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 for our clients.
This month features Connie Yan, StackAdapt’s Director of Platform Quality. Connie shares her journey into adtech, what her role entails, and how the Platform Quality team supports the success of StackAdapt users.
Can you share a bit about your journey into working in adtech, and what attracted you to platform quality?
I’ve always wanted to be in the ad industry. Before working in programmatic, I was interested in opportunities on the agency side. But one day at school, a professor showed me the native advertising Lumascape. I was amazed by how large the native advertising space was, and by the number of companies in native advertising that I’d never heard of!
After graduating school and completing an internship at a small marketing agency, I knew adtech was where I wanted to be. What attracted me to platform quality in particular was how unique the role is within the adtech landscape, and the fact that it’s a collaborative role. I love that I get to watch ads! Believe it or not I get more ad jingles stuck in my head then I do music, and I’m here for it.
What is the main focus of the Platform Quality team at StackAdapt, and what are your main responsibilities on the team?
The main focus of the Platform Quality team is to ensure our clients have the best ad-serving experience and the safest marketplace for our clients to buy ads confidently. To deliver this value, the Platform Quality team works with multiple stakeholders to improve the advertising life cycle, from client onboarding, compliance support, ad audit, and campaign approval.
We work closely with StackAdapt’s Product and Engineering teams to implement tools that help us mitigate risk and streamline operations. Our team vets and reviews every campaign before it goes live. They also approve every domain on our sitelist, enabling StackAdapt to have a proactive approach to brand safety.
My role at StackAdapt is to support the Platform Quality team at every stage of this process. I work closely with our legal teams to ensure appropriate policies are in place, and work with our Sales team to make sure customer brand safety needs are met. I seek partnerships that will strengthen our ad verification process, give us insights on inventory health, which includes traffic risk monitoring and other attention metrics.
As the Director of Platform Quality, how do you contribute to the success of the team, and the success of StackAdapt users?
Every day is different! There are always new markets, new regulations, new products, and new formats to explore, which makes my job exciting. The adtech industry is constantly evolving, and compliance has become increasingly complex. Taking the time to dissect and analyze each layer of law requires effort and a deep level of understanding from the digital advertising perspective.
On the Platform Quality team, we are compliance experts who work closely and collaboratively with StackAdapt clients to advise them on our policies. A common challenge clients have is tight turnarounds, particularly in sensitive industries like political advertising. Our team has built infrastructure and 24/7 support to execute same day turnarounds, because we know that speed makes a huge difference!
Why is platform quality so integral to the success of StackAdapt campaigns?
Platform quality is the last check before campaigns go live. Humans are still a very integral part of this process. Our team can pick up on emotional intricacies that machines might miss, ensuring that our ads don’t mislead users, or prey on sensitive audiences.
We make sure each ad gets the StackAdapt stamp of approval so that it’s set up for success. We work behind the scenes to catch typos, fix platform bugs, and educate StackAdapt users. Once an ad is served the job isn’t done! We take extra steps to analyze inventory quality metrics so that we’re constantly evolving our operation in order to maximize return on ad spend (ROAS).
What advice would you give someone interested in a career in Platform Quality?
Platform quality is a dynamic role and great introduction to adtech. If you are interested in media, this job is for you! Auditing ads and inventory does come with some challenges, so here are some tips to get you started in this field.
- Have a deep understanding of the programmatic ecosystem.
- Be very detail oriented and have an investigative mindset.
- Be comfortable with ambiguity.
- Enjoy repetitive tasks and spotting inefficiencies.
What is the most rewarding part of leading the Platform Quality team at StackAdapt?
Platform quality is an exciting department with many opportunities to learn new things. We get to tackle challenging media topics, discuss social issues, continuously learn about developments in the adtech industry, while also having some fun along the way.
Our team spans across 4 time zones and 3 countries, which means we get to work with people from across the globe. Learning how to collaborate and grow together is one of the best parts! It is rewarding to see our ads in the wild, and knowing that our team had a huge role in it getting them there.
Interested in joining StackAdapt? See our open roles and apply here.
In each new addition, we will be highlighting our teams and employees in our “Life In Adtech” series—stay tuned for more!
