Richard Radzik, VP BVS Sales at Advocado shares more on the importance of traditional linear TV and how it will continue to be impactful in today’s digital media mix:

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Welcome to this MarTech Series chat Rich, tell us about your role and journey through broadcast/adtech through the years?

I started my career in the late ‘80s working for a company called RTV, which monitored television commercials so that creative agencies could know what their competition was airing and strategize accordingly. A product of its time, the process was extremely manual, requiring people to watch TV all day, log notes, tape commercials on VHS and hand deliver the findings to the ad agency. Fast forward to today, and my current role with Advocado following its acquisition of Kantar BVS. Our ad verification platform requires minimal human or manual work, and commercials are verified and sent to clients within seconds of airing in whatever format they desire.

What are some of the trends that you feel are now redefining how cross channel advertising and ads are being run?

Given the rapid transformation within the TV industry, it’s somewhat shocking that silos still exist between traditional linear and digital media, but more agencies and advertisers are making a concerted effort to break down those walls. Some are more aggressively requiring their teams to be fully fluent in managing all media, regardless of type, while others are slowly doing so by either collaborating with each other or cross training. This is something Advocado is also looking to tackle head on, and was a key driver of the Kantar BVS acquisition. The joining of our companies helps remove the barriers between traditional TV and digital, giving advertisers the power to utilize their data to make smarter decisions that positively impact ROI.

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How in your view will broadcast media and advertising evolve further (read: streaming platforms, rise of podcasts, etc.) to change how marketers and advertisers choose their ad mix in future?

Real-time optimization and analytical requirements for the digital marketplace are slowly becoming a prerequisite for traditional media. Advertisers and marketers are asking themselves: if digital can optimize so quickly, why can’t I do the same for my traditional TV or radio campaign? And, more importantly, how can the two work together all the way from strategy and planning to the final ROI determination?

Traditional linear TV will continue to be a large part of the media mix, but will be utilized differently. With the right data at work, the ad mix will be determined based on what optimization and attribution analytics indicate is working. I expect this to be a continued mix of all media working towards the common goal of  improved ROI.

What are some of the top ad trends you envision for B2B in the near-future? 

In the years ahead, there will be an increased demand for B2B solutions to aid marketers and agencies who lack the time and budget to develop or design the supportive enterprises needed to operate in the existing advertising ecosystem. Things change quickly in this environment and the ability to pivot and adapt immediately will remain critical.

A few thoughts on how you feel adtech as a segment will move in 2022?

The industry has changed more in the last five years than the previous 25, as we now have the technology to provide real-time data that powers more meaningful consumer experiences.

As a segment, I foresee ad tech continuing to expand and innovate to make the consumer experience even better and more personalized. In the year ahead advertisers are going to start asking more pointed questions about attribution. Knowing that there are multiple media impressions and channels that can influence a consumer, advertisers will start to expect attribution that is not defined and limited by one media channel. As a result, attribution will start representing the reality of the consumer, not the agenda of the media seller.

I also think big tech’s stranglehold on data will finally be brought to a reckoning. Many brands have already started taking the lead themselves, realizing they need to stop handing their data over for free. Avocado’s acquisition of Kantar BVS is a step in the right direction to enable advertisers to take back their power and make more informed decisions about their spends.

Additionally, I believe 2022 will be the year when large-format video advertising matures and stops acting like display ads. New technologies will shift the power dynamic between brands and publishers, giving advertisers and media buyers the confidence to start demanding frequency and recency controls, not just within CTV and linear TV but across video advertising collectively. Consumers will be the big winners, as they will no longer be subjected to repeat ads.

Some last thoughts, takeaways, digital martech/adtech tips and best practices before we wrap up!  One fit does not fit all.

Speed, speed and speed. In the early days, determining the ROI of a media strategy was done on an annual basis for certain verticals, then went to quarterly, then monthly and weekly. For digital it’s done instantly, with traditional media moving closer and closer to that frequency as well. If marketers are not getting real-time data around their campaigns, they will be left behind.

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