Unlocking Growth: Insights from Dataseat's Mark Menery

In an era where digital advertising is increasingly competitive, the need for innovative solutions has never been more critical. We sat down with Mark Menery, VP Global Head of Sales at Dataseat, to discuss the power of interactive ads and the importance of high-quality creative partnerships in standing out within the crowded demand-side platform (DSP) landscape. 

As brands seek to engage consumers in more meaningful ways, DataSeat's collaboration with CRAFTSMAN+ shows how leveraging interactive ad capabilities can enhance performance and drive results.

What is the value of interactive ads for DSPs and the brands they work with?

Interactive ads offer a compelling component that engages consumers more effectively than typical banners or videos, which often get lost in the saturated marketplace. By making consumers feel like part of the ad, interactive formats can significantly enhance conversion rates. Brands are increasingly seeking these dynamic creatives to improve performance and open up more quality inventory for placements. This shift is not just beneficial for gaming but is now being embraced by various brands to enhance retention, return on ad spend (ROAS), and loyalty. 

What is the benefit to Dataseat in partnering with CRAFTSMAN+?

Building creative capabilities in-house is a significant undertaking that requires substantial resources. Dataseat has not developed a creative team internally, so partnering with CRAFTSMAN+, which already has these capabilities, has been crucial. This partnership allows Dataseat to focus on its strengths in mobile optimization and targeting while offering clients the interactive ad services they demand. This collaboration has also attracted more advertisers, as we can recommend CRAFTSMAN+ for interactive ad needs, freeing up our resources to concentrate on what we do best. 

What is DataSeat's competitive advantage in the DSP landscape?

Dataseat's core strength lies in its 100% contextual mobile DSP, which operates without relying on device IDs like IDFA or Google Advertiser ID. As the industry moves away from these identifiers, our focus on contextual signals allows us to optimize campaigns without individual user. This approach ensures we remain compliant with privacy trends while still delivering high-performing campaigns. Our partnership with CRAFTSMAN+ for creative services complements this by enabling us to offer enhanced creative differentiation without internal resource allocation. 

How have privacy trends affected the role of creatives in performance marketing?

Privacy changes have shifted the focus from targeting individual users to leveraging contextual signals. This means creatives must now be designed to engage users based on the context in which they are viewed, rather than relying on device-level data. Creatives now serve as a crucial hook that compensates for the lack of device-specific data, making them more integral to campaign success. 

What unique opportunities has Dataseat’s partnership with CRAFTSMAN+ provided? 

Partnering with CRAFTSMAN+ has opened up new opportunities, particularly in terms of inventory and ad placement. Interactive ads enable access to placements that standard banners cannot reach, thereby enhancing performance. This partnership also broadens our user base by engaging users who might not interact with traditional banners. It positions Dataseat as a more versatile DSP capable of working with various ad types, which is essential in today's competitive landscape.

What types of unique or interactive ad formats do you think will become more important for DSPs to offer advertisers in the future?

I think that there will potentially be many different types, but a few come to the top of my mind. Continued personalization and improvements in interactive video ads will become increasingly important. I also thinking we could potentially see more location based ads that will play an important role depending on the campaign. We could see more advancements in voice activated ads and enhancements in polling and surveys ads which tend to be very engaging. Top of our list is continued exploration of contextual and dynamic creative optimization where we could see many ads adapting to the content and/or placement of an app / site in order to increase relevancy. As a fully contextual DSP this is where we are paying attention.

What role do you see for AI and machine learning in enhancing the effectiveness of interactive ads?

Advances in AI will enhance user experience with interactive ads by enabling more compelling ways to connect with and engage users. As we further develop machine learning, we can achieve more precise optimization in ad placements, leading to notable improvements in key performance indicators. The synergy between AI and interactive ads promises to revolutionize campaign performance, driving substantial benefits in the near future. We believe that partnering with Craftsman+ keeps us in a top position for changes in market around AI with Interactive ads.