Kumaran Sambandam
VP Mobfox Exchange

Advertisers are increasingly relying on mobile monetization platforms for flexibility over existing ad inventory. Mobfox, the leading mediation platform, caters to 175+ DSPs across the globe, bringing full transparency and ad inventory optimization at ease. We spoke to Kumaran Sambandam, VP, Mobfox Exchange to understand the complex aspects of personalized ads, targeting and how Mobfox deploys AI in improving video advertising and viewability.

MTS: Tell us about your role at Mobfox?

Kumaran Sambandam: As the SVP of Global Revenue at Mobfox, I oversee and manage the demand side of Mobfox, the mobile advertising platform, and myDSP, the self-serve demand side platform. I work closely with DSPs and advertisers who buy traffic using Mobfox and myDSP to help them optimize their advertising campaigns.

MTS: What are the factors that contribute to the growing popularity of out-stream mobile video ads?

Kumaran Sambandam: I believe that there are three factors contributing to the growing popularity of out-stream mobile video ads. First, video has proven to be a more engaging ad format than others, and so it is of higher value to advertisers and publishers alike. Second, advertisers have realized that using video ads has proven better at increasing brand awareness than the usual banner ads. And finally, CPM for video inventory can be high—publishers know that it’s expensive and in short supply.

MTS: Does Mobfox offer any solution to measure the success of personalized ads? Could you take us through this tool?

Kumaran Sambandam: Mobfox offers audience segmentation and targeting capabilities to help advertisers better target their ads. Mobfox’s data team works with our SDK to understand user patterns and behavior, and brings this expertise to help our partners maximize campaign success.

MTS: How deep is Mobfox into Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning? 

Kumaran Sambandam: Our team is working on implementing machine learning capabilities for myDSP, as we believe it will deliver higher performance for our advertisers and improve yield for our publishers. Mobfox is in a great position to deliver results through machine learning and high SDK penetration, as long as we continue to focus on accurately understanding the users that our partners wish to target.

MTS: How do you see the growing menace of ad fraud impacting viewability metrics in the future?

Kumaran Sambandam: Ad fraud hinders the growth of digital advertising, specifically video advertising because of its high yield. Moreover, viewability affected by fraud leads to mismanaged advertising budgets. There are tools to minimize fraud-skewed results, and in a world with machine learning, we should be able to substantially reduce fraud from the ecosystem altogether. I believe technological advancements, granular measurements, and real-time optimization will help avoid advertising budgets spent on fraudulent traffic.

MTS: How would automating video monetization strategies deliver optimized experiences and higher ROI?

Kumaran Sambandam: If not optimized correctly, video monetization can lead to substantial losses. Managing timeouts, better packaging, and user segmentation all result in higher yields for video advertising. Automation helps minimize timeouts, leading to improved fill rates, and adjusts the selection of demand for higher eCPM and huge returns on video ad campaigns.

MTS: How does Mobfox prepared to tackle the ever changing data policies across the globe? 

Kumaran Sambandam: Dealing with changing data policies can most definitely be challenging, but as the industry grapples to balance between user privacy and valuable data, policies are bound to adjust accordingly. At Mobfox, our team is constantly up to date with these policies and in touch with industry experts to comply with the regulations. As both members of the industry and users of the digital world, we have a role in balancing between the privacy barrier that protects user information and allowing for the internet to be monetized through advertising.

MTS: Thanks for chatting with us, Kumaran.
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