There’s an old saying that lightning never strikes the same place twice. Of course, that’s not true and every time there’s a storm, those bright flashes and the rumbling all around us serve as vivid reminders that threats are always lurking. Such is the mindset of any video provider tasked with managing business continuity in an increasingly dynamic, increasingly global, and increasingly volatile marketplace. 

Business continuity strategies in ad tech were put to the test (to say the least) just a few months ago as coronavirus-driven lockdowns sent brands scurrying for the exits. Thousands of cancellation orders were hitting woefully understaffed teams. Some brands wanted to keep their spots but quickly shift their message to match the times. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Manual processes couldn’t keep up. Neither could software, which wasn’t built with these scenarios in mind. The solution? Adapt on the fly, learn from successes and mistakes, then craft a strategy that will better protect from that second lightning strike that’s always potentially just a storm away. 

Some of Imagine’s top takeaways from its experiences helping customers navigate the ad fallout that accompanied initial spread of the pandemic are captured in an article published on July 26, 2020 in Multichannel News by our own Michelle Stone. The piece captures the top six considerations teams must keep in mind when a new crisis suddenly changes the game. 

Managing Ad Shifts When Disaster Strikes
Pandemic presents a volume challenge

Many businesses stared down a massive wall of uncertainty when the realities of COVID-19 started to hit. This resulted in an almost unprecedented exodus from TV advertising as video and content providers grappled with the dichotomy of canceled spots in the face of surging viewership. While their television ad systems could accommodate normal market fluctuations on an as-needed basis, they were not designed to handle enormous volumes that saw thousands of cancellations per day. It was an unanticipated scenario and one made all the more burdensome by manual processes required to make changes and salvage certain bookings.
While the greatest surge in rebookings and cancellations is past us, there remains a continued need for increased agility as conditions change. The lessons learned and counterstrategies developed in the past several months are being continually fine-tuned as content distributors and their partners position to be better prepared for challenges ahead — including a possible resurgence of the disease this fall and the anticipated fits and starts of a return to normalcy over the next two years.

To continue reading, visit Managing Ad Shifts When Disaster Strikes. 

Check out our blog "SAFe PI Planning During a Pandemic: Tips and Tricks from the Trenches" to learn a few tips and tricks on how to stay agile during a global crisis.