Why Tim Spengler Picked the Company Redefining the Future of TV Buying in All Its Forms

As our new General Manager of Advanced TV Solutions, Tim Spengler recently joined Amobee like a bolt of lightning, immediately injecting his energetic intensity and ambitious vision into Amobee’s fast-paced culture of innovation. Tim brings with him inestimable value as a former TV guy with extensive brand and agency pedigree and a passionate belief in the converging worlds of TV, CTV, digital, and social. The Amobee team welcomes Tim with open arms, and we look forward to his witty sports analogies and bi-coastal business savvy from many years in Los Angeles and New York. Here’s a little bit about Tim:

What about Amobee inspired you to join us? 

I did a little consulting gig with Amobee over the summer and really enjoyed working with the people here. Amobee is in the hottest space in the media industry. Agencies and clients need an end-to-end solution to navigate the complexity of the advertising ecosystem. They need to tear down their own silos. And Amobee’s got it! Plus, Jack Bamberger told me I didn’t have to wear a collared shirt unless clients do.

In your first few months at Amobee, what’s on your “hit the ground running” list?  

Get to know the team and see what they need to be successful, both individually and collectively. Bring a voice-of-the-customer perspective to our messaging.

You describe yourself as passionate, honest, and empathetic. How do these personal traits influence your management style?

I care about our success and how we can all grow together. My two favorite phrases in business are: “Teams win championships,” and “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same result is the definition of insanity.” I believe in always saying it straight, 100% honest, and as transparent as I can be. It’s all about us as a team. No politics. No BS.

How do you see a company like Amobee redefining the advertiser experience?

Since television was invented in the 1950s, there have been two waves. We’re now entering the third wave. I actually started my career at the dawn of 2.0, the advent of cable. The third iteration of TV is a critically important moment of change for media companies, brands, and agencies as they work through the complexity of the media landscape. This is where Amobee comes in because we have the ability to help them unify and optimize their media investment.

As you transitioned from being a “TV guy” to a more amphibious creature (TV & digital) what’s the biggest advertiser disconnect between these two worlds?

Not understanding that they work best when looked at together. From every angle: content, context, targeting, and attribution. Start speaking the same language and unifying your activity across all forms of TV if you want to win.

What value do the Upfronts provide today’s brands and agencies as they face tremendous pressure to overcome media fragmentation?

Let’s not kill the Upfront, let’s evolve it. Buying TV in reserve when you know what you want and/or need can save huge amounts of money. You can’t blow it off, and you can get hurt if you don’t play in it. But as an industry, we need to change how we leverage this valuable and important futures market.

What career experiences have defined you as a leader?

How you act when things are either really good or really bad. Are you the same person? As a leader? As a teammate? There’s a great Rudyard Kipling quote that’s the last thing tennis players see before heading out to Centre Court at Wimbledon: “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters just the same…” I try to live by those ideals.

What are you streaming these days? 

I’m in a full-on sports mode right now. Like most of you, I was consuming everything last year, particularly if my wife said we should watch it. Back then it was: “After Life,” “The Morning Show,” “Turn,” “Ted Lasso,” and lots of stand-up comedy.

Best business or life advice you’ve ever gotten?

Two great ones: 1) It’s not you, it’s the chair that you are sitting in. And, 2) your network is your net worth. Maybe I am a little bit confused by the contradiction in these two statements…

Top business book that you want everyone to read?

Rishad Tobaccowalla’s new book: “Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Age of Data.” He’s a Publicis Groupe lifer, most recently their Global Chief Strategic Officer, and he’s now considered one of the oracles of the marketing business. I also highly recommend his weekly blog.

 

About Amobee

Founded in 2005, Amobee is an advertising platform that understands how people consume content. Our goal is to optimize outcomes for advertisers and media companies, while providing a better consumer experience. Through our platform, we help customers further their audience development, optimize their cross channel performance across all TV, connected TV, and digital media, and drive new customer growth through detailed analytics and reporting. Amobee is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tremor International, a collection of brands built to unite creativity, data and technology across the open internet.

If you’re curious to learn more, watch the on-demand demo or take a deep dive into our Research & Insights section where you can find recent webinars on-demand, media plan insights & activation templates, and more data-driven content. If you’re ready to take the next step into a sustainable, consumer-first advertising future, contact us today.