Will Bolles: The last year was quite a rollercoaster when it came to third-party data. We started 2021 under the assumption that come Q2, audience targeting as we knew it would be gone. Even though the “cookie” was put back in the oven for another year or so, I think it is still very important to have a strong plan in place for these inevitable changes. Slowly ensuring your advertisers are comfortable with finding audience via contextual and Run of Network is going to be crucial in 2022. By educating your advertisers on the benefits  (i.e. lower data fees, cookie-free data (contextual) and machine learning to find an audience (RON)), you will be setting yourself up for success not only this year, but beyond.

John Hyland: I would tell an advertiser that if a 12-month commitment sounds scary, embrace that and choose the best 3-month plan possible. Go from there, and then ask them to re-evaluate goals, creative, and results each quarter.

Alyssa Hamm: I would tell an advertiser to determine their KPIs (measurable goals) and ensure their media is driving performance against those goals. Too often, advertisers are told what is “good” when it comes to digital reporting, but they should really determine what drives success for their business and work with a digital partner to find a metric that will help tell that story.