Our Industry Profile takes a weekly look at some of the professionals working across the advertising, ad tech, marketing and media sector in Australia.
It aims to shed light on the varying roles and companies across the buzzing industry. This week we head to Sydney to ANZ MD for Integral Ad Science, James Diamond.
Duration in current role/time at the company:
One Year
In one sentence, how would you describe what the company does?
Integral Ad Science is a technology company focused on ensuring safe, quality media environments for online advertisers.
Within the last six months/year, what stands out as the company’s major milestones?
We opened the Integral Ad Science Anti-Fraud Lab in February 2015. I can’t think of a more important issue for the industry to address. Ad fraud wastes the marketing budgets of advertisers, steals money away from legitimate publishers and continues to create an incentive for botnet operators to compromise the security of everyone’s computer. We must fight this battle as an industry and Integral is committed to this task.
Integral also announced the acquisition of Veenome in March 2015, expanding its measurement capabilities into in-stream video quality measurement.
Best thing about the industry you work in:
Funny answer:
Discussing with various publishers why one of their pages did not meet the brand safety guidelines for an advertisers campaign. Some publishers just don’t understand why a brand does not want their ad appearing on a page that discusses an alcohol-fueled fight triggered by a racist comment in a strip club.
Serious answer:
I don’t have to wear a suit. It’s symbolic of what’s really important in the ad tech world…. Looks don’t matter, ideas do and the quality of the data in your log file is more important than some fancy dashboard.
Previous industry-related companies you have worked at:
Acxiom and Salmat.
Career-wise, where do you see yourself in three years time?
I’ll still be with Integral Ad Science and we will be the currency upon which media is traded.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I’m a passionate woodwork enthusiast and spend my weekends trying to build funky recycled timber furniture and pondering the marvel that is Japanese wood joinery.
Top networking tip:
Network with people who will challenge your perspective and go outside your industry to talk about your passion. I recently presented to a group of anti-advertising activists at a meet up event and it was a great experience. I met with great people who have a completely different perspective to mine, the discussion was hugely refreshing and my network is much more diverse as a result.
My favorite restaurant for a business lunch is:
The Rook
My favourite advert is:
Old Spice
or Cadbury Gorilla
My must-have gadget is:
An E-Bike. Cruising past the Lycra brigade while riding to work comfortable in my jeans, free from the traffic jam and sitting on a seat that resembles an arm chair. Electric bikes are the way of the future.
My favourite media is:
The one that connects me with exactly what I am looking for before I knew I was looking for it. That could be traditional print or TV, but given data is inherent in digital it's no wonder that digital media achieves it more often.
My favourite TV show is:
Myth Busters
The last book I read:
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
My mantra / philosophy is:
If you look after your team and treat them well they will do the same for your clients.
I got into advertising/ad tech/marketing etc because:
My big brother got me a few weeks of work experience in the IT department at a marketing company and after slaving away in the comms room for almost a month I managed to get a couple of firewalls talking to each other on an encrypted link…. A job offer followed shorty after and I am forever indebted to Salmat and the team there for giving me a start. I have tried to pay it forward.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
A landscape gardener
In five years' time I'll be:
I never plan that far ahead…. But next week I’m in NYC.
Define your job in one word:
Surprising
What's your poison:
Tough tequila
Want to take part in Industry Insights or have some one to nominate? Email pippachambers@yaffa.com.au
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