Page 47 - ADNews magazine March-April 2022

ZOE COCKER•HEAD OF INNOVATION AND YAHOO CREATIVE STUDIOS AUNZ
How would you describe your role?
Non-stop! I lead a team that captures human attention in
interesting ways using the latest tech. I work at the intersection
between creativity and technology, pushing the
boundaries of what can be achieved digitally. What this looks like day-to-
day: One day I might be working on an NFT project or strategising
virtual worlds on game engines. On another
it could be designing augmented reality
campaigns or even
creating Yahoo Finance Investor
bootcamps.
What’s the biggest challenge in your role now?
A large part of my role is driving innovation for Yahoo and our clients. We’re in a really unique position as one of the internet’s founding figures. We have so much knowledge combined with a background in 5G technology (having previously been owned by Verizon). Add to this backing by Apollo to charge full speed ahead into the future of immersive technology, and it’s a bountiful opportunity we’re presented
with. But this space changes daily. No one is 100% sure what the metaverse will look like. Staying relevant in a constantly evolving industry is an ongoing challenge but it’s a challenge I thrive on!
What attracted you to Yahoo?
Quite simply, great people.
I started at Yahoo in the UK
back in 2014. I was poached
by a former boss who I had
so much love and respect for. Initially, he was the number one reason. Then came the benefits of working for a global powerhouse as I now find myself living and working in Sydney. The country where I live may have changed, but I still find myself surrounded by incredible people who are smart, talented and most importantly, are changemakers. My world is constantly evolving and I rely
on people around me to keep me honest, grounded and to inspire me.
JOHN MCNERNEY•DIRECTOR OF PLATFORMS AUNZ
What’s an issue you’re focused
on now?
What the removal of cookies
and Identifier For Advertisers will mean for our industry. I spend a lot of my time educating partners and clients on how planning, forecasting, activation and measurement of their campaigns will soon change. Advanced TV is a big focus area within this context. Using linear Automatic Content Recognition data, we’re helping advertisers finally measure audience reach and frequency across offline and online TV consumption.
What does a typical day look like for you?
A run or ocean swim, a coffee
and a skim of the global media and economy news before 8am US calls. After this it’s another coffee, a review of yesterday’s revenue, product releases and then meetings, meetings and more meetings. First with internal teams, then with partners and clients on strategy, planning
and progress updates. My role
is all about commercialising Yahoo’s demand and supply
side platforms so keeping a finger on the pulse with industry regulation, policy, innovation and market dynamics is essential.
What do you love most about your role?
No day is ever the same. There’s always a new industry challenge
or solution we’re working on to help our partners. Working at Yahoo - which prides itself on people-first culture and a ‘human and helpful’ ethos - makes the job meaningful no matter what the day throws up. Whether it’s rolling out new technological or creative innovations, partnering with clients to test industry-
leading solutions or giving back to the community through our charity partners, I take pride in
the fact my role provides positive value to our clients business and wider community.
www.adnews.com.au | March - April 2022 47