Programmatic in the USA: Art Muldoon of Accordant Media -- The Jay Sears Interview

By Archived Rubicon Project Archives
Cover image for  article: Programmatic in the USA: Art Muldoon of Accordant Media -- The Jay Sears Interview

This is the fourth in a series of interviews with leading buyers titled “Programmatic in the USA.” The conversation will continue at The 6th Annual Agency Trading Desk Update: Automating the Rest of It during Advertising Week New York on Wednesday, October 1st at 9:00am at the Liberty Theater, 234 West 42nd Street, New York City (between 7th & 8th Avenues). To RSVP please go here.

Your Name: Art Muldoon

Your Company: Accordant Media

Your Title: Co-founder and CEO

SEARS: Where do you read your daily news?

MULDOON: Aren’t we all cross-channel news consumers? I like running through the paper-version of the WSJ on the subway ride to work in the mornings and checking/reading/sharing online news during the day. I stream the radio in the evenings and weekends. I use social media for recruiting (heavy on LinkedIn) and procrastinating (Facebook).

SEARS: Today on average in the United States -- out of each $1.00 spent on media (all media, not just digital) by one of your advertisers -- how much today is spent on automated or programmatic channels?

MULDOON: Our clients are investing perhaps $0.10 to $0.25 of each media dollar on programmatic.

SEARS: What was this number in 2012?

MULDOON: $0.05 to $0.10

SEARS: What will this number be in 2016?

MULDOON: $0.30 to $0.70

SEARS: What is the mission statement of Accordant Media?

MULDOON: Accordant’s primary mission is to help advertisers leverage audience-targeted data and technology to make their media investment work harder. As a pure-play programmatic media solutions company Accordant makes advanced ad-tech solutions more accessible and useful for marketers. We foster collaborative relationships to achieve outstanding campaign results and actionable cross-channel insights. Our combination of 100% transparency, expert managed services, campaign analytics and custom-engineered media solutions is unparalleled.

SEARS: Please tell us:

SEARS: Overall United States managed budget (media spend) for your trading desk, expected in 2014:

MULDOON: ~$50 million

SEARS: Percentage increase, United States managed budget (media spend) 2013 vs. expected 2014:

MULDOON: >75%

SEARS: How many employees are there in your United States organization?

MULDOON:: Total across USA: 60+

SEARS: What are Accordant Media’s three biggest U.S. initiatives in 2014?

MULDOON:

1. September, 2014 release of Accordant ATS™ for Marketers: A comprehensive, 8-channel media buying and optimization system that makes programmatic media advertising more accessible, practical, synthesized and transparent for marketers.
2. Accordant AIM Analytics™ Suite: Part of the ATS System, Accordant’s suite consists of audience segment level analyses, campaign level lift/incrementality results and cross-channel media attribution modeling and indexes -- all integrated within the programmatic media buying and optimization system. Accordant tracks/models the impact of all digital media whether it is directly managed or not.
3. Media Quality Verification Modeling: We are working with publishers/SSPs/exchanges, ad verification/security partners and our internal data analytics and engineering teams to create programmatic buying tools and processes to help advertisers tap high-quality environments and occasions to reach their desired audiences.

SEARS: Can linear TV be automated, yes or no?

MULDOON: Linear TV will be automated over time, but it is a double-hulled super-tanker which takes time to change course.

SEARS: Does Accordant Media plan to automate linear TV in 2014? 2015?

MULDOON: We are already working on a limited basis with some clients and partners on addressable TV solutions.

SEARS: Once linear TV is automated, will it be bought by TV buyers or digital buyers?

MULDOON: Both TV buyers and digital buyers will share in the advantages and positioning of automated, targeted television advertising.

SEARS: On the subject of business models, the best way to describe your company is:

a) Product organization – i.e. you curate a media product for your agencies and advertisers
b) Service organization – i.e. you recommend and manage best practices and best of breed products for your agencies and advertisers
c) Combination of both
d) Other

MULDOON: C -- We are very deliberately a technology-enabled services organization. We believe this combination is what differentiates Accordant and resonates extremely well with our clients who recognize that data and technology has fundamentally changed media buying.

SEARS: On the subject of advertiser clients and transparent vs. non-transparent models:

a) We have a transparent model -- clients know media and other costs (i.e. costs are unbundled)
b) We have a non-transparent model -- clients do not know media and other costs (i.e. costs are bundled)
c) Combination of both
d) Other

MULDOON: A – We are 100% transparent.

SEARS: What percentage of your agency or advertiser’s site direct budget (direct orders) has been automated?

a) Less than 10% (of site direct dollars)
b) 11-20%
c) 21-50%
d) Over 50%

MULDOON: D

SEARS: Which of the following will accelerate the automation of site direct (direct orders) budget? Pick all that apply:

a) Dynamic access to all publisher inventory [vs. just “remnant” or “auction”]
b) Ability to leverage publisher first party data
c) Ability to leverage advertiser first party data [against all publisher inventory, especially premium]
d) Availability of rich media, expandable units and larger IAB Rising Star formats
e) Ability to more easily curate audiences for specific advertisers across the premium content of multiple publishers
f) All of the above

MULDOON: F – Really, all these points are additive to automating all site-reserved and non-reserved inventory. Another capability towards accelerating site direct buys relates to stronger industry standards around ad verification and the pricing of viewability.

SEARS: Tell us a bit more about you.

SEARS: Who was one of your first mentors as a child?

MULDOON: My dad. He ran a small business and would often take me to his company. I was fascinated as much by the process and rules of his business ecosystem as the serendipity of it. Listening to his business discussions, attending meetings and role-playing with him as owning my own business has given me the confidence to be an entrepreneur today.

SEARS: Money is not a concern. You no longer work in advertising or technology. What would you choose to do for work?

MULDOON: I seem to gravitate towards opportunities involving navigating change in highly abstract, dynamic and complex environments. I enjoy the challenge of discovery and innovation, and making opportunities more tangible through providing a pragmatic vision and structure to get there.

Thanks, Art!

Jay Sears is Senior Vice President, Marketplace Development for the Rubicon Project. Sears workswith leadership and business unit heads across the company to expand Rubicon Project’s potential market. Sears has also served as General Manager, REVV Buyer, where he was responsible for global relations with the buy side including ad holding companies, ad agencies, agency trading desks and demand side platforms headquartered in North America. Jay can be reached at jsears@rubiconproject.com.

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