• March 18, 2013

Besides continuing to refine the mechanics of programmatic buying, Brendan Moorcroft of Mediabrands says marketers have to create better ad content attuned to digital media. As an example, he points to Red Bull’s sponsorship of Felix Baumgartner’s 24-mile freefall from the edge of space in October. “We’ve got to do more of those types of things,” he said, pointing to the millions of times the video was viewed and shared on YouTube and other platforms.

Fellow panelist Marcus Pratt, head of technologies and insights at Mediasmith, noted most advertisers are simply interested in porting over 30-second TV spots to the Web. Alan Smith, head of media at Essence Digital, said a shift toward more custom ad executions has to take place at the CMO level to really change the approach. But, really, how often can you get someone to drop 24 miles from space in a tinfoil suit to push your brand?