A Conversation with Eskimi's Paul Thompson on Why Creativity, Not Just Data, Wins in Digital Advertising

In this latest episode of Pure Digital Passion, I sat down with Paul Thompson, Chief Commercial Officer at Eskimi, to dive deep into the company’s groundbreaking transformation in digital advertising. Eskimi is moving beyond being just a DSP?—?it’s now a full-stack creative and media tech platform that places creativity at the core of digital advertising.

Why Creative Comes?First

Paul emphasized a critical shift in the industry?—?moving from a data-first approach to a creative-first approach. While digital advertising has traditionally focused on hyper-targeting and automation, Eskimi’s philosophy is different: start with creative, not finish with it. Research has shown that 70% of a campaign’s effectiveness is driven by creative, not just data or targeting.

“Who is the enemy? The enemy is boring. Boring ads waste money. Our goal is to make advertising more engaging, more creative, and ultimately, more effective.”?—?Paul Thompson

Fixing the Attention Economy with Neuroscience &?AI

With ad blockers, banner blindness, and short attention spans, brands are struggling to make an impact. Eskimi tackles this with AI-powered creative tools like:

• Neurons AI?—?Predicts audience engagement using eye-tracking heatmaps before campaigns go live.
• Lumen Attention Metrics?—?Measures real-time ad visibility to ensure ads get seen and drive impact.
• Full-Funnel Brandformance Strategy?—?A balance of branding and performance marketing for long-term brand recall and short-term results.

Kenya & Africa: A Key Market for Digital?Growth

Eskimi sees Africa as the next frontier for digital advertising. Markets like Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa are rapidly shifting ad spend from traditional media to digital, creating a huge opportunity for data-driven, creative-led advertising.

Paul highlighted that Kenya is a testing ground for Africa?—?a place where brands experiment with new strategies before rolling them out across the continent.

The Future of Digital Advertising

Eskimi’s ‘Don’t Be Boring’ rebrand is more than a tagline?—?it’s a call to action for advertisers to rethink how they approach digital marketing. Instead of chasing clicks and conversions, brands need to create engaging, emotionally resonant ads that capture attention.

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