Angelina Eng Unplugged: An AdTech Odyssey

In the digital cosmos, where technology evolves at breakneck speed and the landscape is perpetually in flux, Angelina Eng stands as a colossus. As the VP of Measurement & Attribution at the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), her journey from the corporate citadels of Morgan Stanley to the pioneering frontiers of digital advertising is not just a career trajectory but a narrative of evolution, resilience, and foresight. This is the saga of how Eng became a luminary in the AdTech universe, illuminating the path for an industry grappling with unprecedented change.
Angelina Eng's odyssey into the heart of digital advertising begins with a tale of transformation. From the traditional bastions of finance to the dynamic world of AdTech, her career metamorphosis reflects a broader industry evolution. Reflecting on her transition, Eng shares a poignant insight, "After swinging from the high flying trapezes of Morgan Stanley, Merkel, and Denso Aegis, you landed in the lion's den at IAB." This metaphorical leap underscores not just a change in roles but a fundamental shift in perspective towards the digital landscape's complexities and opportunities.

Her tenure at IAB marked a pivotal phase, with Eng taking the helm of measurement and attribution at a time when the digital advertising world faced its most formidable challenges yet. Discussing her approach to these challenges, Eng notes, "Standards and processes are my quote-unquote thing...It's really important that companies embrace standards and best practices to streamline their workflow, manage expectations, and just being able to have consistency." In these words lies the essence of Eng's mission: to bring order to chaos, clarity to complexity, and vision to an industry at a crossroads.
The digital advertising industry's reliance on cookies for tracking and personalization faced a seismic upheaval with growing privacy concerns and regulatory changes. Eng's leadership came at a critical juncture, as she navigated the so-called "cookie apocalypse" with a blend of strategic acumen and innovative thinking. "Understanding some of the changes that are happening in our marketplace, especially around deprecation of cookies...it's informing a great deal of the work that I'm currently doing now," Eng states, highlighting her proactive stance on reimagining the foundations of digital advertising in a post-cookie era.

Her insights into the challenges of privacy regulations and the transition towards a more sustainable and ethical framework for digital engagement underscore a forward-thinking approach. Eng emphasizes the need for the industry to adapt, innovate, and anticipate future shifts, stating, "continued changes with Apple iOS...the way that we target and the way that we measure campaigns today will look very different in the next two years." This perspective not only sheds light on the immediate challenges but also on the long-term vision required to thrive in an evolving digital ecosystem.
Angelina Eng's leadership style is as multifaceted as the industry she helps steer. Balancing the roles of a diplomat and a ringmaster, she orchestrates the diverse voices and perspectives within the AdTech space towards common goals and shared standards. "I think of myself as both," Eng declares, encapsulating her ability to harmonize the industry's various factions while pushing forward innovative standards and practices.

Her approach to leadership extends beyond her technical expertise to embody a philosophy of inclusivity, balance, and forward-thinking. Eng reflects on her career-long ethos, "It's really 50-50. Throughout my career, I've always been that way," highlighting her commitment to fairness, equity, and the collaborative spirit essential for navigating the digital advertising landscape's complexities.
As Angelina Eng looks to the horizon, her vision for the future of digital advertising is both ambitious and grounded in realism. She advocates for continuous learning, adaptability, and innovation as the cornerstones for future success in the AdTech industry. "Be a sponge, read everything...This is a very transformative industry," Eng advises, emphasizing the importance of staying ahead in a field characterized by rapid change and technological advancements.

Her leadership and insights not only chart a course through the immediate challenges of cookie deprecation and privacy regulations but also towards a future where digital advertising is more transparent, effective, and aligned with users' evolving expectations. In Eng's narrative, we find a blueprint for the future of AdTech—a future shaped by vision, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

Angelina Eng's journey and leadership in the digital advertising realm are more than just a personal success story. They encapsulate the challenges, transformations, and opportunities that define the AdTech industry today. As digital advertising continues to navigate through turbulent waters, Eng's insights, leadership, and vision offer a beacon of hope and direction for an industry at the cusp of a new era.

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Pesach Lattin
Editor-in-Chief, ADOTAT

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Oh, the ad market's doing a victory lap, folks, and it's not afraid to flaunt it. February just strutted in with a 10.4% year-over-year growth, making it clear that the ad world's gloomy days are behind it. This isn't just a fluke; it's the 11th encore of growth, proving that the ad economy's comeback tour is hitting all the right notes. And let's talk about that dazzling double-digit growth, shall we? It's like a flashback to March 2022's glory days, right before the market took a dive into the "recession" pit. But here we are, dusted off and dancing again since April 2023. And with the political ad spending spree and the Paris Olympic Games on the horizon, it's like the ad market's prepping for its own blockbuster. Analysts are already tuning their guitars, with Madison and Wall's Brian Wieser leading the band, signaling an encore for U.S. ad spending. So, raise your glasses to the ad market; it's not just back, it's aiming for platinum.

Well, would you look at Manischewitz, doing a little shake-up and shimmy to jazz up its image beyond the kosher corridors! The brand's got a fresh coat of paint—think warm, inviting hues of reddish orange, yellow, and brown—and is peppering its packaging with illustrations that could give New Yorker cartoons a run for their money. And for those of us tripping over Yiddish, they're throwing in some phonetic spellings to save face at the dinner table. With the help of Jones Knowles Ritchie, Manischewitz isn't just sticking to matzo ball soup and latkes; it's eyeing a spot at every American's dining experience, aiming to charm a potpourri of palates across the U.S. And just in time for Passover, they're rolling out new goodies and an ad blitz targeting not just the Bubbies and Zaydes but also the younger set who might see the brand as something their grandparents raved about. Manischewitz is on a mission to not only stay relevant but to become the life of the party in the ever-evolving American food scene. So, hats off to Manischewitz for not just resting on its laurels but for getting out there and mixing it up.


In the ever-evolving soap opera that is the CTV advertising world, Wurl just dropped a plot twist that could very well be the next big cliffhanger. BrandDiscovery is the new character on the block, wielding the power of GenAI to match ads with TV content on an emotional level. Think of it as setting up a blind date between your brand and viewers, where the matchmaker (Wurl) ensures you're both emotionally compatible. It's like Tinder for TV ads, ensuring your ad doesn't awkwardly interrupt a tear-jerker with a peppy sell on soda. This approach promises to boost brand recall, awareness, and even the willingness to part with cash—all without the awkward "It's not you, it's me" conversation. And with a promise of scene-level analysis across 300+ premium CTV publishers, Wurl is basically offering advertisers a VIP pass to the viewers' hearts. Media.Monks is already singing love ballads about the results, and with FreeWheel in the mix, it’s clear this isn’t just another fleeting romance. In a world where viewers are used to fast-forwarding through life's commercials, BrandDiscovery might just be the pause button the industry needs.

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