The Programmatic Digest

AI can give programmatic teams time back. What should they do with it? Hélène Parker sits down with Anjlee Majmudar, VP, Programmatic Media at Level Agency, to explore how automation is changing campaign management, team development, and the skills that matter in a programmatic career. Anjlee shares why she wants traders to step out of the spreadsheet and bring their campaign knowledge into more strategic, client-facing conversations. She explains how time saved on QA and reporting can go toward thinking, building relationships, and making better decisions. But saving time does not replace learning the fundamentals. The two discuss why traders still need to understand campaign logic, how manual experience helps people guide AI, and why Anjlee looks for curiosity, grit, and resilience when hiring. They also unpack what makes an agency partner useful: understand the problem, be honest about your capabilities, and come with a pilot before a long contract. Anjlee closes with a reminder that you do not need every answer to take the next useful step. If you lead a programmatic team, work in ad ops, or want to grow beyond campaign execution, this conversation offers practical ways to rethink your role in the AI era. ABOUT US I'm the person programmatic traders reach out to when they want to become more confident, efficient, and effective, from hands-on DSP activation to smarter optimization. I'm also the person media and ad-tech partners call when they want to better understand those buyers, strengthen their positioning, build deeper partnerships, and grow revenue. MEET OUR GUEST Anjlee Majmudar — VP, Programmatic Media, Level Agency Anjlee has spent more than 15 years in programmatic advertising, with experience spanning campaign management, ad operations, publishers, technology companies, consulting, and independent agencies. In this episode, she shares how she approaches team development, training, client delivery, and partnerships as AI changes the work. 📎 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjlee 🌐 Level Agency: https://www.level.agency/ MEET THE TEAM Hélène Parker – Chief Programmatic Coach 🌐 https://heleneparker.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helene-parker/ Manuela Cortes – Co-Host, Programmatic Digest en Español 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuela-cortes-/ LEARN PROGRAMMATIC For Individual Buyers: https://heleneparker.com/library Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://heleneparker.com/newsletter Be the first to find out about free programmatic training workshops: https://www.heleneparker.com/waitlist/ FOLLOW US 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/programmatic-digest-podcast ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@programmaticdigest #ProgrammaticDigest #ProgrammaticAdvertising #AI

🎧 Summary: Traders, when was the last time your creative team saw the same campaign report you did? Recorded live at Programmatic I/O, this conversation brings Hélène Parker together with Mike Toney, Global Creative Director of Custom Programs at Foundry, to explore what happens when paid media and creative teams actually share what they know. Mike explains how audience insights, interviews, and heat mapping help his team create experiences that resonate. Hélène reflects on optimizing campaigns by the numbers without always giving the creative itself enough attention, and the two unpack why fragmented reporting can leave partners without the information they need to improve. They also discuss how to move creative feedback beyond "I don't like it," use audience evidence to explain design choices, and treat creative teams as partners in campaign performance. The conversation closes with Mike's approach to allyship: proactively making room for women, naming the person behind an idea, and making sure credit follows the work. If you work in programmatic trading, ad ops, paid media, or creative, this episode will help you rethink the information you share and the people you bring into the conversation. 🧠 About Us: I'm the person programmatic traders reach out to when they want to become more confident, efficient, and effective, from hands-on DSP activation to smarter optimization. I'm also the person media and ad-tech partners call when they want to better understand those buyers, strengthen their positioning, build deeper partnerships, and grow revenue. 👤 Meet Our Guest: Mike Toney — Global Creative Director of Custom Programs, Foundry Mike leads custom creative programs at Foundry, working with his team to develop websites, interactive ebooks, ads, and other brand experiences. In this conversation, he shares how creative teams can use audience research and campaign insights to make more informed design decisions, and why collaboration with media buyers matters. 💻 Meet The Team: Hélène Parker – Chief Programmatic Coach 🌐 https://heleneparker.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helene-parker/ Manuela Cortes – Co-Host, Programmatic Digest en Español 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuela-cortes-/ 🎓 Learn Programmatic: For Individual Buyers: https://heleneparker.com/library Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://heleneparker.com/newsletter Be the first to find out about free programmatic training workshops: https://www.heleneparker.com/waitlist/ 📲 Follow Us: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/programmatic-digest-podcast ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@programmaticdigest

🎧 Summary: Knowing how to optimize a campaign is one skill. Explaining what it means to a CMO is another. In this episode of The Trader's Corner, our special Programmatic Digest series highlighting fellow programmatic ninjas and their everyday challenges, wins, and lessons, Hélène Parker catches up with Dennis Paredes of WMX, recorded at Programmatic I/O. Dennis shares how he approaches agency work through problem-solving, starting with understanding what clients need and translating campaign details into clear conversations with leadership. They also discuss helping junior employees build strong media fundamentals, introducing AI with privacy guardrails, and digging deeper into inventory quality and campaign data. Plus, Dennis shares the mindset shift that helped him grow: recognizing that thinking you know everything can stop you from learning. In this episode: Why listening to clients comes before choosing a solution. Translating tactical campaign details into business conversations. Using enterprise AI tools while protecting client information. Why media basics still matter when hiring and training. Understanding the inventory you're buying and where performance comes from. How mentorship and openness to feedback support career growth.     🧠 About Us: I'm the person programmatic traders reach out to when they want to become more confident, efficient, and effective, from hands-on DSP activation to smarter optimization.  I'm also the person media and ad-tech partners call when they want to better understand those buyers, strengthen their positioning, build deeper partnerships, and grow revenue. www.heleneparker.com      👤 Meet Our Guest: Dennis Paredes – Director of Performance Marketing – WMX Dennis Paredes works at WMX, an agency based in Miami. His work involves understanding client needs, digging into campaign data, and communicating media decisions to stakeholders. In this conversation, he shares his perspective on team development, responsible AI adoption, and continuous learning. 📎 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/publicwizard/  Check out: https://www.wearewmx.com/      💻 Meet The Team: Hélène Parker – Chief Programmatic Coach 🌐 heleneparker.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helene-parker/ Manuela Cortes – Co-Host, Programmatic Digest en Español 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuela-cortes-/     🎓 Learn Programmatic: For Individual Buyers: https://heleneparker.com/library Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://heleneparker.com/newsletter Be the first to find out about free programmatic training workshops: https://www.heleneparker.com/waitlist/     📲 Follow Us: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/programmatic-digest-podcast ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@programmaticdigest  

🎧 Summary: What does a programmatic trader's day look like when every platform has a new AI solution, your team needs hands-on guidance, and your clients operate in a highly regulated industry? Welcome to the first episode of The Trader's Corner, a special Programmatic Digest series spotlighting fellow programmatic ninjas and the everyday challenges, wins, and lessons that shape their work. In this episode of Trader's Corner, recorded at Programmatic I/O, Hélène Parker sits down with Kristin BelleFountaine, a programmatic channel manager who leads a team of five specialists. Their conversation explores the daily work behind campaign activation, troubleshooting, optimization, and helping traders keep pace with change. Kristin shares how her team approaches new AI tools while navigating pharma clients' privacy requirements and highly specific audiences. She also explains what vendors should understand before approaching an agency team: client needs come first, and evaluating a proposal takes time. Plus, Kristin and Hélène share practical ways they use AI to manage overflowing inboxes and stay informed without reading every industry newsletter. In this episode: Supporting a trading team while staying hands-on in the platforms. Keeping traders up to speed as DSPs introduce new AI capabilities. Why foundational optimization skills still matter. How pharma audience needs and privacy concerns shape partner evaluations. What vendors can do to make conversations more useful for agency teams. Using AI for email management and relevant industry news recaps. Staying open to a career path you couldn't have planned. A takeaway for your next workday: Start with a task that takes time away from meaningful work. Explore how AI could help, while following your organization's rules for client and audience data. Need backup? Have a reporting headache, a campaign question, or something you don't feel comfortable asking in the office? Reach out to Hélène. Your questions help shape practical, free educational content for the programmatic community.     🧠 About Us: I'm the person programmatic traders reach out to when they want to become more confident, efficient, and effective, from hands-on DSP activation to smarter optimization.  I'm also the person media and ad-tech partners call when they want to better understand those buyers, strengthen their positioning, build deeper partnerships, and grow revenue. www.heleneparker.com      👤 Meet Our Guest: Kristin Bellefontaine – Channel Manager, Programmatic – Butler/Till  Kristin is a programmatic channel manager who leads a team of five programmatic specialists, supporting campaign activation, troubleshooting, optimization, and reporting. Her work includes pharma advertising, where audience needs and privacy requirements shape campaign decisions. She started her career in linear TV and radio before finding her passion for programmatic, and today helps her team navigate new AI tools while staying hands-on in the platforms. 📎 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-bellefontaine-3b82a8b3/  Check out: https://butlertill.com/      💻 Meet The Team: Hélène Parker – Chief Programmatic Coach 🌐 heleneparker.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helene-parker/ Manuela Cortes – Co-Host, Programmatic Digest en Español 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuela-cortes-/     🎓 Learn Programmatic: For Individual Buyers: https://heleneparker.com/library Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://heleneparker.com/newsletter Be the first to find out about free programmatic training workshops: https://www.heleneparker.com/waitlist/     📲 Follow Us: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/programmatic-digest-podcast ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@programmaticdigest  

🎧 Summary: When you select location targeting in your DSP, do you know what data you're actually using? In this episode of the Programmatic Digest Podcast, Hélène Parker sits down with Charlie Simon, Global VP for Private Advertising at RTB House, to unpack the data behind location targeting and the questions media buyers should ask before using it. Charlie discusses how privacy rules are changing, why consumer consent may not answer every question, and why being near a store doesn't necessarily mean someone intends to buy. They also explore a fashion retailer example that challenges assumptions about location data and in-store results. What you'll learn How broad geographic targeting differs from precise location data. Where sensitive data can enter a campaign's setup. Why traders, ad ops, and client service teams need clearer answers from data partners. Why a store visit or nearby device is a weak signal of purchase intent. How contextual signals and incrementality testing can help buyers evaluate performance. One question to bring to your next partner conversation "Do you handle sensitive categories of data or sensitive personal information?" Ask what data powers the targeting, where it comes from, and how your partner handles sensitive information. Resources mentioned RTB House, Network Advertising Initiative (NAI), Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF), GDPR, CCPA, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).     🧠 About Us: I'm the person programmatic traders reach out to when they want to become more confident, efficient, and effective, from hands-on DSP activation to smarter optimization.  I'm also the person media and ad-tech partners call when they want to better understand those buyers, strengthen their positioning, build deeper partnerships, and grow revenue. PROGRAMMATIC NINJAS, NEED BACKUP? ☐ Need extra hands to manage campaigns? ☐ Spending too much time on campaign setup, checks or reporting? ☐ Curious about ChatGPT audiences intent? Want to reach them beyond the chat? ☐ Want a clearer picture of the ad inventory you're buying? Like for real? SAID YES TO ANY? LET'S TALK! [email protected]   ⏱ Timestamps: 00:00: Meet Charlie Simon and introduce the conversation. 02:00: Charlie's background in privacy, identity, and advertising. 05:00: What sits behind location targeting in a DSP? 07:00: Consent, sensitive data, and changing privacy rules. 10:00: US and European privacy perspectives. 13:00: Questions to ask your location data partners. 16:00: Precise geolocation and how data enters the ad stack. 19:00: Geofencing, intent, and broader targeting options. 22:00: A fashion retailer's location data and incrementality test. 25:00: Charlie's closing advice: "Too much data is just too much data."     👤 Meet Our Guest: Charlie Simon – Global Vice President – RTB House  Charlie Simon is Global Vice President for Private Advertising at RTB House, where he leads strategic initiatives around privacy, identity, and regulatory affairs. His experience includes industry oversight at the NAI, helping develop Europe's Transparency and Consent Framework, supporting Google's CCPA preparations while at MediaMath, and working on privacy and data governance platforms at Nike. 📎 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charless1 Company website: https://www.rtbhouse.com/       💻 Meet The Team: Hélène Parker – Chief Programmatic Coach 🌐 www.heleneparker.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helene-parker/ Manuela Cortes – Co-Host, Programmatic Digest en Español 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuela-cortes-/     🎓 Learn Programmatic: For Individual Buyers: https://heleneparker.com/library Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://heleneparker.com/newsletter Be the first to find out about free programmatic training workshops: https://www.heleneparker.com/waitlist/     📲 Follow Us: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/programmatic-digest-podcast ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@programmaticdigest