AdTech Pro Alex Gardner of Index Exchange Chats About #DMEXCO 2019

We chatted with Index Exchange’s Chief Revenue Officer, Alex Gardner about his expectations from DMEXCO 2019, and why AdTech professionals should attend the event.

DMEXCO is a leading AdTech-centric trade show for every decision-maker in the online publishing business, marketers, and sales professionals. The 2-day trade show is held at Cologne, Germany. We chatted with Index Exchange‘s Chief Revenue Officer, Alex Gardner about his expectations from the event, and why AdTech professionals should attend the event. In addition, Alex also provides valuable insights into the most contemporary Marketing and Advertising trends related to benchmark practices, brand safety and the future of customer engagement.

Here is the full scrip of our conversation from DMEXCO 2019.

Have you been to DMEXCO before?

This is my 6th year attending DMEXCO (I’m a vet!). I always look forward to connecting with partners and the rest of the industry and hearing about their priorities, challenges, and goals.

It’s really an invigorating way to kick off the Fall, and the conversations I have at DMEXCO around how we’re working with our partners to drive innovation in the industry really set the tone for the remainder of the year. The timing of the event is particularly crucial as we prepare for the all-important fourth quarter of the year and hone in on our strategy moving into 2020.

How is DMEXCO 2019 different from all its previous editions?

My expectation is that it will be the best year yet from an Index Exchange perspective. The pace of change in the global marketplace is accelerating, which really underscores the importance of this event.

I personally feel like DMEXCO truly gets more global year after year. While the event takes place in Cologne, we see representatives from all over the world, so it’s the perfect opportunity for us to have conversations that have an impact on a global scale, regarding everything from regulation to revenue. We’re excited to connect with both local partners and folks from across the globe, coming together to drive positive change and innovation that will move our industry forward in a meaningful way.

For Index Exchange in Germany specifically, this has been a banner year in terms of our growth in the DACH region. We’ve greatly expanded our presence in the market to support publishers and buyers looking for an independent programmatic solution.

How do you see the Adtech industry evolving with AI and ML technologies? What is your take on new-age challenges related to Deepfakes, Fake news, and Malvertising? 

We’re committed to leveraging any new innovation or technology that will ultimately maximize publisher revenue while driving efficiency and accountability in the marketplace. This year, we introduced a new feature called Adaptive Timeouts that actually utilizes Machine Learning to measure device and network connections to determine a custom, intelligent timeout for each individual user on each individual page view.

Leveraging this kind of forward-thinking technology ultimately creates more opportunities for bidders and additional revenue for publishers – leading to positive results for both sides of the industry.

Are you happy with Brand Safety measured set by Advertising companies and regulators?

We applaud all efforts throughout the industry that put consumer trust at the forefront.

At Index, we were also one of the earliest adopters of IAB Tech Lab’s specifications for sellers.json and the SupplyChain object, which allows DSPs to make better buying decisions for their clients. We recognize that measures to thwart fraud play an important role in aligning to the experiences that buyers and publishers alike expect, and also believe our industry should be built around making the best possible experience for the consumer.

How do you see Google Advertising standards further evolving? How do Index Exchange customers benefit from Advertising analytics and Customer data intelligence?

In terms of analytics and data, we provide our partners with log level data-sets, available via API that tracks all auction events for buyers and publishers. Called Client Audit Logs, these files provide both publishers and buyers a receipt for every transaction and share granular data and insights about every single activity that happens through Index Exchange’s platform.

We believe this data is invaluable for our customers on both the sell and buy-side, as it helps them to further understand the ecosystem they participate in.

Thank you, Alex, for chatting with us from your busy schedule.

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