Eric Wheeler

Data-Driven Thinking" is written by members of the media community and contains fresh ideas on the digital revolution in media. Today’s column is written by Eric Wheeler, CEO at 33Across. Economic downturns are both cyclical and inevitable. Since getting my first advertising job in 1993, I’ve been through a few recessions.

"Today, with fraud as pervasive as it is, every campaign must have strong anti-fraud efforts around it. Marketers and agencies need to ask the right questions of media and technology providers to ensure the safe handling of their brands...

The concept of "flight to quality" applies to media buying, as advertisers don't want to risk spending money on out-of-view ads or fraudulent traffic.
Most advertising budgets have a growing portion allotted to programmatic spend. At this stage of the game, advertisers not buying programmatically are in the minority. Just like the beginning days of online advertising, there comes a point where the industry needs to take a step back and address the challenges that come with exponential… Show more

The concept of "flight to quality" applies to media buying, as advertisers don't want to risk spending money on out-of-view ads or fraudulent traffic.
Most advertising budgets have a growing portion allotted to programmatic spend. At this stage of the game, advertisers not buying programmatically are in the minority. Just like the beginning days of online advertising, there comes a point where the industry needs to take a step back and address the challenges that come with exponential growth.
Countless news sources have addressed the growing industry concerns around fraud, viewability, and programmatic solutions that are less than ideal. The media buyer's shift toward greater quality in programmatic advertising is upon us. Show less

To be successful in mobile publishing, marketers need to create a comprehensive strategy that informs their entire mobile experience.
For publishers, the key to driving mobile revenue is not as simple as responsive site design and some standard ads sized for mobile. The most successful publishers create a sound strategy that guides their entire mobile experience, from understanding mobile usage to creating content that’s right for how their mobile audience consumes information, a… Show more

To be successful in mobile publishing, marketers need to create a comprehensive strategy that informs their entire mobile experience.
For publishers, the key to driving mobile revenue is not as simple as responsive site design and some standard ads sized for mobile. The most successful publishers create a sound strategy that guides their entire mobile experience, from understanding mobile usage to creating content that’s right for how their mobile audience consumes information, a mobile-specific monetization strategy, and creating the most optimal user experience and revenue model. Show less

The industry needs to shoot for better viewability metrics, and until 100 percent viewability is the norm, set your own standards and don't settle.
State of the Industry
Viewability is already in the hot seat in 2015. Leading up to this year, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) released a paper on viewability principles for 2015. Currently, the Media Rating Council (MRC) defines viewability as "50 percent of pixels of an ad unit remains viewable for a minimum of one second for… Show more

The industry needs to shoot for better viewability metrics, and until 100 percent viewability is the norm, set your own standards and don't settle.
State of the Industry
Viewability is already in the hot seat in 2015. Leading up to this year, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) released a paper on viewability principles for 2015. Currently, the Media Rating Council (MRC) defines viewability as "50 percent of pixels of an ad unit remains viewable for a minimum of one second for display and 50 percent of pixels in view for a minimum of two seconds for video." While 50 percent in-view is a start, this standard is way too low, potentially eroding advertiser confidence in our industry.
Industry organizations need to come together to determine a higher standard or prepare to face the reality of advertisers only paying for what they determine as in-view. In the meantime, advertisers should continue to demand higher viewability and publishers should start building ad formats that are 100 percent in-view by design. What’s a programmatic native ad with related content really worth if it’s not in view? Ask 10 buyers and they will all agree - not a lot. Show less

Programmatic buying can be confusing even to those who consider themselves pros. Here are a few guidelines to help demystify the world of programmatic.
Have you ever tried to explain programmatic advertising to someone? The most basic definition of programmatic is the automated buying of ads based on set targeting criteria, but while the definition of programmatic seems simple enough, the heart of it is not so clear-cut. The programmatic landscape comes with many variables that make… Show more

Programmatic buying can be confusing even to those who consider themselves pros. Here are a few guidelines to help demystify the world of programmatic.
Have you ever tried to explain programmatic advertising to someone? The most basic definition of programmatic is the automated buying of ads based on set targeting criteria, but while the definition of programmatic seems simple enough, the heart of it is not so clear-cut. The programmatic landscape comes with many variables that make navigating supply, finding the right partners, and developing bid strategies a complicated matter. Whether you are just starting to dip your toes into programmatic buying or consider yourself a pro, here are a few guidelines to keep top of mind and to help demystify programmatic. Show less

As publishers look toward 2015, what are the key areas they should focus on?
As we close out a great 2014, let’s think about how we can have an even better 2015. Looking back at top headlines and discussions within the industry, I’ve narrowed down five of the biggest areas where publishers can reap some great rewards in 2015. Some of these areas may seem trite or repetitive, but there’s a reason why they continue to be mentioned.

Many of the same steps taken to prep a fantastic Thanksgiving feast can be applied to planning your holiday inventory.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, marking the holiday season’s opening bell. It’s not too late to make sure that your checklist is prepped in order to make the most of the holiday season. Here are six steps you can take to quickly assess if your holiday plans are going to yield the greatest returns and a few tips on how to make adjustments to optimize your holiday… Show more

Many of the same steps taken to prep a fantastic Thanksgiving feast can be applied to planning your holiday inventory.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, marking the holiday season’s opening bell. It’s not too late to make sure that your checklist is prepped in order to make the most of the holiday season. Here are six steps you can take to quickly assess if your holiday plans are going to yield the greatest returns and a few tips on how to make adjustments to optimize your holiday feast. Show less

Programmatic isn't slowing down anytime soon, so here are some thoughts on how it will continue to grow and evolve in the last quarter of 2014.
Q4 is here already, at exactly the same time it was here last year - but programmatic spending is going to shake thing up a bit. Last year, programmatic had more of a stigma and hesitancy surrounding it. Big brands did not have as much confidence that an automated buying system would safely deliver their message to the right audience eloquently… Show more

Programmatic isn't slowing down anytime soon, so here are some thoughts on how it will continue to grow and evolve in the last quarter of 2014.
Q4 is here already, at exactly the same time it was here last year - but programmatic spending is going to shake thing up a bit. Last year, programmatic had more of a stigma and hesitancy surrounding it. Big brands did not have as much confidence that an automated buying system would safely deliver their message to the right audience eloquently. Flash-forward to today, and the industry has done a great job educating and proving what a powerful mechanism programmatic is, if done correctly. Programmatic does not show any signs of wavering.
So what better time of year to wager how programmatic will unfold than Q4? Big brands are already buying inventory programmatically and it has proven advantageous to capturing consumers' attention. I've seen some incredible category results on our marketplace and have some predictions of who will be pumping more money into programmatic this quarter, and why. Show less

Here are "The New Rules of Publishing," which can help marketers understand how readers consume, endorse, and spread content through social channels and therefore increase their traffic and revenue.
So many technological developments have been made in the ad-tech world that every so often we have to take a step back and look at how a publisher's world has changed. Not just the different types of audiences that are emerging, but the actual way that people share and consume information. Take a… Show more

Here are "The New Rules of Publishing," which can help marketers understand how readers consume, endorse, and spread content through social channels and therefore increase their traffic and revenue.
So many technological developments have been made in the ad-tech world that every so often we have to take a step back and look at how a publisher's world has changed. Not just the different types of audiences that are emerging, but the actual way that people share and consume information. Take a minute and think about how and what you read and share today and how different your behaviors were for the same tasks just a few years ago.
For the past seven years, 33Across has worked with more than 1 million publishers to enable greater social distribution of their content. We've seen a lot of different trends during this time period. Some publishers have tapped into the wave of mobile and social consumption to drive dramatic increases in traffic and, in turn, revenue. Some have ignored theses changes or have half-heartedly attempted to address their audience's socially by just adding a few sharing buttons to their page. We wish it were as easy as that, but simply adding social sharing buttons does not qualify as a social publisher strategy.
Allow me to share a framework that we believe publishers of all sizes should consider when preparing for the monumental shifts that are underfoot in how readers consume, endorse, and spread content throughout social channels. Understanding these concepts and how to take advantage of them could dramatically increase traffic and revenue. Here are the "New Rules of Publishing" culled from our partnerships with some of best online publishers on the planet. Show less