Libby Murad-Patel of Jumpstart on Leading the Automotive Market

By WomenAdvancing Archives
Cover image for  article: Libby Murad-Patel of Jumpstart on Leading the Automotive Market

Libby Murad-Patel, Vice President Strategic Insights and Analytics at Jumpstart Automotive Group, oversees the creation and implementation of innovative audience research and key performance metrics across Jumpstart's automotive partner websites. "The auto industry is the second-largest spending category in digital media, which means that we're always at the forefront of all the latest developments," she told me during a recent interview. "We are always pushing hard to stay ahead of technology and to be in-step with the changing habits of consumers." She also revealed how the company's innovtive proprietary digital metric makes this possible.

Charlene Weisler: How did you start in the business and what is your current job responsibility?

Libby Murad: I started my media career at an agency and experienced the rise in digital media from the ground up. I was hired under digital ad operations (ad trafficking), and then moved to planning and buying for regional dealer associations at GMPlanworks. In 2007 I moved to Jumpstart, where I first worked in Ad Product, which at the time consisted of contextual audience targeting via standard display ads, and audience retargeting or behavioral targeting. Over time we recognized a deficiency in data and analytics and started focusing on finding new ways to test effectiveness and gaining a deeper understanding of the overall consumer shopping process. At that point the company spun off a new department dedicated to audience insights and analytics and that was a pivotal point in my career. I now oversee all of our audience research and key performance metrics for internal and external purposes.

Charlene: Can you tell me about Jumpstart's True Market Impact™ which is described as a proprietary digital metric that informs advertisers and marketers of a brand's health based on shopping patterns?

Libby: As an auto publisher we have a lot of interesting, insightful data for automotive marketers. This is valuable to marketers because it broadens their view on their potential customer. They always have the ability to see what a consumer does on their brand site, but they don't see what happens on a publishers' site unless we share that information with them. With True Market ImpactTM, we are able to create different metrics that detail how a consumer moves through the shopping process and, more importantly, how vehicle consideration changes over time. We are currently working on new developments to simplify measurement. When all metrics are weighted together they form an index score of how the brand is performing, taking advertising as an influencer into consideration.

Charlene: You have been in the digital world for more than a decade. How has it changed or evolved since you first started?

Libby: It's an exciting environment that is always changing. The auto industry is the second-largest spending category in digital media, which means that we're always at the forefront of all the latest developments. We are always pushing hard to stay ahead of technology, and to be in-step with the changing habits of consumers. Because nothing is static, new challenges arise on a regular basis. For instance, viewability and ad blocking are recent issues that the industry is still trying to tackle in terms of setting standards and best practices. We're certainly never bored.

Charlene: How do you achieve work/life balance?

Libby: One of the hazards of the digital age is that we are always connected and accessible. I am just as guilty as the next person, but I believe that when we truly take time off to unplug, we're able to be more creative and productive. I try to lead by example and practice this to the best of my ability.

Charlene: Do you have any advice for the next generation?

Libby: I've come across many people who are eager to rise through the ranks quickly, but often overlook how critical it is to dedicate the time and the focus to master their current role. I have a strong work ethic and look for people who share this principle. My advice to anyone -- especially a person who is just starting their career -- is to work hard, master your skills and prove your worth to the company. Focus on your current responsibilities and continue to think about how you can continue to contribute to the organization. Hard work pays off and advancement will come from that.

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