Digiday has certainly come a long way over the past few years, becoming one of the key sites out there for digital and marketing news. And now it’s got someone who will take its marketing to new heights.
Paul Kontonis has become the Chief Marketing and Communications officer for the site, prepared to assist with taking it to new heights. We recently had a chance to catch up with him about his new position, as well as the challenges that lie within it.
First of all, we talked about what initially brought him to the site. “I have been a reader of Digiday for a few years now and have always enjoyed their coverage of modern media and marketing,” he said. “They confront the underlying truths, trends and issues facing brands, agencies and publishers.”
Regarding his new role, Kontonis stated that “my focus will be on building the Digiday brand and influence across all forms of media. We have amazing editorial that is matched by impressive events and meaningful awards programs so we have a lot to offer our consumers.”
And even though Digiday has come a long way over the past few years, there’s plenty of room for it to grow. “The Digiday brand is about honesty over spin, curiosity and tenacity. I see the brand as a true resource and authority in the world of digital media by a becoming the gathering point for influencers and enthusiasts alike online and in real life,” he said.
As for what brand and agency sides should be paying attention to when it comes to the marketing game, Kontonis stated, “Ad blocking is definitely a big issue that is not getting talked about enough. Tim Armstrong just said this week during Advertising Week, ‘Ad blocking is a definitive sign that marketers have to get our butt in gear.’ He was referring to the media industry as a whole with the ‘our butt’ comment.”
Not only are the websites evolving, but also relationships when it comes to brands, agencies and publishers, according to Kontonis. “Brands, agencies and publishers can be friends, lovers, enemies or strangers depending on the moment and sometimes they are all at once. Our editorial team, led by Brian Morrissey, tries to keep them all honest and highlight the success, failures and misfirings in a way to help them better navigate their interconnected businesses. It’s a unforgiving task at times but someone has to do it.”
You can check out Kontonis’ work along with the rest of the Digiday staff at this link. We’d like to congratulate him on the new position!
