A witty and wise conversation with John Vilade, head of sales at Premion, began with a chat about changes in the royal family: as in the old “Content is King” adage…and why John bows to the customer. That led to a deep dive into the “ad-vantages” of streaming media.

John explained new research out of Premion and Advertiser Perceptions that revealed significant trends in ad spend shifting towards streaming and away from traditional media channels and increases in CTV budgets overall. (See links and download their survey results for free, here!)

He has a knack for explaining complex concepts like targeting, programmatic buying, and brand safety in a way that’s warm and relatable. That dovetails with Premion’s goal of simplifying streaming advertising for local and national spot advertisers — acting as a ‘liberator’ for local advertisers, making advanced advertising techniques accessible.

We also touched on the competitive landscape, including how Premion has innovated with their own demand-side platform to enhance inventory acquisition and control. The discussion on FAST channels spotlights just how much they’ve grown (see above: “Customer is the Judge”!) and how crucial they’re becoming for advertisers.

John’s take on the political advertising landscape was interesting especially considering the power of local there, too; he shared more stats and facts from the Premion Political team’s research with Campaigns & Elections.

John’s extensive career journey took him from leveraging his New Jersey roots to land his first ad sales gig in Waco, Texas (you’ll have to hear that story!), on to his impactful roles at NBC (with a nod to David Zaslav for making a smart hire) and then Hulu.

John’s career has kept pace with the dynamic shifts in our industry, leading him to be really savvy about OTT and CTV in today’s market. His jokes about earning his grey hair notwithstanding, he is a bona fide beloved industry resource. But as he explains, he has always been a voracious consumer of trade publications as a way to keep a step ahead, and to help his customers thrive. He’s the right man for the job at Premion, which is part of the larger Tegna organization, home also to LockedOn Podcast Network and more.

On a personal note, I still didn’t get to why John owns a hay farm in Texas but I appreciate that he is a big Dead head! This adds a layer of understanding as to who he is as a person, but it’s his belief in “purpose” (which he defines as maintaining a promise between giver and receiver), whether in business transactions or personal interactions, that reveals just what drives him in life and at work.

John leaves us with valuable advice on career growth (think “empathy”) and staying ahead in the ever-evolving media landscape… oh and which Detroit Tiger player he is cheering on and why!