Jonas Olsen is the VP of video at PubMatic where he focuses on leading initiatives to grow PubMatic’s global video business and create innovative products for publishers and buyers.
We spoke to Jonas on the eve of Advertising Week’s inaugural virtual event for the Asia-Pacific region about the impact of Covid-19, PubMatic’s positioning in the market and more.
AW360: How has PubMatic’s working culture been affected by Covid-19 and what was done early on to ensure a smooth transition into a new way of working?
PubMatic has taken a very agile approach to this situation, evolving our strategy as new information became available. Our leadership team was quick to accommodate the new normal by putting together long-term plans for people to work remotely. From a client facing perspective we transformed the way we do business, for example switching from hosting and participating in-person events to running virtual sessions.
AW360: We’re talking to you on the eve of Advertising Week’s inaugural virtual conference, and in many ways, this has been a period of forced experimentation. From restaurant meal-kits to personal trainers taking to IGTV and businesses who always prohibited working from home suddenly having no choice, some of this is inevitably going to stick. What do you think is going to stay the same, and what will we revert back to in your opinion?
I believe that the remote working situation has worked very well for a lot of companies, so we will see this become a new normal for many in the world. We as individuals have realized that there are things we can live without, and this knowledge is going to drive change. Public transportation will have to change, or the way we consume things like cinema or theatre. Despite the hardships this pandemic has caused, I believe it has brought some positives too. Now we see families around the world spending more time together, eating dinner together, things that weren’t the norm for most a few months back. The air quality is better and the way we travel may have changed forever. I believe the new normal is very different from the past and according to me that is a very good thing.
AW360: What is your take on the future of video streaming in the Asia-Pacific region?
The future of video streaming in APAC is billions of highly engaged viewers across Asia, watching the world’s most entertaining content in their homes and on the move, being served advertising that is high quality, targeted and delivered via header bidding. And it will just continue to accelerate, since we as individuals want to control our own time and not being told when to watch, what to watch and where to watch. With 5G I believe the consumption of streaming video will explode to the next level.
AW360: Put yourself in the shoes of the buyer for a moment. What are some of the challenges that you think will need to be solved before there is more investment in OTT?
Measurement, Attribution, Control, Transparency and a true standard.
AW360: What is PubMatic’s focus for the rest of the year and how do you plan to solve some of the problems you listed above?
Watch this space….