Women in the C-Suite: Cadent’s Jamie Power Demystifies Addressable TV, And More

Cadent’s Jamie Power is an inspiring example of women in the STEM C-Suite. Catalina CMO Marta Cyhan recently hosted the Chief Data Officer and Head of Platform Solutions at a company all-staff where Power shared insights about staying on trend with your career, women’s paths to promotion, the future of addressable TV, and keeping sane during a pandemic. Here’s an excerpt of their conversation appropriately held on International Women’s Day.

Cyhan: How have you always stayed on trend throughout your career?

Power: My mom told me that even when I was younger I always was looking to learn the next thing. In my career I like feeling uncomfortable because it means I'm learning something new. When I started in media I just kept asking for more accounts. I also figured out that new business was a good way to get access to senior executives. I was able to sit in the room and listen to the way they were thinking.

As a 24-year-old media planner within a giant group, I found a TV optimization tool that no one used. It basically showed you how to optimize a brand to deliver reach in the most efficient way. Irwin Gotlieb, who later became Global Chairman of Group M, wrote that program. On my own time I figured out how to use it and then volunteered for every single new business pitch. I became the go-to girl in my cubicle on a Friday night until 4 AM.

Cyhan: Did you have mentors who guided different parts of your career?

Power: Having access to Irwin Gotlieb was amazing. He was a very methodical man; he arrived at the office every single day at 7:53 AM. I made sure I was there to try to ride the elevator with him or when he took his lunch break. I tried to create organic situations where I could ask a question. He always took the time to explain.

I co-founded Modi Media with Mike Polonia, who was one of the early minds of addressable TV. He taught me to keep it simple and not overcomplicate things.

On a personal level, my mom and my grandmother taught me how to get it done along with a network of bad-ass friends who also work in media.

Cyhan: Do you think it's important for women in media – or any profession -- to try new tools and take on more responsibilities before they feel absolutely ready to?

Power: Yes, I’ve done that my entire career. When they named me Modi’s head of addressable television, I had never touched an addressable television campaign in my life. But I knew how to ask questions. You have to grow into every job you get.

Cyhan: How has the pandemic changed your approach to life? I’ve gone from a refrigerator full of wine and cheese to one that’s full of vegetables and fruits and meat. What’s different for you?

Power: I’ve learned not to put added pressure on yourself. Find your support system, whether it’s FaceTime or Seamless. I think my son probably will look back and think this is the most amazing time because he got to play outside with kids, mommy was always home, and he understands my job because we talk about it. Skip the guilt and keep moving. Everyone’s doing their best.

Cyhan: How can we help get women into more leadership positions and how can women help other women do that? I’ve had to learn where to put my energy and how to focus on the right things.

Power: This isn't going to work for everyone, but for me it was earning access. Whenever I could learn something and then master it, that gave me confidence. Early in my career I was a sponge; I thought I would be the researcher in the back of the room. Over time, I realized once you have that expertise, you shouldn’t be afraid to speak up.

Cyhan: How has your role in the industry evolved into Chief Data Officer?

Power: My focus is on how to make data actionable for a client. How can a client take their data or use third-party datasets to drive their business and learn from it?

Cyhan: Addressable TV at first seems complicated, and you've been on the forefront of making it simple. How?

Power: When I first went into client meetings, I would literally pretend that I was either talking to my grandmother or my son, Liam. Now I explain it by saying addressable television aggregates audiences across screens. Instead of buying against a traditional demographic, you're buying against switchers in the soup category, for example. On the backend, you can measure the impact.

Cyhan: What’s your perspective on partnering with Catalina?

Power: Shopping and media behaviors are dramatically different than a year ago. My refrigerator has shifted from take-out boxes to an episode of “Hoarders” because I'm ordering all this food from the grocery store. I'm a 40-year-old woman so you wouldn't expect me to watch television like a tween. But I watch really simple television like “The Gilmore Girls.”

Now, an identity graph can track me to all my different screens and then bump it up against Catalina to see how my shopping behavior has changed. Bringing this data together is the way forward. The power of Catalina being able to help us measure the impact across those different screens is incredible. We can tell a client we're learning which levers to pull against which KPI with powerful data analytics on the backend, driven by Catalina. Together, we can change the way that television is bought, sold, and measured. TV 2.0 is finally happening.

Cyhan: What early trends are you seeing in TV that you think will change the market?

Power: I think things will change more this year than they have in the last 50 years. You'll be able to create your own skinny bundle of content. Over time, walled gardens will start to break down because advertisers want to be able to holistically understand their schedule. Finally, we will continue to need transparency. We have the tools to be able to understand unduplicated reach and frequency across all these different screens. When clients get overwhelmed with all the changes, I explain this is what we can do today -- and it's pretty awesome.

About Jamie Power
Before Cadent, Power cofounded one2one Media, and she was a founding member and Managing Partner at MODI Media, GroupM’s Advanced Television group. Jamie began her career at GroupM’s MEC. She has received many TV and advertising industry honors, including Multichannel News Wonder Woman and Digital All-Star, GABBCON Media Executive of the Year, and Cynopsis Top Women in Digital.

To hear a discussion between Jamie Power and Brian Dunphy, Catalina’s SVP of Digital Business & Strategic Partnerships, on how best to reach and engage TV audiences today and in the future, visit The Latest - Thought Leadership | Catalina.