With consumers expecting a seamless experience between devices and platforms, programmatic advertising has become a vital tool for marketers. While a large part of this development is thanks to advances in technology, which data marketers now have access to, as James Allen (pictured below), client trainer, Adobe Advertising Cloud EMEA, explains in this piece for ExchangeWire, it’s important for the industry not to forget the human element of the equation.

Progress in artificial intelligence (AI) has enabled us to draw insights from trends that may not have been so obvious to the human eye. However, marketing and advertising remains a people-focused business and, as such, one that needs human context.

Towards brand safety

Looking back at the biggest stories in the advertising industry over the last eighteen months shows how important brand safety is for advertisers when targeting new audiences. Back in March 2017, big names like Havas, The Guardian, and even the British Government, stopped their Google and YouTube advertising spend in the UK after discovering that adverts were being placed alongside extremist content. This suppresses any doubt that brands have become more aware of the content, or platforms, with which their adverts are being associated. On top of this, AI is taking an even greater stronghold in advertisers’ arsenals with GDPR on the horizon and tech companies being under even more intense scrutiny for how they’re handling customer information – the issue of brand safety isn’t going away anytime soon.

James Allen, Client Trainer, Adobe Advertising Cloud EMEA

While computers can be trained to spot particular types of adverts and even be used to remove them suddenly after incidents (for instance, airlines pulling adverts for flying in the wake of plane crashes), the social element remains. Whether a placement will reflect negatively on a brand will always come down to the context and the connotations involved. Only a human perspective can get this right every time.

The problem with programmatic training

At present, the industry isn’t prepared to embrace human understanding and experience alongside programmatic technologies. There is a disconnect between the speed with which technological developments are allowing us to harness data, and how fast marketers are learning the skills to use it. We’re beginning to understand the importance of using tools like programmatic software, and training will help. In fact, Adobe Digital Insights data reveals that more than a third (38%) of brands believe formal training is highly relevant to the work they do every day. The problem is that there is no precedent for programmatic providers to teach their customers how to adequately use the tools they’re providing. This makes it harder for marketers to put their expertise into practice through these platforms.  

A recent survey undertaken by Adobe Digital Insights highlighted just how poorly current training initiatives are doing. Despite having received more than 15 hours of training from their provider, just a quarter of UK marketers said that they are satisfied with the learning opportunities on offer. With such poor experiences, the issue perpetuates. Our data revealed that over a third (36%) say they would be unlikely to recommend their training to their peers, providing less of an incentive to encourage others to take the time to improve their understanding of programmatic platforms.

How to get marketers learning

By more appropriately designing training courses, programmatic platforms can help their customers embrace the technology on offer – so these marketers can, in turn, best represent their brand. Holding sessions in person, for example, can really help to engage marketers with their training. In fact, over half (56%) said they would prefer this format. In addition to this, while it may appear to be an easier option to host live training sessions online, only 12% put this form of training as their top choice. This fared significantly better than DIY, or learning on the job, which tended to leave marketers only somewhat satisfied with the skills they had gained.

By taking on board how marketers learn best, these platforms can help their customers get the skills they need and keep up with the technology. This will more readily prepare them to use programmatic to its full potential, even in the most dynamic campaign. Only in this way can brands ensure they steer clear of any inappropriate placements and continue to keep in line with their marketing strategy.

Futureproofing programmatic skillsets

As programmatic and effective use of data become essential tools in a brand’s marketing arsenal, having the skills to properly use them could be the difference between success and failure – or a campaign leading to reputation damage. Research we conducted in December 2017 revealed that 62% of marketers intend to bring their programmatic skills in-house by 2022, meaning it’s clear that brands are taking matters into their own hands. As these skills are brought brand-side and developed by brands themselves, it’s imperative they get the training balance right to ensure that campaigns are as effective as they can be, and are developed with brand safety in mind.

Of course, many industries are facing a skills gap, so finding and growing the right talent is harder than ever. But there are many ways that the gap can be closed, and brands can rely on technology – combined with human insight – to ensure they have the right tools at their fingertips.

We’ll be exploring the future of programmatic, the importance of brand safety, and the future of the industry’s skillset, alongside fellow programmatic-enabled brands, at Adobe Summit 2018. You can find out more here.