Pooja Midha has been a former Comcast client, a technology partner, and is now part of the Comcast Advertising family as chief growth officer.

Q: Why did you decide to join the Comcast Advertising team?

A: In many ways, I feel like my entire professional path has led me here. My career “north star” has always focused on industry transformation, whether overseeing advanced advertising initiatives at media companies like Viacom and ABC, or leading true[X], an advertising technology company. I am fascinated by how viewing and distribution are shifting, how performance is being redefined, and how data and technology are reshaping everything. I believe Comcast is in a unique position to propel change, and more than that, we’re doing it! So, I was more than excited to join Comcast Advertising as chief growth officer. I’ve been a customer, a tech partner, and now in this third stage of my journey, I’m part of the team.

Q: Tell us more about your role as chief growth officer.

A: My role spans all of Comcast Advertising, including Effectv, its advertising sales division, and FreeWheel, its media and technology arm. Broadly, I’ll be working with the team on the evolution of our strategic vision to drive growth and maximize the value of the company’s products within the changing television advertising ecosystem. I’ll directly manage the global marketing team, including all traditional marketing functions, as well as our new sales development organization, and partner with business leads on go-to-market efforts. The common thread is that all of the work is about creating and deploying clear, compelling, strategic and impactful work that considers the perspective of our customers in order to drive growth for our business. While some of the responsibilities are similar to a CMO role, as the title and broad remit suggest, Comcast Advertising believes marketing is a catalyst for revenue growth and commercial success.

Q: What are the biggest trends shaping the advertising industry?

A: The television advertising industry is going through rapid transformation. We’re moving from a world where advertising was anchored to content, to one transacting on audiences. We’re moving from measuring success based on traditional media metrics, to more sophisticated brand metrics and ROI. And we’re moving from a linear TV dominant world to one where cross-screen viewing is the norm. At the same time, we’re seeing the use of data and automation upending the way buyers and sellers of media do business. It’s a lot of change, and it’s happening quickly. That’s what makes it so challenging, and so exciting!

Q: How is Comcast positioned to respond to these trends?

A: As these changes continue to unfold, I don’t think any company is better positioned than Comcast to deliver the solutions that advertisers will need now and in the future. We are bringing together linear TV and streaming in an intelligent, audience-based offering that brings maximum value to both advertisers and media companies. From a media perspective, Comcast has one of the largest pools of premium, cross-screen inventory available. And from a tech perspective, our technology is built on the principle of interoperability, which allows both flexibility and scale for our clients, helping to connect buyers and sellers in any way they choose to transact. And, at the same time, the company is being incredibly thoughtful about data.

Another important differentiator is our business philosophy, which is built around industry collaboration and innovation. The examples are too numerous to list, but they include our efforts to galvanize the industry around addressable TV standards and enablement, the launch of companies like Blockgraph to help with the secure use of data, and initiatives to drive innovation in measurement that align with changes in video consumption. Comcast is constantly pushing the industry forward.

Q: What will it take for advertising to continue to evolve in the coming years?

A: There is so much possibility ahead. Current trends such as linear and digital video convergence, cross-platform viewing, and the explosion of streaming will only accelerate. For advertising to thrive, we need to continue to innovate and ensure that the three main constituents of the industry – advertisers and their brands, media companies and content owners, and last, but certainly not least, consumers – all share in the value that’s being created. We succeed as an industry when we make things that work for all three constituents. I look forward to continuing my journey and being a part of the work to make that happen in my new role at Comcast.