i3 - January/February 2016 - 96

CM s

OF THE FUTURE

JOE PRUSZ

head of mobile, Rubicon Project

phone walks into
a bar. It sounds
like the setup for
an old joke. But

it's also how Joe Prusz, Head
of Mobile at Rubicon Project,
envisions the future.

on the path to that better world. The first is native advertising, which Prusz defines not as "advertorial" content (like a
sponsored Huffington Post article) but as "display-style" ads
embedded into content layouts (for example, the ads that
are part of a Facebook feed). Programmatic ad technology is
essential to deliver such ads at scale-they need to be broken
down into discrete units (icon image, headline, copy, video,
etc.) that are appropriately combined to send the most
relevant message to each individual viewer.

N AT I V E A DV E R T I S I N G
Rubicon Project is a programmatic advertising company,
meaning it automates the buying and selling of online ads.
The firm's mobile platform is
the third largest in the industry at a time when customer experiences often span multiple devices.

One of Rubicon Project's aims, says Prusz, is to "democratize" native advertising. "Facebook and Twitter have this
scale, and they've been able to make it easy," he says. "We
want to ensure that the rest of the world can get access
to the same dollars that Facebook gets access to
through native ad placements."
At its best, native advertising can achieve
what
Prusz calls "the native trifecta": a
STORY TELLING ON THE
better
experience for consumers, higher
PHONE
engagement
for advertisers, and more
An alternate title
revenue
to
publishers.
Prusz aims to enable his customers to reach
for 'CMO' in the future:
Prusz also points to the promise
consumers on any screen-and in the near
of
mobile video in its various forms.
future, he imagines that convergence could
Chief Technology Officer/
Pre-roll. Post-roll. Mid-roll. In-feed
soon change the way you buy a drink.
Chief Storytelling Officer
videos that play silently until clicked on.
"Of the 80 TVs that are in the sports bar,"
Videos that provide consumers a reward
he says, "the 10 that are the closest to you
in exchange for watching, such as unlocked
start showing ads that are more relevant to
articles. The numerous ad opportunities, says
you because, of all the people in the room, you
Prusz, make video "the rockstar of mobile."
are the one that the advertisers most covet."
The third development Prusz mentions provides
Perhaps you're a new parent. Perhaps you recently
technological support to the other two. Apps using Rubivisited a car lot. How will the televisions know this? Your
con Project technology can automate their direct sales in
phone will tell them. Of course, the bigger screens will face
native and video advertising.
some stiff competition from the smaller one in your pocket.
What does all this mean for future chief marketing officers?
"The ability to drive one-to-one marketing is only getting
Prusz says the job might look more like a chief technology
stronger, and that's what I love about storytelling on the
officer. "You cannot be a good CMO unless you have a very
phone," he says. "It's the most personal device that you have."
firm grasp of the underlying technology." Prusz also mentions
Is it possible for advertising to get too personal? Prusz says
another CMO attribute that's driven by technology: Chief
advertising will succeed when consumers feel they are in
Storytelling Officer. "Given the tools and the ability to hit a
control. Consumers who get slow, cluttered advertising might
consumer one-to-one, that storytelling opportunity is going to
want to use ad blocking tools. But Prusz sees ad blockers as
be wasted unless they know how to do it."
opportunity for Rubicon Project to make things better.
Prusz and the team at Rubicon Project stand ready to
"Publishers are not able to provide content unless they
support that job. "We allow the stories to be told to the
support it via advertising," Prusz explains. "We just need to
right audience at the right time with the right message," he
give consumers a better experience."
says. Look out for your own special message.
Prusz highlights three promising mobile ad developments
96

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

https://rubiconproject.com/

i3 - January/February 2016

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