Caitlyn Banowsky on the Evolving Data Privacy Ecosystem
Caitlyn Banowsky is all about uncovering the stories that numbers can tell, and how they can be turned into impactful media solutions. As media principal at LERMA/, she has over 15 years of industry experience building effective media and measurement solutions across every client vertical imaginable.
If you’re looking for anything from thought leadership on video consumption habits of your target, to market and audience segmentation analyses, to branded content amplification strategies, to performance marketing reporting, Caitlyn is your go-to.
She has a proven track record of turning media strategies into successful campaigns that drive measurable business success for clients like He Gets Us, Nature Nate’s Honey Company, and The Salvation Army.
She recently sat down with LBB to discuss being a self confessed second-generation ad nerd, how she found her career in media, and her industry heroes…
LBB> What was it about the world of advertising media that pulled you in? What did you do before you got into media?
Caitlyn> I’m a second-generation ad nerd. I grew up in advertising and media, following my dad to work often, as he was in advertising sales.
After an early internship at a small agency that allowed me to dabble in everything from copywriting to cold-calling, I knew this was my passion. Media in particular interested me because I love an untold story, and the stories you can find in data are – in my opinion – the most fascinating.
LBB> Over the course of your career, what have been the most significant changes you’ve seen in the media side of the industry?
Caitlyn> Shifts in available audience targeting options would be one of, if not the most significant, changes throughout the course of my career. I’ve observed the evolution from one to many, broad demographic options to hyper-precise (and occasionally invasive to the consumer) digital audiences.
Now, the pendulum is swinging in a third direction with the evolving data privacy ecosystem moving away from the level of precision, while also offering additional contextual and psychographic means of connecting with an audience either broadly or directly.
LBB> What was your first job in the media industry and give us a taste of the path that your career has been on?
Caitlyn> I started in the industry as a sales assistant at a TV rep firm, before moving into research for a TV station – roles that really taught me the value of data-driven storytelling.
Honing that skill led me to the agency side, where I split my time between media analytics/strategy and media planning. Spending time between sales, research, strategy, and planning gave me broad insight into how to effectively navigate the intersections between consumer behaviour and trends, relationship building (with people directly, and between brands and people), and how to structure marketing campaigns in a way to capture information and effect business change. Not a shabby outcome after starting off my career entering $3 buylines for the smallest media markets in the country.
LBB> In more recent years, which projects or clients have proven to be the most stimulating and satisfying to work on and why?
Caitlyn> I have had so many wonderful and rewarding brand partners over the course of my career, but I know it’s not fair to answer with ‘all of them’, even if that is true!
My favourite brands to work with are the ones that allow me to stretch my brain, problem solve, and push boundaries to not just yield shiny metrics, but measure true impact.
Even more satisfying for me is when the impact is one that doesn’t just hit a company’s bottom line, but improves people’s lives in some way.
One of my all-time favourite clients is also a client I’ve worked with for the longest, and I’m proud to say this will be my 13th Christmas helping The Salvation Army serve suffering humanity. The way we’ve been able to partner over time to address true problems – some organisational or business, but also some societal – and see how, in some small way, our work turns into service for those who need it most, lets me end even the most challenging work days with an amazing sense of accomplishment.
LBB> In media, an understanding of human behaviour is so important - what are some of the most interesting changes you’re seeing in terms of how we behave with and interact with media?
Caitlyn> I find it fascinating how people can say, in the same breath, that they hate advertising and therefore turn off any type of ad personalisation or digital tracking, but then complain when they see ads that feel irrelevant to them.
People increasingly hate feeling advertised to, which places a burden back on advertisers. It’s easier to see what that means for creative teams and content developers, but also makes media strategy trickier and more nuanced than ever before.
LBB> Brand safety is more important than ever and consumers and campaign groups are increasingly holding brands to account for the media they choose to spend on - what are your thoughts on this phenomenon and how are you and your teams navigating it?
Caitlyn> Brand safety isn’t a box to check; it’s a conversation to have. What is the brand’s purpose? How does it choose to connect with its consumers, more broadly? What alignment does it want to have? If a brand wants to be elevated, it’s important it understands that may come with the tradeoff of efficiency, and vice versa.
Above all, our team opts to work closely with partners who prioritise transparency, equity, and responsibility in their media ecosystems. When you do those things, you’re able to avoid uncomfortable conversations with your clients, and more importantly, set your brands up to build trust with their customers by practicing what they preach.
LBB> What do you think are the most pertinent debates happening in the media field right now?
Caitlyn> Appropriate attribution methodology and measurement is foremost in my mind. I’ve heard people say we’ve become addicted to the instant gratification that last-touch attribution provides, and while perhaps that’s a bit theatrically stated, it’s not far off.
I don’t know that we’ll ever reach the point in media that there’s a silver bullet solution to how we attribute or holistically measure performance, but reaching a phase of active debate and multiple considered solutions is the right kind of progress, and something I’m satisfied with, at least for the moment.
LBB> Decoupling, recoupling, creative agencies trying to build media functions, media agencies creating content studios… what’s your take on the relationship between creative and media and where do you think it’s going?
Caitlyn> I’ve been fortunate to work with some brilliant and collaborative creatives in my career, and in my opinion, the best work happens when we approach it together. Working in silos is easy, but it’s lazy. It’s imperative to everyone touching the creative process (and media is creative too!) that we bring each other ideas and listen openly.
When we take a beat to remember that we’re not just advertising robots to create compelling rectangles and media buylines,-- we’re humans who are designed to hear and respond to the messages we’re placing – the smarter the output will be.
In my perfect world, the relationship between creative/content and media would get stronger, but it’s going to take a lot of discipline from a lot of stakeholders to make that happen.
LBB> The wider industry has become really obsessed with artificial intelligence, but media has been using variations of AI and algorithmic automation for some time - what’s your take on the longer term influence of AI on media? Are there any aspects of media planning that you think AI could still have a big impact on?
Caitlyn> I’m so happy to see that called out, because when I was talking to a senior executive recently, they reacted with shock when I said that media had been on the cutting edge of AI since I was quite early in my career.
I’m most excited to see AI inform tedious and manual processes like automating pacing and reporting, simplify preliminary insight development, and speed up things like media mix modelling that historically take a significant amount of time and effort.
On the other hand, I don’t think AI could entirely replace the impact of a human’s influence on media, because there’s no substitute for the human experience that a well-rounded team can bring (at least not yet).
LBB> More attention is being paid to the environmental impact of various media types, particularly in digital - where do you think the industry is in terms of tracking that impact and minimising it?
Caitlyn> When I first heard of digital partners finding ways to minimise and offset the environmental impact of media, I was very impressed. It wasn’t even on my radar what the energy cost of 24-hour trading and automation would mean environmentally.
That said, I don’t see this becoming an industrywide priority in the nearer term, except for brands and agencies that have a strong commitment to environmental ethics.
I hope I’m just being pessimistic, but when a team or a brand is under fire from every direction in the media world (targeting, measurement, attribution, privacy compliance, efficiency, etc.), paying a premium and dedicating effort to improve the environmental impact of a campaign doesn’t easily reach priority status.
LBB> As an industry, we’re obsessed with the new - and for good reason, it’s often where the money lies! But are there any more traditional forms of media that you think we’re sleeping on a bit or that you think still make a big impact when it comes to connecting with consumers?
Caitlyn> To continue beating the measurement and data drum, I think the majority of traditional media has the value of the most new and exciting digital channels, but appropriate measurement solutions have to be implemented so they are evaluated on the same footing.
When the only tangible thing a media team can report to a client about a TV buy is a three-month-late post-buy with impression or GRP delivery, that could never possibly stand up alongside paid social with millions of dollars in attributable sales.
That’s where tech and data partnerships become most critical, and why I’ve personally pushed my clients to include sound measurement partners that validate the business outcome of each channel within a media mix.
LBB> Who are your media heroes and why? And what sort of media do you enjoy?
Caitlyn> Too many heroes to name (seriously, if we’ve worked together in any regard, you’re probably on my list), so I’ll go the semi-cop-out route of saying my dad! I wouldn’t have gone into media if not for his influence and assistance getting my foot in the door to start. More than that, the integrity with which he conducted himself and his evident dedication to his clients and his teams are things I hope my colleagues will say about me one day. And I’d be a horrible media professional if I only listed one medium. I enjoy all of it. All the time. Give me more.
