No Turning Back: For Zapata, The Era Of Single-Currency Is Over

Setting new standards in measurement and reporting for the advertising industry is no longer a competitive race; instead, it’s an opportunity for collaboration.

Andrea Zapata, EVP, Head of Ad Sales Research, Measurement and Insights, Warner Bros. Discovery, sheds light on the importance of working together to establish a better foundation in this interview with Beet.TV.

Update: She was talking before Warner Bros. Discovery announced new partnerships with new alternative measurement providers – 605, ABCS Insights, DISQO, EDO, LoopMe and Pilotly – to prove campaign effectiveness across multiple platforms and provide insights for full-funnel ad impact.

“It’s about setting a stage, a foundational stage where we can all accurately set a bar to better ways when it comes to counting,” she says.

Counting challenges and harnessing big data

When asked about the challenges in counting and incorporating new metrics in the upfront market, Zapata admits it isn’t easy, but it’s a necessary step.

“We can do it now, or we could wait next year, but it’s gonna get done eventually,” she says, adding the focus should be on harnessing big data, moving beyond demographics, and enabling advanced advertising and audience segments.

“How are you thinking about harnessing that big data? How are you thinking about not just demographics, but ultimately advanced advertising and audience segments?” she asks. The goal is to create a frictionless, interoperable system that benefits both publishers and the buy side.

Brand perspectives and the push for better metrics

Zapata recognizes that brand partners are at different stages in their readiness for change. However, she sees a common thread in their curiosity and desire for better counting metrics that inform attribution models.

“This is about how we think about targeting and optimizing, understanding our supply, and ultimately getting better outcomes,” she says.

While there is some fear surrounding the changes, Zapata remains optimistic. “It goes back to the optimism that is here, the task at hand. It’s for us to figure it out together,” she emphasizes.

Embracing a multicurrency business model

When asked whether the industry will return to a single currency model, Zapata firmly rejects the idea: “Oh God, no. Let us not go back to a world where we are constricted because this is what happens when you go just do any one thing.

“When you allow one partner to dictate all of it. We believe in optionality, fostering competition, evolving products, and making sure innovation is happening,” she says.

According to her, innovation thrives best when multiple providers are constantly striving to improve and outdo one another. The days of a single currency dictating the advertising world are long gone, and the future lies in a multicurrency business model that encourages collaboration, competition, and innovation, Zapata suggests.