What emerging trends in ad operations should you know?

1 Automation and AI

One of the most significant trends in ad operations is the increasing use of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline workflows, improve efficiency, and enhance performance. Automation and AI can help ad ops teams reduce manual tasks, such as campaign setup, trafficking, quality assurance, reporting, and optimization. They can also help ad ops teams leverage data and insights to make smarter decisions, such as bidding strategies, creative optimization, audience segmentation, and fraud detection. Automation and AI can free up ad ops teams to focus on more strategic and creative aspects of their work, such as developing innovative solutions, testing new formats, and building relationships with clients and partners.

2 Privacy and Compliance

Another important trend in ad operations is the growing need for privacy and compliance in the face of changing regulations, consumer expectations, and industry standards. Privacy and compliance affect how ad ops teams collect, store, process, and share data across different platforms and devices. Ad ops teams need to be aware of and adhere to the rules and best practices of various privacy frameworks, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF). Ad ops teams also need to be prepared for the upcoming changes in the cookie-based tracking and targeting ecosystem, such as the deprecation of third-party cookies by browsers and the introduction of new solutions, such as Google's Privacy Sandbox.

4 Dynamic and Interactive

A fourth trend in ad operations is the growing popularity of dynamic and interactive ads, which means creating and delivering ads that are customized and responsive to the context and behavior of consumers. Dynamic and interactive ads can help ad ops teams increase the relevance and effectiveness of their campaigns, as well as the satisfaction and loyalty of their audiences. Dynamic and interactive ads can be achieved by using various techniques and technologies, such as dynamic creative optimization (DCO), which allows ad ops teams to change the content and design of ads based on data triggers, such as location, time, weather, or device; or interactive video ads, which allow ad ops teams to add interactive elements to video ads, such as buttons, menus, forms, or quizzes.

5 Collaboration and Communication

A fifth trend in ad operations is the need for better collaboration and communication among ad ops teams and their internal and external stakeholders, such as sales, creative, analytics, publishers, and vendors. Collaboration and communication are essential for ad ops teams to ensure the quality and efficiency of their work, as well as to solve problems, share feedback, and align expectations. Collaboration and communication can be improved by using various tools and platforms, such as project management software, chat apps, video conferencing, and shared documents, to facilitate workflows, coordination, and transparency. Collaboration and communication can also be enhanced by establishing clear roles and responsibilities, setting realistic deadlines and goals, and providing regular updates and reports.

6 Learning and Development

A sixth trend in ad operations is the importance of learning and development for ad ops professionals, who need to keep up with the fast-paced and ever-changing nature of their field. Learning and development can help ad ops professionals acquire new skills, knowledge, and competencies, as well as to refresh and update their existing ones. Learning and development can also help ad ops professionals advance their careers, expand their network, and increase their confidence and motivation. Learning and development can be pursued by various means, such as online courses, webinars, podcasts, blogs, newsletters, events, and mentorship programs, to cover a wide range of topics, such as technical skills, soft skills, industry trends, and best practices.