Welcome to Extra Mile by HiTechNectar, an exclusive interview series with industry leaders, discussing the latest innovations, tech trends, marketing practices, expert insights, and a lot more. 

We are excited to introduce our guest for today’s conversation, Marie-Lou Penin, Head of Marketing of DanAds, the industry-leading provider of self-serve technology. 

Hello Marie! We are delighted to have you today! 

Q1. Tell us something about your journey as the Marketing Head at DanAds.

Ans. It’s been quite a journey! I started my career in communications and graphic design, learning the value of brand at a creative agency in Paris. I then moved to in-house marketing management in London, followed by a stint as a marketing director in Dubai. In 2021, I relocated to Sweden to join the adtech company DanAds. Throughout my 10+ years in marketing, I’ve always worked with advertising, but it wasn't until I joined DanAds that I truly grasped the transformative potential of adtech. I’ve now been with the company for over three years, during a period of astonishing growth.

The self-service technology market recorded a valuation worth $37 billion in 2023, which is anticipated to reach $92 billion by 2030. What do you think are the key drivers for this remarkable progression?

The internet, social media, and streamable content have created the attention economy we live in today. Advertising is the lifeblood of that economy, and self-serve models best reflect our contemporary consumption of content and media. Also, in the way that self-serve has come to dominate every other facet of our lives (retail, banking, travel etc) it’s not surprising that it would do so in a business context. Easier, simpler, faster, self-serve is successful because it continues to reduce friction in an increasingly frictionless economy.

Q2. What will be the future opportunities of the self-service technology industry?

Ans. Where do I start? The future of self-service technology in advertising is bigger than you might think. It's not just about giving small businesses a chance to compete, it's about a total transformation of the industry through automation. While AI-powered ads and the rise of smart TV advertising are exciting, the real game-changer is how self-serve is streamlining all processes for publishers, both inside and out.

Traditionally, publishers relied heavily on direct sales teams and complex negotiations to secure ad deals. Now, with self-serve platforms powered by DanAds, they can automate significant portions of the ad sales process, freeing up valuable resources and creating new revenue streams through programmatic guaranteed deals. This not only benefits smaller advertisers but also empowers publishers to manage multiple revenue streams efficiently.

With big players such as Hulu, Paramount, and Spotify already leveraging and unlocking the benefits of self-serve for themselves and their advertisers, we can only predict that more brands will follow suit. Self-serve advertising presents a laundry list of benefits for publishers and advertisers alike, making it a win-win situation that saves both parties time and money. Another interesting trend is the possibility of combining sustainability initiatives with self-serve. One of our clients, Tripadvisor, used their DanAds-powered platform to plant a tree for every $100 spent by advertisers.

Q4. You have pioneered the idea of aligning data-driven insights and creative elements for marketing excellence. How do you balance both elements? How has DanAds implemented the same?

Ans. We often get carried away with the desire to be fully performance and data-driven. Ultimately, advertising and marketing are about humans connecting with other humans, which involves an intangible element of creativity that can’t be measured in numbers. Having the best tools allows us to focus more on creative work, knowing our tech stack covers the rest. DanAds simplifies manual, repetitive tasks, enabling publishers and advertisers to focus on creativity.

Q5. DanAds has partnered with other companies to grow. How do you view the importance of collaboration in today's competitive Ad-Tech landscape? Can you share an example of successful collaboration at DanAds?

Ans. We’re part of a complex, highly interrelated ecosystem — a fancy way of saying that we’re stronger together. DanAds focuses on its unique competencies and collaborates with companies that excel in other areas. For instance, Brand Metrics developed a sophisticated yet simple way to measure the brand lift effect of campaigns; a sought-after feature for our self-serve customers seeking to increase their ROAS. It was a no-brainer for us to partner with them to offer that functionality in our platforms. Other recent partnerships include SAS 360 Match, the experts in retail media, and Boostr, who have a widely used order management system (OMS).

Q6. You have a decade-long experience as a marketing professional, what are the major challenges you have encountered in your journey and how have you tackled those?

Ans. Adaptability is the biggest challenge for marketers today. The expectations are broad and ambitious, requiring us to stay on top of new trends and technologies while avoiding hype. For me, overcoming this challenge means having both conviction and an open mind. Being too stubborn gets you left behind; being too eager to hop on every trend leaves you unfocused and ineffective.

Another challenge has been navigating a highly technical landscape, as someone coming from a more creative background. Our annual Summit is really great for this, because DanAds brings together the top minds in self-serve and advertising and puts together panels and keynotes that distil the core concepts of the business. I think I learn more every time we host a Summit than through any other method.