{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/623868eda3a78c0012e30622/6a4e0b92ad78abcff10c042c?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"TWICM 204: Why Simplicity Wins in Ad Tech with Limelight Founder James MacDonald","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/623868eda3a78c0012e30622/1783499976667-73fe8ca7-6461-4331-96c3-9851f92121dd.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>James MacDonald, Founder of Limelight, joins That’s What I Call Marketing to discuss programmatic advertising, building a global ad tech business, AI and why simplicity still matters for marketers today.</p><p><br></p><p>This episode explores the journey from Fleet Street advertising sales to modern programmatic technology, through a practical conversation about risk, reinvention, customer focus, remote culture and building technology that solves real problems.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, we cover:</p><p>– What Fleet Street taught James about sales, resilience and asking for the business</p><p>– Why helping people buy is more powerful than pushing people to buy</p><p>– How James identified the gap that led to Limelight</p><p>– Why programmatic advertising still needs simplicity, support and better execution</p><p>– How Limelight thinks about AI, interoperability and the importance of human judgement</p><p>– What it takes to build and maintain a strong remote culture across a global team</p><p><br></p><p>A useful listen for marketers interested in ad tech, programmatic advertising, AI in marketing, founder stories, sales, customer success, remote teams and building through change.</p><p><br></p><p>That’s What I Call Marketing is the podcast for marketers who care about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession.</p><p><br></p><p>Follow the show for more conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, professors, authors, thinkers and practitioners.</p><p><br></p><p>Find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.com</p><p><br></p><p>This Cannes Sessions episode is brought to you in partnership with The Digital Voice.</p><p><br></p><p>Find out more at: https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk</p><p><br></p><p>01:38 Starting out on Fleet Street</p><p>03:19 What early sales teaches you</p><p>04:35 From eggs to advertising</p><p>06:27 Helping people buy, not pushing a sale</p><p>07:04 Mentors, mistakes and learning through failure</p><p>07:11 Starting again and founding Limelight</p><p>09:31 Finding the right business partner</p><p>10:59 Identifying the gap in programmatic</p><p>12:00 Building the Limelight platform</p><p>14:00 Taking risks as a founder</p><p>15:59 Building culture as the company grows</p><p>16:42 Running a fully remote global business</p><p>18:17 What Limelight does</p><p>20:49 How people discover Limelight</p><p>22:16 Listening to customers and building the product</p><p>23:33 AI, human judgement and interoperability</p><p>26:05 Why simplicity matters in technology</p>","author_name":"Conor Byrne"}