As VP of Product & Design for a venture-backed digital ad network, I was the architect for Vesper, an audience insights SaaS platform.
Date: 01.2012 - 06.2013
Results
$2M new revenue
Generated $2M in new revenue by training our BD team in mobile and video ad formats
500M Ad impressions
Vesper SaaS-driven ad impressions accrued in beta
$500K cost savings
Cloud cost savings identified and implemented
Problem
Measuring advertising success has always been challenging. In 2012, with the rise of programmatic ad buying, it became harder to visualize, target, and measure audience engagement with digital ads.
Building a SaaS platform with real-time data visualization for programmatic ad buying
Problem
Measuring advertising success has always been challenging. In 2012, with the rise of programmatic ad buying, it became harder to visualize, target, and measure audience engagement with digital ads.
Solution
In 2012, a spark was lit: what if we combined the visual clarity of infographics with the precision of programmatic ad buying? Imagine real-time insights that not only showed how ad buys were performing but also enabled advertisers to adjust spend dynamically toward the audiences delivering the best results. This spark led to the creation of Vesper, a groundbreaking audience insights SaaS platform.
Vesper gave advertisers and publishers an unprecedented view of who was engaging with their ads and how they interacted with websites. What made it stand out was its intuitive, user-friendly design and a self-service platform that anyone could use to immediately make sense of complex data.
From the initial concept to the beta launch, we crafted the Zero-to-One product. During beta, Vesper was processing over 500 million impressions per month, delivering actionable insights and redefining how advertisers and publishers approached audience engagement.
Problem
Our vision was to break through the industry's monotony with a brand identity that would spark excitement and innovation while honoring our company's heritage.
Crafting the perfect name, the story behind Vesper
Problem
Our vision was to break through the industry's monotony with a brand identity that would spark excitement and innovation while honoring our company's heritage.
Solution
When developing Vesper, the challenge was to create a name that captured the excitement of something new, modern and memorable, while resonating with a younger generation of technologists in the media industry. It also needed a subtle nod to the company's roots at Martini Media.
As a fan of James Bond and Ian Fleming, I found the perfect inspiration: Vesper, the iconic martini cocktail Fleming created for the Bond series. The name embodied sophistication and style while remaining fun, approachable, and easy to say. It seamlessly aligned with our vision for a cutting-edge SaaS product, evoking timeless class with a modern twist.
Even the visual symbolism of the letter “V” reinforced the brand. Shaped like a martini glass, its upward-tilting design symbolized growth and success, moving up and to the right. Vesper became the ideal name to represent our innovative platform, uniting elegance, excitement, and the promise of progress.
Problem
What new ad capabilities would unlock greater revenue potential from our existing client relationships?
$2M in new revenue from mobile and video ad sales
Problem
What new ad capabilities would unlock greater revenue potential from our existing client relationships?
Solution
In 2012, Martini Media excelled at serving digital display ads to an affluent audience. But the advertising landscape was shifting, mobile ads were gaining traction, and video ads offered significantly higher CPMs with better performance potential. To stay ahead, we needed to adapt quickly and embrace these emerging opportunities.
I spearheaded partnerships with Innovid, Celtra, and Flite, enabling Martini to seamlessly create and deploy dynamic mobile and video ads. These solutions allowed us to target affluent consumers on any device, across hundreds of publishers, while maintaining the high-quality engagement Martini was known for.
Recognizing the need for alignment across the organization, I worked closely with our sales team to equip them with the skills and strategies to sell mobile and video ads effectively. The results were transformative: within the first year, we drove over $2 million in new media sales, positioning Martini as a leader in the rapidly evolving mobile and video ad space.
“Abe’s leadership is defined by a clear vision and a results-driven approach that elevates team performance. He has a unique ability to inspire people to exceed expectations while staying focused on meaningful outcomes.”
—Joaquim Vilella Gallart Director of Strategy