Q&A with Alistair Goodman: The Evolution of Digital Media and B2B’s Growing Potential
Emodo co-founder Alistair Goodman discusses his career journey as a digital media veteran and leader, Emodo’s recent acquisition by OneMagnify, and the untapped potential of programmatic advertising in B2B marketing, especially in delivering optimal customer experiences.
Q: Can you give us an overview of Emodo and its role in digital media?
A: Emodo is an AI-driven programmatic advertising marketplace. It’s kind of like a financial exchange but for digital advertising, where transactions take place automatically. We provide automated tools for ad buyers (e.g. advertisers) and sellers (e.g. publishers) to buy, sell, and execute digital ads across any device and in any format. We have deep expertise in applying AI to formats like native and connected TV (CTV) to drive higher ROI from marketing spend. Our technology enables brands to deliver highly targeted ads by identifying the best message, format, and context for ads served to individual buyers.
Every year, fewer and fewer customers are watching content on connected or cable-type devices, so connected TV is just the next frontier for advertising. We can know more about viewers, so we can target advertising more precisely, which I find particularly exciting for B2B audiences.
Q: Can you share some of your career journey and what excites you about this space?
A: My career began on Wall Street, where I started out learning about automated trading platforms and market dynamics. I then worked as a management consultant before diving into AdTech over 20 years ago. I was a VP of Marketing before becoming a CEO, helping agencies and brands navigate the shift to online and deliver high-performing digital marketing campaigns. Helping those organizations grow revenue and new customer acquisition quickly, I realized I have a passion for the kind of businesses that are driving innovation and change. I found that with OneMagnify.
Digital advertising is dynamic and fast-paced; you can launch new ideas in days and see them create value for clients almost immediately, which is so exciting. With OneMagnify’s core capabilities in data science-driven customer experience and digital transformation, I think we have a unique opportunity to bring this level of innovation to B2B, which has been underserved by these kinds of solutions.
Q: How does Emodo help create optimal customer experiences?
A: Emodo empowers advertisers to target ads more specifically to people in the right context to drive performance for the brand, whether that’s reading content online or streaming a show. It not only serves up the best, most targeted content for ads, but it also chooses the most engaging and interesting formats to use based on the viewer’s experience and the application or device the viewer is using. Emodo uses AI to understand the context of the page or the location that the ad is in, and tailor the creative of the ad to meet what it learns is the best way to engage the audience.
This creates a better customer experience by delivering targeted messages that resonate. What we’ve seen is that buyers remember ads better, while advertisers achieve better response rates and higher return on investment.
Q: What sets Emodo apart from its competitors?
A: One thing that truly sets us apart is our use of AI and our proprietary ad formats, especially in areas like native advertising (ads that blend seamlessly with content) and connected TV (CTV) ads.
Our platform uses AI to dynamically assemble ads based on what we believe will resonate best with users. For example, if you’re a shopper in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, an ad might direct them to a nearby dealership. This has the potential to create thousands of targeted permutations for different audiences based on a variety of data points.
Q: What trends do you see shaping the future of B2B advertising?
A: One of the biggest trends I'm seeing in B2B marketing is the continued adoption of B2C tactics, including programmatic media. This is true especially as the $60 billion B2B ad market continues to grow, and more B2B brands use video and display advertising than they have in the past. It’s a great opportunity for OneMagnify and Emodo, as this shift is driven by a demand for data-driven, automated approaches, where our strengths lie.
While programmatic methods have long been the standard for B2C, B2B has been underserved by this technology. Until now, it was focused primarily on tactics like email, search, and social media channels. As the technology in the ecosystem gets better, it is more suited to B2B. And as B2B advertisers see the potential for precise targeting and ROI-driven campaigns, they’re eagerly adopting these technologies. OneMagnify’s capabilities in creative, data and analytics combined with Emodo for media activation delivers B2B marketers an integrated solution from planning to activation and measurement.
