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Hi, I’m Daniela! I’m six months into my media career as an Addressable Strategy Account Executive at KINESSO UK&I (the titles get even longer with seniority). Here’s what a day in the life of an account executive is really like.
But first - what is addressable strategy? It’s how we target non-invasive ads to specific audiences at the most opportune moments of their day.
8:40am: Depending on whether the C2C train or Central line is on my side that morning, this is typically when I arrive at the office. We have a flexible time policy here at KINESSO, alleviating my anxiety about being late due to train delays or cancellations.
I check my emails for anything new and review any messages from the day before. Doing this first thing helps me prioritise and write today's to-do list.
9:15am: Pre-breakfast me only has the capacity to write a to-do list and respond to a few emails so I head up to The Social on the 7th floor for (our free!) breakfast.
We have the choice between porridge or toast today and I felt like having peanut butter on toast!
9:35am: Reporting is a big part of the account executive role. Our reporting days typically fall mid-week so on Mondays and Tuesdays we are collecting, organising and analysing data from our campaigns.
This helps us understand and explain to the client how our ads are reaching the right audience, if people are interacting by clicking or watching and allows us to analyse our investment in the channel mix being used.
I update our CPM (cost per impression) report with the previous week's data. The report is broken down by line item which tells us the ad size, ad length and audience tactic. Having it broken down this way adds an extra layer of analysis and helps us see which line item is the most cost-efficient.
Occasionally I find drawing insights from data challenging, but with the support and expertise of my team, I continue to improve.
11:30am: I hop on one of our weekly status calls, where we share campaign updates across the client’s lines of business.
11:55am: I attend the LGBTQ+ insight event happening in our office called ‘Show Up’ and organised by our brilliant IPG Mediabrands OPEN network.
For this event, the speakers discuss how 'community' research can help brands deepen their understanding of underrepresented communities, contexts, and individuals.
Attending audience insight events develops my understanding of what consumers want and need at each stage of the consumer journey, which I can apply to future campaign strategies.
12:45pm: My team and I go to The Happenstance to meet with a European BVOD (Broadcast Video on Demand) media partner that we’ve been working with on a multi-market campaign. BVOD is video content from traditional TV but on demand and online - it is free but viewers are required to watch ads e.g. ITVX
I ordered the Steak Focaccia with chips - I was eyeing this up when I checked the online menu earlier.
Lunches with media partners are an opportunity to deepen our working relationships - celebrating a campaign’s success and meeting the humans behind the emails.
2:50pm: One of my clients raised a query about whether the mobile gaming environment could effectively reach its target audience.
To reassure them of their investment, I gather data and research insights from a mobile gaming partner to craft a clear rationale on why mobile gaming is an excellent channel for their campaign.
For example, I found that 21% of Millennial adults leisure time is spent on mobile gaming, with watching shows, series, and films online coming in second at 19% (Newzoo). Along with the other data and insights uncovered, this tells us that advertising on mobile gaming apps is a great way to reach this audience.
3:20pm: It’s time for me and my afternoon pick-me-up - a white chocolate matcha from Blank Street to head into our weekly reporting meetings.
This meeting is a collaborative space where the Addressable Strategy team and the Performance team share key insights and discuss campaign data from the past week.
The performance team brings in their perspective, letting us know which ad placements/sizes are delivering strong results and which ones might need adjustments.
This is a good time to highlight a crucial part of our role: pacing. Pacing ensures that we spread the campaign’s budget evenly throughout its run. If we spend too much too early, we’ll run out before the campaign Is finished. Spend too little, and we won’t reach enough people. Our job is to monitor and adjust the campaign for optimal performance.
4:00pm: I head up to the client floor, where we host pitches, panel discussions, and presentations. For today’s session, a media platform vendor unveils a new product in the smart TV/streaming media player space, opening new opportunities to target audiences on their smart TVs.
The client walks us through the media buying process - essentially, how we can purchase ad space on their platform. In programmatic advertising, media buying is often done through an automated system, where we bid for ad placements in real time. The goal is to get the best placement for the right price for best performance.
Sessions like these are invaluable for keeping me updated on new opportunities in the media landscape. For me to become an expert, I need to understand these products so I can recommend the best fit to clients when the opportunity arises.
5:00pm: Back at my desk, I respond to a few last emails. One of the main tasks I'm focused on is leading a new campaign that's set to go live in a few weeks. This has been a great learning experience early in my career and has deepened my understanding of how media campaigns come together.
When I first started, I had a surface-level understanding of what it took to run a campaign. Now, with added experience and development, I see how many different roles and teams are involved in the process - Addressable Strategy, Campaign Management, Communications, Ad Operations, Media Vendors, and more. Each team is a crucial piece of the puzzle, working together to ensure that every detail of the campaign is executed smoothly.
As I lead this campaign, I’ve come to appreciate the complexity and coordination required to keep everything moving along and performing well.
5:35pm: I pack up, say my goodbyes and head out the door.
The media industry is exciting, fast-paced and dynamic and has really kept me on my toes. Reflecting on how far I’ve come since I joined, it’s rewarding to see my growth. I’m still learning all the complexities of programmatic, but I look forward to what the next six months and beyond will bring!