In our blog series “Life in Adtech” we’re showcasing the different ways in which StackAdapters are driving innovation in adtech, and creating a progressive tech culture. From using modeling and data to create advanced algorithms to building stylish and robust user interfaces, everyone at StackAdapt is contributing to evolving the StackAdapt platform and providing the best product and service to our clients.
This post features Phil T’ien, an Account Manager at StackAdapt. We got an inside look at his role and what a typical day looks like around the office. From engaging with clients, setting up campaigns, or providing round-the-clock support, Phil is known for staying incredibly organized and providing the best service possible to everyone in his portfolio.
Tell me a bit about your role and your journey at StackAdapt?
I’ve been at StackAdapt for almost 2 years now, and I’ve had incredible opportunities here to develop and advance my career. Initially starting off as a Business Development Representative, gaining some leadership experience as a Team Lead, and learning technical skills as a Programmatic Strategist, I was able to move into my current role as an Account Manager. Time really flies, but I couldn’t imagine spending it anywhere else.
What do you do as an Account Manager?
I get to wear many hats over the course of every day—and I really like that. Acting as the primary point of contact for our clients, my main responsibilities include the setup and day-to-day management of campaigns, customer support, as well as collaborating with internal teams for the development and improvement of platform features.
What does an average day look like for you?
Starting my day at around 8:30 AM, I like to arrive a bit early to get myself settled in, whether that means getting a cup of coffee or sorting emails that came in overnight. Starting with the urgent emails first, I use this as an anchor-point for figuring out the rest of my day. After this, I check on the campaigns that I have running, as well as make optimizations, or plan any post-campaign reports.
On most days, the time spent before lunch usually involves an onboarding session for an upcoming campaign, wherein I would provide a comprehensive rundown of the platform to my clients and show them the best practices for success using StackAdapt.
I frequently attend internal training sessions to remain up to speed on product updates and best practices on the platform—after all, staying updated on the platform and understanding new services offered by all teams at the company really primes us for success on future campaigns.
I like to use lunchtime to catch up with other teams in the office, even if it means a short half-hour break in the middle of the day. After that, I’ll move onto another coffee to kickstart the afternoon, and dive back into the many post-campaign reports that I have on the go, or finalize emails that need to be sent out.
Every other week, the entire customer success team meets with our Product team. On top of getting an overview of any new services being offered, Product keeps us up to date with changes in the platform and sources insight and feedback to build and improve our ever-growing product roadmap.
From here to the rest of the day, I like to spend my time supporting clients, setting up campaigns, and answering anything urgent before I head home to reset for the next day.
What would you say is the most challenging part, and what is the most rewarding part of your role?
The most challenging part is the highly technical nature of the environment, along with the frequent changes in the industry. The way I see it, in my role we are required to have a deep and thorough understanding of not only the StackAdapt product but also the industry as a whole.
Yet, as challenging as this can be, it’s also the most rewarding part of my job; I’m constantly learning new things and gaining a greater understanding of the technical workings of programmatic advertising. I’m lucky enough to be in an industry that is growing so much.
The other thing that I love is that I often get to work first-hand on campaigns that I find exciting, especially when we run promotional campaigns for video game publishers or anyone in the technology field.
What tools do you use to amplify your job and be successful?
Aside from internal training that we get, LinkedIn Learning is a fantastic tool to develop and refine skills, and I’ve found it incredibly valuable even in my role. For instance, I’ve been taking a great course on Conversion Rate Optimization to get a deeper understanding of additional factors influencing conversion rates, and it’s really helped me take things to the next level.
What is a trend in digital advertising/programmatic that you’re interested in these days?
I’m starting to see more and more digital out-of-home (DOOH) billboards popping up across the country. I can’t wait to see the creative ways in which these will be leveraged, and whether we’ll get to a point where we’ll be bidding in real-time based on user proximity. As I mentioned before, I think we’re really lucky to work in an industry that is growing so rapidly, and it’s going to be interesting to see how much everything changes even in the next 1-2 years.
What is your favourite part about working at StackAdapt?
Our flat organizational structure makes it easy to quickly talk to the right person and get the information needed, even for custom executions. We also have dedicated Slack channels for different topics that also serves as a treasure trove of information.
One of the best elements of working on my team is the feeling of comradery. Our team dynamic is awesome and we have a great groove to get things done in a timely manner, leveraging each member’s individual expertise. Most of all, being at StackAdapt means working for a company that pushes you outside of your comfort zone and wants to see you grow personally and professionally.
Interested in joining StackAdapt? See our open roles and apply, here.
In each new addition, we will be highlighting our teams and team members in our “Life In Adtech” series—stay tuned for more!
