High-level performance marketers are in high demand; but are they brand safe?

Modern Retail reports that as the need for high-level (VP and higher) performance marketing roles grows, companies are having a hard time finding qualified candidates.

[Direct-to-consumer] brands now realize their survival requires the help of people who understand the always-shifting online dynamics: vp-level employees with a hybrid knowledge of traditional and online marketing, social media finesse, SEO and other skills in order to define a more mature marketing strategy.

We may be biased, but we notice that the article fails to mention brand safety as one of the required skill-sets for these roles. Yet performance marketing is shot through with brand safety concerns.

For example, the Gap, Inc. listing referenced in the article is looking for the following:

• Optimizes traffic, conversion, and ROAS for Gap based on brand, customer, and product growth strategies.
• Hindsights performance on a monthly/ quarterly basis, highlighting opportunities or trends for continuous improvement.
• Defines audience strategy for performance marketing, in concert with brand marketing and direct marketing channels.
• Accountable for leveraging regular reporting/tools to communicate performance to Gap and share with peers at the other Gap Inc brands.
• Develop and execute day in and day out test and learn plan to continuously improve optimize media investments.

Pitfalls like ad fraud, viewability, ad quality and consumer experience, etc., will directly impact this person's ability to determine return on ad spend, improve performance (in a meaningful and legitimate way), and optimize the Gap's investment in digital advertising.

We invite whomever fills this role, or whomever Gap, Inc. designates to ensure the safety of their brand online to become a certified Brand Safety Officer. In fact, please reach out to me directly at jeremy@brandsafetyinstitute.com and we'll make sure you get hooked up.