Why you should go 12 rounds with The Drum at Programmatic Punch
There's an awful lot of nonsense written about the world of programmatic trading. Wild claims, huge numbers, panic inducing pieces about click fraud, bots and viewability. And then just when it seems that things are quietening down, along comes ad blocking and we are faced with another round of hyperbole.
The problem is that with so much white noise around the subject, the industry is in danger of turning off marketers, and this would be a problem.
We need marketers to be actively engaged in the programmatic world, to question the claims, to push the vendors harder, plus question the roles of agencies and trading desks. When those that hold the purse strings demand clarity and answers I suspect you will find that the industry takes a breath and calms down slightly.
That is in part why we decided to create Programmatic Punch. We want to present an event that discusses the programmatic world in language that it easy to understand, in an acronym-free zone. And more importantly , we want to make it fun.
So for a start, I'm fairly sure that this is the first ad tech event presented in a boxing ring. As a stage that might seem a bit adversarial but that's the point.
The event will begin with a look back at some of the key developments in 2015 with a panel including representatives of AppNexus, Millennial Media, plus TUI's head of marketing Sammy Austin also on hand to give a brand-side marketer's point of view.
Later in the day we'll also take a look at some of the developments in the agency trading desk space, and take a look at how Publicis Groupe has altered its media agency and trading desk dynamic to better suit clients' demands for transparency.
In addition, we'll also look at how the creative part of the industry is contending with the challenges/opportunities posed programmatic media buying technologies, plus examine how publishers are banding together with representatives on hand from the Panagaea and Symmachia camps.
Let's put the industry in the ring and ask some tough questions. Let's see what happens when they let their guard down, and let's see what happens when they really have to take it on the chin.
For more information check out thedrum.com/programmaticpunch