We are not replacing Google’s AI, we are augmenting it: Sara Robertson, Xaxis
Robertson, VP Product Engineering - Xaxis, spoke about the unique solutions that Co-Pilot offers, the scope of programmatic in India and the need for making AI more atuned to contextual advertising

With programmatic becoming the cornerstone of media planning, new ad tech products are constantly redefining programmatic practices. As part of this technological evolution, GroupM owned Xaxis has been pioneering new technology for the advertising industry to offer simplicity and accountability to clients. One of its popular products—Co-Pilot is making news for offering solutions to many programmatic bottlenecks and drive measurable outcomes for clients.
In an exclusive interview with exchange4media, Sara Robertson, VP Product Engineering - Xaxis, spoke about the unique solutions that Co-Pilot offers, the scope of programmatic in India and the need for making AI more atuned to contextual advertising. Excerpts:
How is Co-Pilot different from other existing programmatic products?
If we compare it with existing platforms, Google has incredible Artificial Intelligence (AI) offerings and all of the major DSP platforms have a similar engine. But their goal is to build a generic solution. They solve 80% of the problems for 80% of the people. They are trying to target industry standard outcomes and make them work for everyone. On the other hand, what Co-Pilot does is to add extra layer of specificity on top of the platforms to try to close that 20% gap. So if you are looking for an outcome specific to your business, it’s not probably present in one of these default platforms. With Co-Pilot, we can use machine learning and optimize it to gather insights and then push those insights into these platforms. So we are not replacing Google’s AI, we are augmenting it to try to drive it into a customized direction for benefit of the clients.
Have publishers become more open to sharing their premium inventory on programmatic?
As we know, the majority of digital ad spends are going towards programmatic. Every publisher has yield optimization problems, and they want to sell as much of the inventory as they can on premium price, which is why header bidding became a big issue and why people negotiate for first look and guaranteed buys. I think most publishers have found that the value of selling your entire inventory is greater than getting a premium price on some of your inventory and then having a ton of the remnant that you sell for pennies. So I think its super important to make sure that we are helping publishers monetize and get the most value they can because they are the internet.
Does India hold a big promise as far as programmatic is concerned? What kind of unique challenges does this market offer and how are you trying to deal with it?
Indian market is exciting in all industries. With rapid development and proliferation of mobile devices a large number of population is coming online. In terms of growth metrics, India is on top of the charts. Now the question is-- what can we do to take advantage of that, and secondly; how to facilitate and empower that growth. In an emerging market where people are just discovering internet, we don’t want to destroy their experience by burdening them with ads. So it’s a delicate balance and there are some specific challenges in India in terms of the diversity of languages. So a dynamic creative solution needs to be put in place so that we can effectively serve in such a diverse market, and we are working towards it.
How would you define the future of media planning?
I think in couple of years you won’t be able to get away with not being data driven. Everything will be data driven and your competitors will be using data for insights and making recommendations. Like planning specifically is not going to be based on intuition anymore, it will be driven by facts. I think the skill sets required will be very analytical and we might move away from needing code because systems will start to get created which can manipulate data visually.
Can AI match the emotional and contextual aspect of human thinking in the coming time?
I have not tried to solve that problem with AI yet, but it has been mentioned so many times that I feel we need to find a solution to this. I think AI is capable of being a tool that can be atuned to any given situation. But it will just remain a tool that humans wield until the planners, the traders, the clients, the consumers and the engineers decide to focus on the contextual aspect of it and solve the problem of not retargeting same things forever. I think over time systems and technology will mature so that we don’t have to bombard consumers with messages without understanding the context of that communication.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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