Interact 2025 is fast approaching - and trust us when we say, this is the must-attend event for anyone invested in the future of digital advertising. On the 20th-21st of May, we’re heading to nHow Brussels, where the heart of the European digital advertising ecosystem will beat louder than ever.
So why should you make sure Interact 2025 is locked into your calendar? Here are five compelling reasons to join us in Brussels for two unforgettable days of insight, inspiration, and interaction.
Under the theme "Digital Skylight – Clarity and Purpose for 2025 and Beyond", Interact 2025 will shine a light on the pressing challenges and emerging opportunities facing our industry today. As we navigate economic uncertainty, regulatory shifts, and fast-paced innovation, this event offers the guidance and vision you need to move forward with confidence.
Expect sharp insights and strategic foresight from industry leaders who are defining the path ahead.
This year’s programme is packed with high-level keynotes, fireside chats, and expert panels that will dive deep into the economic, social, and technological forces shaping the digital advertising landscape.
The agenda kicks off with our Chief Economist Daniel Knapp unveiling the 2025 AdEx Benchmark Results - a not-to-miss session for anyone looking to understand market dynamics across Europe. From there, hear directly from advertisers, publishers, and tech leaders on how they’re building resilient, future-ready strategies, covering key topics such as AI, Retail Media, and more.
👉 Explore the full agenda
👉 Check out the speaker line-up
This isn’t just a sit-back-and-listen kind of event. Interact 2025 is built to be… well, interactive. Our workshops, masterclasses, and the Interactive Zone provide you with the chance to engage directly with experts and peers on topics that matter most - whether it’s AI, measurement, sustainability, curation, or other key topics, we’ve got you covered.
You’ll leave with practical takeaways, new ideas, and maybe even a few answers to those burning questions you’ve been carrying all year.
From our opening evening reception at nHow Brussels to our rooftop closing event at Rooftop 58, Interact 2025 is designed to help you make meaningful connections from start to finish. Whether you're looking to meet new partners, catch up with clients, or spark ideas with fellow thought leaders, the opportunities to connect are endless, throughout the conference agenda and beyond.
Expect both structured networking sessions and casual meet-ups in relaxed, stylish venues.
Interact is more than a conference - it’s a catalyst for change. By uniting agencies, advertisers, publishers, tech providers, and platforms all in one place, we’re fostering the cross-industry collaboration needed to power a thriving digital economy.
Your voice, your ideas, and your presence matter. Join us to help shape what’s next for digital advertising in Europe and beyond.
🎟️ Don’t Miss Out – Secure Your Ticket Today!
Now’s the perfect time to lock in your spot and get ready for an even bigger and better Interact in 2025.
🐣Plus, if you book your ticket by 22nd April using the code EASTERACT10 you can save 10% on tickets.
Still not sure? Check out our 2024 Wrap Blog and Highlights Reel to see what makes Interact the digital advertising event of the year.
See you in Brussels!
Industry leaders from Kraft Heinz, Belgium Media Group ROSSEL, Microsoft, Retail Media Works, and Final Upgrade AI are among the first speakers to be announced for IAB Europe’s annual Digital Advertising and Marketing Conference, Interact in Brussels on 20th - 21st May.
IAB Europe has announced the first confirmed speakers for its annual flagship event Interact 2025. The latest edition of Interact will take place on the 20th-21st of May at the nHow Hotel in Brussels, where leading European advertisers, industry experts, agencies & media owners will gather to innovate, collaborate, and build a thriving digital economy.
With a central theme of ‘Digital Skylight – Clarity and Purpose for 2025 and Beyond’, speakers from Kraft Heinz, ROSSEL, Microsoft, Retail Media Works, Google, Final Upgrade, and more will shine a light on the most pressing challenges and emerging opportunities, equipping businesses and industry leaders with the insights needed to navigate change with confidence.
Join to hear from the following speakers and more:
Putting the ‘interactive’ at the heart of Interact, the two-day event will go beyond traditional speeches and panel discussions to feature a dynamic and engaging programme. Attendees can look forward to inspiring keynotes and fireside chats, where advertisers, publishers, commissioners, and thought leaders will share invaluable insights to help shape the future of digital advertising. The agenda also includes deep-dive discussions through interactive workshops and masterclasses that will tackle key industry topics, including Retail Media, AI, CTV Sustainability, Policy and more, in a hands-on format.
To top it off, the event will offer an enhanced networking experience, and evening receptions designed to spark meaningful conversations and connections.
For more information on Interact 2025 and to view the first line-up of speakers, please visit the event website here.
Registration for the event is available here. Tickets are selling quickly, so secure your place today.
In this week's guest member blog post, we hear from Emma Newman, Chief Revenue Officer at PubMatic as she explores why safeguarding the ad-funded ecosystem is essential for preserving quality content, consumer value, and cultural progress across EMEA and beyond.
We’re living through a seismic shift — not in a sci-fi, robot-apocalypse kind of way, but in a real, tangible erosion of how people find and trust content on the internet.
AI is rapidly reshaping how we access information — and not always for the better. Search behaviours are evolving, publishers are losing traffic, and historical posts are vanishing. Transparency is being sacrificed.
Meanwhile, professional journalism is under siege. Euronews announced nearly 200 layoffs in early 2023, while Germany’s Axel Springer cut around 200 roles and shuttered a third of its regional editions. In Switzerland, Tamedia is laying off almost 300 employees, including 90 editorial staff. These are warning signs.
And here’s the thing: whether or not we reverse this trend has everything to do with advertising.
At PubMatic, we launched the #FundedbyAdvertising movement because we believe — no, we know — that great content, powerful storytelling, and an open internet are worth protecting and supporting. And they are all, quite literally, funded by advertising.
Advertising sustains the journalists who expose corruption. It fuels the creatives behind culture-shaping TV and film. It empowers the platforms that make world-class content accessible to everyone.
This isn’t theoretical — it’s happening every day. WARC projects that global advertising spend will reach $1.07 trillion in 2025, with online-only businesses (excluding major social and search platforms) accounting for $735.7 billion of this total. That’s not just budget — it’s belief. Belief in the value of quality content, in creativity, and in the richness of diverse voices.
GroupM’s Chris Keenan captured this perfectly during our conversation at Advertising Week Europe. Last year, in March, GroupM set out to double its investment in annual media spend in women’s sports advertising. Since launching its dedicated women's sports marketplace, over 20 brands have expanded their investments to prioritise and monetise women's sports. GroupM secured 25 first-to-market opportunities with major media players.
This significant investment marks a milestone for both GroupM and the industry, shifting the focus to deeper engagement, premium content, and innovative advertising strategies. GroupM’s efforts reflect a growing cultural shift towards women's sports, driven by increasing demand and successful ad performance. It opened up new advertising opportunities across broadcast, sponsorships, grassroots, and athlete-owned media. By October, GroupM had already hit their goal.
They didn’t just unlock new revenue streams — they elevated underrepresented athletes, creators, and stories. That’s the kind of impact we’re talking about; new voices, new audiences, new culture… all #FundedbyAdvertising.
Journalism That Holds Power to Account
We also need to talk about journalism — because without it, the internet becomes little more than a noisy comments thread.
Alex Wright from Channel 4 put it starkly at Advertising Week Europe: today’s younger audiences, shaped by algorithms, often don’t know where to find trustworthy content. Channel 4 is proposing a “trust mark” — a way to help audiences identify professional, credible journalism. That’s the kind of innovation we need more of.
At PubMatic, we’re proud to support partners like The Guardian, Schibsted, Le Figaro, El País, Die Zeit, and Le Monde through ethical, privacy-conscious advertising. This work matters — and it needs to be sustained.
The latest study from IAB Europe underscores just how crucial the value exchange is in sustaining the open internet. One stat really hits home: the average European consumer receives €212 worth of free access to digital services each month, largely funded by advertising. That’s a powerful reminder of the core of our industry — advertising fuels the digital services we rely on every day. What’s encouraging is that 60% of consumers believe a ‘pay or consent’ model feels fair, but only when the value exchange is made clear. And that’s where we come in. We have the responsibility to ensure consumers understand the value they’re receiving, and that’s key to preserving the open, free internet we all cherish.
This campaign isn’t just about raising awareness. It’s a call to action — for advertisers, agencies, publishers, and consumers. We must actively support the ecosystem that brings us news, art and entertainment.
Because at the end of the day, the open internet isn’t powered by goodwill alone. It’s #FundedbyAdvertising.
So, let’s celebrate the publishers, journalists, athletes, storytellers, and creators. Let’s invest in the content that shapes our world and the infrastructure that keeps it accessible, affordable, and inclusive.
This is especially vital in the EMEA region, where countries have long been known for their cultural and creative excellence — from groundbreaking journalism to world-renowned music, fashion, and cinema. If we don’t protect and fund this output through sustainable advertising models, we risk becoming not only economically, but also intellectually poorer.
Join us. Share the stories. Champion the cause.
Because when we get this right, we don’t just preserve the internet — we make it better.
CTV trailblazers — if you’re serious about driving real change in Europe’s connected TV landscape, we’ve got one simple question for you: Why aren’t you in this room yet?
Introducing the IAB Europe Connected TV (CTV) Working Group — your new home if you're ready to help shape the future of CTV advertising across Europe.
We’re talking definitions, measurement guidelines, tech standards, and yes — actual, tangible progress. If you've seen what we did with retail media — the frameworks, the cross-industry collaboration, the momentum — you know we mean business.
Now it's CTV's turn.
This group is here to:
Basically, everything needed to help CTV live up to its potential — with a distinctly European voice.
Who should join?
If CTV sits on your roadmap, your budget, or your job title then this group is for you. Whether you're from the buy-side, sell-side, tech, or measurement worlds, this is the room where things are going to happen.
And if you’re not already an IAB Europe member? Now’s the perfect time to fix that. Get in touch to find out how you can get involved through IAB Europe membership. Alongside joining this new Working Group, you’ll unlock access to a whole host of member-only benefits, including:
All included as part of your membership.
Join Us on Our CTV Mission!
If you want to shape the CTV standards that everyone else will be working with, there’s only one place to be. Join the IAB Europe CTV Working Group now. Because if you're not in this group… you’re just watching from the couch.
Want to know more or ready to jump in? Drop us a line at membership [at] iabeurope.eu and let’s talk about how you can get involved.
Personalised ads are a key driver of the free and open Internet as well as a consumer expectation around the basic functionality of how the Internet is expected to work. European consumers derive substantial value from ad-funded online services. On average, they receive €2121 worth of free access to sites and services per month. This includes for instance key services such as news websites, communication platforms or search engines.
If personalised ads are restricted, media owners, advertisers, and intermediaries will face revenue shortfalls. For media owners, this could lead to the introduction of subscription models or paywalls, creating a two-tier internet, free for those who can afford to pay and restricted for everyone else. The impact would extend to the wider European economy, as digital advertising, particularly personalised advertising, provides an affordable and effective way for European businesses, especially smaller ones, to reach new customers. This not only supports business growth but also increases consumer choice.
However, the EU debate over personalised advertising should not be framed as a simple choice between privacy and a free ad-funded internet. A new report from IAB Europe and Kantar Media shows that the picture is more complex. Policymakers should take into account other important factors in their approach to personalised ads, such as consumer convenience, consumer trust and consumer agency.
"The conversation around personalised ads often overlooks the complexity of consumer preferences and trade-offs. IAB Europe’s study highlights the need for a more balanced approach—one that respects privacy while recognising the value that relevant advertising brings to consumers and the internet ecosystem." — Bernd Skiera, Chaired Professor of Electronic Commerce Faculty of Economics and Business, Goethe University Frankfurt
Consumer convenience
When consumers encounter an ad that is helpful to them, over 70% described this as a positive experience. Even among consumers who are in general apprehensive towards ad targeting, 7 out of 10 find it a positive experience when they recall an ad that provided helpful information. This illustrates how well-targeted advertising enhances the user experience. Well-targeted advertising can reduce clutter and increase the likelihood of discovering useful products or services at different prices. When personalised ads miss the mark, they can feel intrusive and annoying—but the issue is not personalisation itself, rather repeated impressions of the same ad or other issues. When done correctly, the research shows personalised ads make the internet experience smoother, more relevant, and more efficient.
Consumer trust
While regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Digital Services Act (DSA) provide a strong framework for protecting user data, 52% of EU consumers are unsure how companies comply with existing privacy laws. Consumers want to feel confident that their data is handled responsibly. The issue is not a lack of rules, but rather that the industry has faced challenges in effectively informing consumers, partly due to regulatory constraints. As our study highlights, improving trust is key but does not come from new regulations rather from better and more flexible implementation of existing laws. If consumers feel that rules are being implemented to address all their interests, confidence in personalised ads will increase. Policymakers should consider how to meet the complex expectations of consumers for more relevant information, consistency, and confidence in how data protection rules are implemented.
Consumer agency
Critics argue that personalised ads are detrimental and that consumers have no real control over how their data is used to target ads. However, this new research shows that when consumers understand how the premium that advertisers pay for targeted advertising increases the likelihood of online services being accessible for no fee, they appreciate the value exchange, free access in return for the use of their data, and the majority (60%) see it as reasonable. Transparency and clear consent options empower users, without dismantling the ad-supported model. Furthermore, consumers trust sites and brands they are familiar with more than others, indicating that meaningful transparency and user control, rather than eliminating personalisation, is the right solution.
The Way Forward
This research shows the need to move beyond the common narrative that processing personal data to inform advertising is a negative thing for consumers. Effective protection and control of personal data can coexist with affordability and consumer convenience. The existing legislative framework, comprising the DSA, GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive can provide a mechanism to effectively combine both imperatives. For instance, the GDPR establishes clear principles for personal data processing, requiring transparency, consent, and purpose limitation. The DSA complements this via accountability and transparency measures in the ad supply chain.
Policymakers must reflect on these findings and explore ways to allow for more flexibility so that regulation operates in step with consumer expectations and commercial realities. Prioritising effective and risk-based implementation over additional legislation is the right starting point and will help create a balanced framework that protects privacy while preserving consumer choice and control, and the sustainably funded internet.
You can find our full study under this link.
Footnotes
Brussels, Belgium, 8th April 2025 – A new study by IAB Europe, conducted by leading research firm Kantar, reveals fresh insights into how European consumers perceive online advertising, data privacy, and the trade-offs that sustain free digital services. As debates around privacy regulation and the future of digital advertising continue, the research highlights a key reality: while consumers want control over their data, they also recognise the value of an ad-supported internet.
The study surveyed internet users aged 16 and above across 12 European markets to ensure a representative sample of EU consumers. A total of 10,500 interviews were conducted—1,000 in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Czechia, and Belgium, and 500 in Denmark, the Republic of Ireland, and Norway.
The research findings revealed that the average European consumer receives €212 worth of free online services per month, including essential tools such as search engines, email, and news platforms. While privacy is a top concern, 60% of consumers believe a “pay or consent” model is reasonable when they understand the value exchange involved.
Commenting on the findings, IAB Europe’s CEO, Townsend Feehan said, “This study highlights that, seven years after the GDPR went into effect, EU consumers show good levels of awareness that the law gives them rights and choices, places obligations on the companies that process their data, and provides for sanctions in case of non-compliance. This is how GDPR was supposed to work – empowering users to make choices on the basis of information, with a high baseline level of data protection. This said, the survey shows frustration with the daily experience of trying to exercise choice, concern about whether the rules are being effectively enforced, and a gap between consumers’ abstract preference for relevant ads and their recall of ads that actually were. So clearly, there are some important go-dos for both industry and regulators.”
A Digital Economy Built on Value Exchange
Digital services are deeply embedded in everyday life, with millions relying on ad-funded online services for communication, entertainment, and information. It is no wonder that consumers would miss these services if they were no longer available to them for free. However, many consumers are unaware of the economic model that sustains these services.
The research shows that consumers appreciate the benefits of free access, they also recognise the potential downsides if personalised advertising were restricted - such as paywalls, reduced content quality, and limited accessibility. Moreover, when consumers learned that advertisers pay more for personalised ads - helping to keep these services free - more of them saw consent as a fair value exchange.
The Role of Personalised Advertising
Consumers have clear expectations when it comes to digital advertising: ads should be relevant, non-intrusive, and add value to their online experience. The study finds that:
However, when personalised ads miss the mark - such as showing ads for products consumers have already purchased - they quickly become a source of frustration.
Policy Recommendations
To translate the findings of this study into actionable change, IAB Europe has developed a series of policy recommendations outlined in the report.
Key recommendations include:
A Sustainable Future for Digital Advertising
As the EU continues shaping digital policies, IAB Europe urges policymakers and industry leaders to consider consumer sentiment alongside economic realities. With the right balance, the industry can ensure that online services remain accessible, privacy-conscious, and economically viable for the long term.
The full report can be viewed on IAB Europe’s website here and you can view an overview of the insights in our short animated video here. For more information, join the IAB Europe & Kantar Webinar on 15th April at 15:00 CET where industry experts will discuss the implications of the study’s findings for the EU’s digital future. Register here to secure your spot.
Get ready for Interact 2025, our flagship event taking place 20th - 21st May in Brussels, Belgium, where industry leaders and innovators will gather to explore the future of digital advertising. This year’s agenda is packed with thought-provoking discussions, hands-on workshops, and expert-led masterclasses designed to equip you with the insights you need to stay ahead in an evolving landscape.
Here’s a snapshot of some of the exciting things we have planned on the agenda:
Mainstage Morning: Visionary Keynotes
The day will kick off with keynote presentations from leaders both within and outside the industry, offering fresh perspectives on the forces shaping digital advertising. Expect insights from industry experts including:
Keep your eyes peeled for more speakers to be announced very soon…
Afternoon Workstreams: Deep Dives into Key Topics with Round Table Masterclasses & Workshops
The afternoon will see attendees breaking into dedicated workstreams, featuring four in-depth workshops and a series of masterclasses:
Inspiring & Informative Workshops
Masterclasses: Expertise on Critical Topics
Complementing the main agenda, Interact 2025 will also feature a series of masterclasses focusing on some of the most pressing topics in digital advertising, including:
Join the Conversation
Interact 2025 promises to be an unmissable event for anyone invested in the future of digital advertising. Whether you're looking to gain strategic insights, engage in hands-on learning, or network with industry peers, this is the place to be.
Visit our event page here, stay tuned for more updates, and secure your spot here today!
Want to be part of the agenda? Connect with us to explore partnership opportunities for Interact 2025. Reach out to Helen at mussard@iabeurope.eu to learn how you can get involved!
With the Retail Media landscape constantly growing, a shared understanding of key concepts is essential in helping industry professionals to navigate it. To support this, we’ve released an updated version of our Retail & Commerce Media Glossary and the Retail & Commerce Media Definitions One Pager. These resources offer clear, pan-European definitions to help standardise the language around Retail Media in digital advertising and promote industry-wide alignment.
This update builds upon the definitions first introduced in IAB Europe’s 101 Guide to Retail Media, ensuring they remain relevant, comprehensive, and adaptable to this continually evolving space.
We extend our gratitude to IAB Australia for allowing us to adapt their Glossary, and to our Retail & Commerce Media Committee members, whose insights and expertise have helped shape this valuable resource:
Access the updated Glossary here and the Definitions One Pager here.
For more information on IAB Europe’s Retail and Commerce Media work and how you can get involved, please visit our Retail Media Hub here, or contact Marie-Clare Puffett at puffett@iabeurope.eu.
Sustainability is no longer a choice - it’s a necessity. As the digital advertising industry works toward reducing its environmental impact, access to smart, effective tools is critical. That’s why we’re excited to introduce LEAF, a suite of powerful utilities designed to help advertisers, agencies, ad tech providers, and publishers measure and reduce their carbon footprint.
Why LEAF?
LEAF provides a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to integrate sustainability into their digital ad strategies. With LEAF, you can:
Innovative Tools for Smarter Advertising
LEAF includes IAB Europe sustainability solutions such as:
And this is just the beginning! With more utilities set to be added, LEAF is a game-changer for companies committed to sustainable digital advertising.
How to Join LEAF
LEAF is designed to be accessible to the entire digital advertising ecosystem. IAB Europe members can enjoy free access, while National IAB and Federation members benefit from exclusive discounted rates. Non-members can also join with a standard fee.
Take the Next Step Toward Sustainable Advertising
Learn more about LEAF here, explore our FAQs, and start making a difference today.
Register for LEAF to join here!
Brussels, Belgium, 3rd April 2025 – IAB Europe, the European-level industry association for the digital marketing and advertising ecosystem, today announced the introduction of LEAF, a suite of utilities designed to support the reduction of environmental impact in digital advertising campaigns. Developed as a centralised hub, LEAF empowers stakeholders within the ecosystem to monitor and improve the environmental impact of their campaigns.
As sustainability is increasingly prioritised as a media investment consideration, LEAF provides an easy way for advertisers, agencies, ad tech, and publishers to stay updated on industry standards and best practices. Powered by the learnings and outputs of IAB Europe’s Sustainability Standards Committee, it houses solutions that can support meaningful action.
IAB Europe’s CEO, Townsend Feehan commented on the new suite, saying “With LEAF, we are providing businesses with the practical tools they need to estimate and reduce emissions while maintaining the efficiency and effectiveness of digital advertising. IAB Europe is committed to driving industry-wide progress, and LEAF is a significant step in supporting stakeholders on their sustainability journey.”
Steffen Johan Hubert, Associate Director & Sustainability Lead at ProSiebenSat.1, and Chair of IAB Europe’s Sustainability Standards Committee also commented, “Sustainability in digital advertising often stumbles over two things: limited trust in the available data and a lack of accessible, transparent ways to engage with the topic. With LEAF, we’re introducing a solution that combines technological precision with ESG relevance – giving the industry the tools and confidence it needs to take measurable, meaningful action.”
Key Features of LEAF:
LEAF houses several of IAB Europe’s sustainability utilities, including:
With more utilities coming soon, LEAF is a key platform for businesses looking to embed sustainability into their digital advertising strategies.
Get Involved
IAB Europe invites all stakeholders to explore LEAF and take the next step toward a more sustainable digital advertising ecosystem.
LEAF’s pricing structure is designed to be inclusive, offering free access to IAB Europe members, discounted rates for members of National IABs and Federations, and a standard fee for non-members.
For more information, visit IAB Europe’s website here, FAQs here, or contact our team at leaf@iabeurope.eu.
Anastasiya Baydachenko, CEO of IAB Ukraine continues to share her firsthand experiences of navigating the digital advertising industry in Ukraine during wartime. Each month she shares insights into the challenges, resilience, and innovation she and her team experience and how they are shaping the industry in unprecedented times.
As they say, for several weeks, we have been living in a truce, with no attacks on energy facilities or civilians. This is a very reassuring message for the Western audience, creating the illusion of peacemaking and diplomatic efforts. But how are things really going in Ukraine during the truce?
Indeed, there have been no strategic aviation flights for several weeks. But as we say in Ukraine if there are none, then they are preparing. Instead, the enemy has chosen a new tactic, when a large number of drones simultaneously attack a regional center or a strategically important large city. For a long time, drones attacked mainly Kyiv and eastern cities, occasionally moving deep into the country, now they are attacking unexpected targets, and the worst thing is that these cities are far from ready to repel such attacks. A massive drone attack cannot be effectively repelled only by the mobile groups themselves, there must also be air defense, which is lacking throughout the country. And ballistic strikes, unfortunately, are still happening.
In reality, such “peace” attacks end with hits or falling debris on civilian infrastructure and houses. All this happens at night, so the phrase 'the night is dark and full of terrors' best describes the realities of the everyday life of Ukrainians. Every night, if you wake up and it’s quiet, it only means that another city took the hit, not that there was no hit. Every night means someone will lose their life, a roof over their head, a business - or just glass in the windows, as the best option. When you read in the morning that a warehouse, a shop, or a non-residential building has burned down, you say – it’s good that everyone is alive. A lot of people die in their beds or without being able to escape from a fire, which often starts with falling debris or an explosion. The enemy reports that it hit an ammunition depot, a decision-making centre, or a military facility.
Last Thursday, we were supposed to broadcast “Women in Digital,” a live broadcast dedicated to the problems of women building a career in the digital industry. But on Sunday, 23rd March, we learned that drone debris had fallen into our studio, where we broadcast from. Isn’t it a strategic military facility? All the windows and doors in the building were blown out, and the studio where the filming was taking place was damaged. Fortunately, we managed to find a replacement, and still went on the air quickly.
However, this situation made it clear how illusory any planning is in the realities of war when a missile or drone can fall on the location of an event or conference, injure a speaker or broadcast team, or a hostile attack on power plants across the country will lead to an emergency blackout and it will not be possible to go on the air at all.
And on the one hand, we have coped, and, of course, we must be ready to quickly find a way out of such crises, and not fold our paws and let the storm drown us. But honestly, we just want to work calmly and rest a little, focusing on routine planned tasks, and not be a hybrid of a crisis manager, superwoman, and four-armed Lakshmi all the time.
Ukrainians know better than anyone that 'the night is dark and full of terrors'. Each of these horrors has its sound and we have learned to distinguish them and assign them a level of danger.
But we dream of silence at night.
In recognition of International Women’s Day 2025, IAB Europe is celebrating the incredible women who help shape our organisation and industry. This year’s theme, ‘Accelerate Action’, reflects the drive, dedication, and leadership that fuel progress within our business and beyond.
Throughout March, we’re highlighting the diverse roles, experiences, and achievements of the women at IAB Europe.
Today, we’re welcoming Marie-Clare Puffett to the blog. Based in Northampton in the UK, Marie-Clare is our Industry Development & Insights Director, tasked with leading our industry engagement and initiatives within key work tracks such as Retail Media, as well as our research and insights outputs. Marie-Clare has been at IAB Europe for over 12 years and when she isn’t deeply involved in industry initiatives, she enjoys good thriller novels, walking her dog Teddy and spending time with her very active four-year-old daughter. Here’s what she has to say.
Q. In your view, how has the digital advertising industry evolved in terms of gender equality and diversity?
When I initially joined the industry, it was not uncommon to see all-male panels at industry events. Over the past 7-8 years, however, there has been a significant push from all sectors of the industry to ensure equal and diverse representation on panels. Nonetheless, I believe there is still progress to be made in achieving greater diversity in leadership roles within the industry.
Q. How do you stay motivated and inspired in a fast-evolving industry like digital advertising?
I find digital advertising a very inspiring industry to be in which keeps me motivated in itself. There are so many innovations happening and new products and services being developed across the industry and being able to represent lots of these companies as members makes it very exciting!
Q. What more can companies in our industry do to support and advance women in leadership roles?
Female-led networks like ‘Women in Retail Media’ or ‘Women in Programmatic’ are instrumental. They provide a collaborative platform where women can share insights, support each other, and find inspiration from those who have already paved the way. These networks can be a powerful motivator for women aiming for leadership roles, showcasing success stories and creating a sense of community.
I also think that mentorship programmes, whether within corporate structures or independently organised, play a crucial role in this ecosystem. They offer personalised guidance, help navigate career challenges, and provide role models who can offer invaluable advice and encouragement.
You can read more Q&A blogs from our 'Spotlighting the Women of IAB Europe' series here.
