The Guardian is taking its programmatic business global. The publisher announced today it’s consolidating its programmatic advertising operations across the UK, US and Australia into a single, unified global team.
The newly formed team is tasked with refining The Guardian’s monetization strategy and execution across key international markets.
At the helm of this initiative is Dave Strauss, VP of revenue operations and strategy at The Guardian US, who takes the lead on the publisher’s global strategy during what he called “a pivotal time in the digital advertising landscape.”
“Having a more streamlined and strategic approach globally will benefit both our clients and readers worldwide,” Strauss said.
Strauss’ Programmatic Blueprint: Yield, Partnerships and Quality
When AdMonsters spoke to Strauss last year, shortly after The Guardian US hired him as the new VP of revenue operations for The Guardian US, he explained his programmatic strategy for the publisher by outlining three core pillars: building a “pure” auction system, growing the private marketplace (PMP) business and focusing on ad quality over quantity.
According to Strauss, publishers that promote a pure auction system ensure that, no matter what, the highest bidder for their inventory wins. By eliminating preferential treatment in the auction and not prioritizing high-volume buyers or demand paths, publishers can enable more competitive bids, thereby maximizing their revenue yield, he said.
Strauss also pointed to opportunities in the industry shift toward curated deals and PMP-based buying. To capitalize on this opportunity, he planned to build direct advertiser relationships to enable higher-value, better-targeted ads.
“The programmatic marketplace is evolving—advertisers are moving toward more direct campaigns and PMPs, with open auctions becoming more selective,” Strauss said. “Success now depends on building strong, direct relationships between publishers and advertisers.”
Strauss also said The Guardian would focus on “fewer but better ads,” revamping the site to appeal to premium advertisers. This approach supports The Guardian’s financial health without sacrificing the user experience, he added.
Empowering Regional Teams for Global Success
Joining Strauss in The Guardian’s new global command structure are Duane Thompson, currently The Guardian’s head of digital optimization in the UK, and Tara Peck, its current programmatic account director for Australia. Both will report directly to Strauss while continuing to collaborate closely with local leadership in their regions.
While Strauss will lead the new global programmatic team, the operation will be overseen by Imogen Fox, The Guardian’s global chief advertising officer.
Fox sees the shift to a global strategy as a critical next step for the business. “Streamlining our programmatic operations will help unlock greater value for a growing group of our customers who require this expertise,” she said.
In addition to announcing the new global programmatic team, The Guardian also teased that it will soon be rolling out new standardized ad formats and “global products.” The Guardian declined to share more details with AdMonsters.
The Guardian expects this newly consolidated team to deliver more cohesive international partnerships and provide buy-side partners with stronger control over what digital inventory they buy across The Guardian’s portfolio. And, of course, bigger global brand budgets would be nice.