Dive into the latest Q&A session of ExtraMile by HiTechNectar! Our in-depth interview series features top industry experts, sharing insights on the latest innovations in technology, marketing strategies, trends, and more.  

Let’s join for an insightful conversation with Toms Panders, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Setupad, an ad optimization platform and Google Certified Publishing Partner. This firm helps publishers to earn more income from ads using smart tools like Header Bidding, which can increase revenue by up to 300%.

In this interview, Toms shares the whole journey within the AdTech world, all the challenges he has been facing to build Setupad, and all the exciting changes happening in advertising. Join us as we explore Toms journey, the importance of valuable content, audience targeting, and personalization in ad campaigns! 

Q1. Toms, you have certainly excelled in the AdTech industry. We would like to learn about your career highlights and how they have shaped your entrepreneurial journey.

Ans. Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to experience different facets of the advertising ecosystem, which ultimately shaped my entrepreneurial path. Growing up in Latvia during its transition to a free market shaped my perspective on innovation and capitalism. My early exposure to international brands and advertising sparked my interest in the industry.

Early on, I worked with Gemius, which gave me a deep understanding of how digital metrics could be leveraged to optimize performance and drive growth. Then I was exposed to the world of ad servers, which broadened my view of how ad inventory could be managed efficiently. And then, of course, Prebid was created, and it opened up exciting opportunities for ad monetization that were previously untapped.

These experiences led me to Co-Found Setupad, with the goal of providing publishers with tools to maximize revenue and keep content accessible to all.

Q2. You have been associated with the advertising sector for a long time. Which advancements in the industry have fascinated you the most?

Ans. The advertising industry has undergone tremendous changes, and three key advancements stand out to me. First, website-centric analytics, especially through Gemius research, opened up a new way of understanding and improving performance metrics. It was eye-opening to see how data could be harnessed to drive better results for publishers.

Second, ad servers like AdOcean revolutionized ad placement management, enabling more complex strategies for publishers to optimize their revenue streams. This technology laid the groundwork for more sophisticated ad operations.

Finally, the evolution of programmatic advertising, particularly the rise of Prebid, has been the most fascinating to me. It revolutionized how publishers manage inventory, offering precision and efficiency in ad placements. It’s this wave that led to the creation of Setupad, as we saw an opportunity to simplify and enhance the programmatic ecosystem for publishers.

Q3. Transforming a business idea into a successful venture is certainly not easy. What challenges did you encounter while establishing Setupad, and how did you overcome them?

Ans. One of the biggest challenges was bootstrapping the business while building a product that could scale. Without external investors, I had to rely on my personal savings and take on every aspect of the business myself. Additionally, convincing publishers to adopt a new and unproven technology was tough. By focusing on education, securing first-mover clients, and reinvesting early profits into product development, I managed to overcome these obstacles and create a profitable, scalable business.

Q4. Impactful advertising is constructed with valuable content. What is your take on this, and what is the importance of value-added content in establishing a robust brand Identity?

Ans. Valuable content is essential because it elevates advertising beyond a mere transaction to a meaningful interaction. For publishers, this means offering ad experiences that seamlessly blend with the content the audience already enjoys. Effective blend of content and ads is in the best interest of both publishers and advertisers.

Moreover, from a psychological perspective, if the content is valuable, users are less likely to find ads annoying or intrusive, viewing them instead as a necessary way to support the publisher. However, if the content is low-quality, ads may have a much bigger impact on user experience.

Setupad, like many other companies in this space, was founded to support free, universal access to high-quality content—content that plays a crucial role in combating propaganda, educating the public, and inspiring hope. But how can this content remain free? Through monetization. Unfortunately, issues like ad fraud, invalid traffic, and low-quality content are key reasons why advertisers aren't seeing returns on their investments. As a result, there’s less funding for original content and free services today that it was, say, 5 years ago, which many people have enjoyed without the need for subscriptions. And this is a big problem our industry is currently facing.

Q5. Precise targeting is a necessity for successful ad campaigns. How to bring precision in audience targeting and how in-depth data can be helpful in this regard?

Ans. To achieve precise audience targeting, it's all about leveraging detailed, in-depth data on user behavior and preferences. First-party data is crucial here — it’s more accurate than third-party data and allows publishers to segment audiences based on real interactions.

Publishers' first-party data will always be their goldmine, especially in a landscape where third-party cookies are soon to be phased out. Publishers must not sleep on this data and leverage methods such as incentivizing user registrations, gathering email addresses, and other effective strategies.

AI and machine learning, which are having a moment right now, also help by analyzing user patterns to refine targeting in real-time.

Contextual signals are also becoming popular now too in the imminent absence of third-party cookies. With this method ads are aligned with the content users are engaging with, ensuring relevance. Integrating cross-device and omnichannel data provides a complete picture of the user journey and improves accuracy.

In short, the deeper the data, the more relevant and effective your ad targeting will be, driving higher CPMs for publishers and better performance for advertisers.

Q6. Maintaining authenticity is the core of impactful advertising. What is your opinion on this, and how do you think it contributes to establishing trust?

Ans. Authenticity is very important for advertising. Without it, even the most precisely targeted ad will fall flat. Consumers today are more informed and discerning, and they can quickly sense when a message feels forced or disingenuous.

If consumers feel a brand is being upfront and genuine, they’re far more likely to engage, remain loyal, and advocate for that brand.

But publishers have a responsibility to ensure that the ads on their platforms align with the audience's expectations and values. This means avoiding low-quality ads, and the easiest way to do that is through careful floor price management, a feature available in our self-serve platform. The most basic example I can give – usually, ads below 0.01€/$ are also low-quality ads and you can cut them off by increasing your floor price.

Authentic advertising also means transparency — clearly labeling sponsored content and avoiding tactics that might mislead the audience. It also means being compliant with industry policies to avoid penalties like double-click penalty from Google. This kind of integrity is what builds trust over time, ensuring both audience loyalty to the publisher and sustained advertiser success.

Q7. Personalization is a prevailing trend in the advertising sector. What are your suggestions to individuals and companies who want to personalize their ad campaigns?

Ans. Personalization is key to making ad campaigns resonate with the right audience, but it needs to be done thoughtfully. My main advice for individuals and companies looking to personalize their campaigns is to start with high-quality data. You need to understand your audience deeply — what they like, how they engage with content, and where they are in their customer journey.

From there, focus on segmenting your audience based on this data. Different groups will respond to different messages, so tailor your content accordingly. And do the same with your ad strategy. Again, our self-serve platform was built exactly for that. Experimenting with settings from price floors to ad refresh rates, you can perform countless optimizations as easy as 1-2-3 and see what's working better with your audience and for your monetization setup.

Of course you also need to test and optimize. Personalization isn't a one-time task — it’s an ongoing process of learning from the data, refining your messaging, and adapting as customer preferences evolve. Invest in technology and partner with companies that offer dynamic content delivery, at scale.

And as a final piece of advice, consumers are increasingly concerned about privacy, so it’s critical to handle data responsibly, be transparent about its use, have a CMP in place, and ensure that personalization doesn’t cross any privacy lines.

Q8. Why is it essential for companies to monetize and optimize their websites? Can you share a few helpful tactics for this purpose?

Ans. It's essential for companies to monetize and optimize their websites because it directly impacts both revenue and user experience. A well-optimized site ensures users stay engaged, while effective monetization strategies convert that engagement into profit, creating a balance that's key to long-term success.

One helpful tactic is optimizing ad placement through continuous testing to find what works best without compromising the user experience. Advanced monetization techniques such as server-to-server connection, facilitated by Prebid Server, can increase revenue without adding any impact to the website's page speed. Site speed is essential to both user experience and SEO, which leads to more traffic and better ad performance.

Lastly, a strong content strategy that focuses on high-quality, SEO-driven content attracts visitors and keeps them engaged longer, increasing monetization opportunities.

By focusing on these strategies, publishers can maximize both user experience and revenue potential, driving sustainable growth.

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