Erika Kathryn Nardini, VP, media director for Digitas, talks about effects of changes in the industry, the alleged inventory crisis and more.

Dawn Anfuso: Given the current media landscape (proposed online video ad upfront, TV shows offered free online, et cetera) how are your media buying habits changing, both online and offline?

Erika Nardini: One of the most exciting elements of working within the digital space is that strategies, ideas and executions evolve and change on a near constant basis. The ability to apply strategic marketing principles in an intelligent yet fluid manner will remain a cornerstone of successful media buying. Additionally, the ability to support strategic use of buying clout with actionable learning, innovation and insight will continue to drive positive changes in media buying habits. 

These habits are most obviously influenced by marketplace changes-- most notably shifts in consumer behavior and advertising opportunity. Online video has rapidly become an increasingly viable online medium and is driving meaningful extensions and opportunities well beyond the :30 spot. Understanding how advertising messages can enhance, support and integrate within emerging media, channels and content (video, search, blogging, user-generated content and gaming) will be a core focus in the weeks and months ahead. 

One major change I'm seeing is that digital advertising is at once becoming more and less traditional: more traditional as mainstream content goes digital and inventory demands necessitate upfront buying tactics as well as traditional buying measures; less traditional as emerging technologies and user-generated content result in a proliferation of nascent technologies and opportunities that fall outside traditional buying/measurement models.

Anfuso: What do you think is the most significant change/trend occurring and how will that affect media buying?

Nardini: The evolution of consumer behavior has been a catalyst for rapid and widespread change both in content and opportunity. Additionally, it has drastically raised awareness of the need for evolved media strategies. Connecting with a seemingly elusive "on-demand" and "on-the-go" audience has necessitated decisive extensions of both content and advertising. This change has fundamentally altered the prioritization of publisher and advertiser media strategies. Additionally it has opened the realm of possibility into emerging opportunities, technologies and definitions of content.

As a result, media buying is that much more integrated and much more complicated: Online publishers/agencies are focusing on-air; broadcast players/traditional agencies are going online. Within this fray is a tremendous opportunity for innovation and impact with the potential to translate across any/all media.

Anfuso: Some people talk about an impending online ad inventory crisis. Is that a reality and if so, what are solutions?

Nardini: This sounds similar to arriving at the end of the internet…

I don't believe there is an impending crisis-- or that the web is going to run out of advertising inventory. What I do believe is that advertisers have gotten smart and gotten aggressive about their approaches to digital media. This will translate into fewer scraps for those advertisers who have yet to embrace these channels.

There are and will continue to be challenges surrounding premium inventory. With that, the focus is not web inventory itself, but web inventory advertisers actually want. Without a doubt, the 'block-and-tackle' approach to premium content is becoming increasingly difficult and requiring aggressive and pro-active buying tactics. Additionally price inflation and performance concerns are hindering DR approaches. Across all tactics the question that remains is, "How much are advertisers willing to pay and how creative are they willing to be about getting what they want?" 

Anfuso: Do you think media companies/publishers are doing enough to communicate the multimedia options they have available and the advantages of integrated packages? What more would be helpful for you as a planner/buyer?

Nardini: Companies that have genuinely morphed different media sales offerings and organizations into consolidated and cross-platform operations are successfully selling franchise positioning which transcends medium or format. The organizations that are challenged in communicating multi-media platforms are more likely hindered by lack of a truly integrated opportunity or innate challenges within the content itself.

In my experience, the most compelling opportunities are those in which both the content and the advertising benefit from the unique attributes of each platform (online / print / TV / emerging media). Opportunities that don't leverage the channels themselves run the risk of being left on the table.

Anfuso: What do you think of the idea of buying media based on an auction method?

Nardini: Within digital channels this has been extremely profitable within areas of strong relevancy / response and across large quantities of remnant inventory. Long term, it will be interesting to see if / how auctioning influences traditional media buying. Currently, I see a significant challenge from a buying / stewardship standpoint in the ability to manage marketplace-driven price inflation within performance-driven media. Understanding point of diminishing returns will be key for buyers engaged in this practice.
Anfuso: Any other thoughts on media planning and buying now and in the near future-- or any words of advice / wisdom to other buyers?

Nardini: It's an exciting time and one in which the marketplace will see great successes and failures. Ensuring focus and creativity fueled by marketing intelligence and backed by data insights / capabilities will be the hallmarks of evolved media planning and buying strategies in the months and years to come.