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You were one of the first Multilocal employees. What are the most noticeable changes that have happened since you joined, and what don’t you miss from the old days?
Yes, I was there from the start. And although back then my official role was client services, as in any startup, it was all hands on deck. I dealt with our sales partners and clients, while also supporting the operations side, from setting up briefs to reporting.
Not surprisingly, the key change I’ve seen is growth. We’ve gone from four or five people in London to more than 70 across five continents. And over that time, our processes have changed significantly from those old spreadsheet-heavy days, which I’m delighted about.
Now we have the technologies and automated processes that support our needs and how we work, so I can access anything I need easily and quickly. It’s a far cry from the manual nature of how we first operated, and I don’t miss that.
How has curation evolved since you started working with Multilocal?
When we started, people hadn’t heard of curation. Now it’s a buzzword, and we’re playing a leading role. But how we do curation as a core function hasn't changed. What has changed is the scale.
The volume of partners, the number of SSPs we work with, and the magnitude of the data points we now access have significantly enhanced what we offer. This hyper-connected ecosystem we have assembled, along with our unified taxonomy, has brought unique insights into what’s happening in programmatic that feed into better audiences and targeting capabilities; it’s what has allowed us to grow the business. And as we’ve grown, the number of buyers transacting through our curation pipes has escalated as they recognise the efficiencies we bring them.
What attracted you to join a very early-stage startup, and what did you have to adjust to most?
Necessity was part of it, and so was my husband.
I’d chosen to take a break from work and had great travel plans, but then COVID hit. Everything stopped, and I had to reassess what I was doing.
When I saw Multilocal was hiring, my husband encouraged me because he’d worked with James Leaver, our co-founder, before and saw it as a great opportunity, so I took the punt.
Naturally, you need to adjust to the long hours involved in working for a startup, something you can be shielded from if you’re in a larger company. And in an environment where every penny counts, you always need to account for your decisions and ensure they’re helping the business grow.
One thing that did surprise me about being part of a small company was how much I cared. I cared about the people, the business and where it was going, and still do. In my past roles, I was simply doing a job. Here it was so much more because I was invested in the vision. And I think this all stems from James and Robin because they care, and this rubs off on you.
What’s your secret to keeping clients happy and continuing to work with Multilocal?
There’s no real secret. It comes down to what clients always want: service and speed. And in an industry dominated by technologies that can seem very similar, offering great service in a speedy manner helps us stand out.
As businesses increasingly rely on technology and AI to deliver their service, this is the opposite of what people want. That’s why we strive to provide a prompt service that incorporates that human aspect, just as we do with our curation.
You have an international remit, so in what ways do clients from other regions differ from each other?
In general, all markets tend to be similar. Where there are differences, these stem from the individual cultures.
Some are more direct and just need the information, while others want more engagement and handholding. It’s just a case of adapting to their requirements.
Your team is also international, so how do you motivate them when everyone’s remote?
They certainly are. I’m the only one in London, with the others spread across Brazil, Argentina, South Africa and APAC.
It’s about being mindful of people’s needs, treating them as humans first, not simply employees, and taking the time to be available.
We communicate daily, and I’m committed to building rapport with them so I can tap into what makes each of them the best version of themselves. Communication is critical because it’s much harder to grow relationships when you’re not in the same office. And we don’t necessarily need to talk about work; just chatting is enough.
Recruitment also plays a role by ensuring you get the right people on board. Candidates may be very capable, but are they the right fit, have the right temperament, and will they get on with the team? Are they happy to work remotely, or do they need people around them? To work effectively, you need to find the right people who will thrive in this environment.
So, what excites you, and what frustrates you about the programmatic industry
What excites me is its dynamism.
It’s constantly evolving; there’s always something emerging, and there’s plenty of opportunity to master something new, whether that’s curation, attention or AI. And with all this new data emerging, it’s helping us become smarter and more efficient.
The challenge often is deciding what you need to know and what’s worth focusing on. Is something that’s taking the limelight at the minute real and important or just a short-term fad?
Meanwhile, what frustrates me is the continued lack of diversity across the industry. Yes, things have improved to a degree, but more contrast and distinctiveness among the people making it to the top would bring a wealth of benefits and inspire more people.
And how do you see programmatic advertising evolving in the next 12-18 months?
Well, it’s all about AI. What more can I say? It’s the biggest talking point in the industry and the wider world, and will remain so. What we must figure out is how to use it to maximise efficiency while avoiding it destroying society!
