Media

Tell us about your role and journey into Technology. What inspired you to start at iQ Media?

I started my career in sales for a large company and was always drawn to technology, especially technology that was on the cutting edge. That curiosity led me to explore several different fields: MarTech, e-commerce, AdTech, and later, TV advertising. I was introduced to iQ Media by Edison Partners, where I was an advisor. I was instantly drawn to the company, its founders and the amazing technology they had developed. I felt strongly that they were uniquely positioned to help make TV more transparent and measurable-more like digital.

What is iQ Media and how does it make TV advertising intelligent?

At iQ Media, we’ve helped brands better understand the impact of TV on their business by monitoring and measuring all the ways their brand appears on TV, across paid advertising, earned media and sponsorship. This broader perspective allows brands to better understand the interplay and impact that each of these strategies has on their overall success within the medium.

How do you focus on bringing TV and data analytics together at iQ Media? What are the core technologies driving your product?

We have an exhaustive TV capture network that is constantly monitoring 1,300 channels in the US across all 210 DMAs for brand mentions in order to measure the impact of a TV appearance. Brands are able to access and analyze iQ Media’s data through our platform or API integrations with their own environments, where they can combine our data with their own to glean further insights from TV exposure data. We call this catalog-as-a-service.

Tell us about your recent transaction with 4C? How do you plan to extend the benefits to your customers?

In merging iQ Media with 4C’s Teletrax network to form Kinetiq, we now have a wider set of assets that our customers can leverage, a global footprint in over 85 countries and improved operational efficiencies in combining two networks into one unified network. We’ve also doubled the size of our engineering team, which will allow us to continue to innovate.

Tell us about your tune-in media strategies, cross-screen tactics, and creative messaging that could boost TV viewership?

One of the capabilities Kinetiq has through the Teletrax network is a solution known as Sync. This product leverages our ability to identify real-time events that are happening on TV to trigger ads across paid search, digital and social advertising. By linking these experiences, brands amplify the messaging from TV and drive further consideration.

Which Marketing and Sales Automation tools and technologies do you currently use?

We are fairly standard as it relates to our sales and marketing tools, including Salesforce on the CRM side and a few different EMS solutions on the marketing side.

What are your predictions on the most impactful disruptions in AI and Data?

I may be biased, but AI’s biggest impact will be in acting on smarter data and insights that can better predict where folks are on their journey, whether that’s with a brand itself or in the broader context of their life. This kind of data will allow advertising and brand messaging to evolve, be more relevant and timely, and elevate the industry as a whole. I also believe, especially in digital advertising, there is the need to continually focus on the quality of the data – less is usually more.

What companies in the technology industry are you watching keenly right now?

There are several really interesting companies out there today that are changing the way brands think about customer engagement. I really like what 4C is doing with their Scope platform – helping brands plan, activate and measure campaigns across any channel. I am also a big fan of platforms that coordinate and synchronize a brand’s messaging across channels, leveraging their inherent strengths.

How do you prepare for an AI-centric world as a Business Leader?

You embrace it. More informed advertising is more meaningful and relevant advertising and that starts and ends with better data.

How do you inspire your people to work with technology?

It starts and ends with the one thing we can’t stop or control – time. For technology to be embraced and sustainable, it has to make us more productive and efficient. It has to make our lives easier, simpler and better.

One word that best describes how you work.

Passion –  you have to believe in what you are doing.

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

My smartphone, Messenger and Pandora.

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

Filters in Gmail

What are you currently reading?

Nothing at the moment, but I’m always looking for the next good business read. Hopefully, I’ll have some time soon.

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

Don’t be afraid to take risks, but if it is not working, fail fast.

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

I don’t think I do any one thing great, it’s more a combination of little things that tend to add up. I do have a pretty solid work ethic, which was instilled by my dad.

Thank you, Kevin! That was fun and hope to see you back on MarTech Series soon.