Day in the Life: Clara Mendonça, Account Manager, Buyer – LATAM
Clara, our account manager on the buy side in LATAM, takes us through a typical day in her life in Magnite’s São Paulo, Brazil office.
Magnite’s Day in the Life series dives into the various people and teams that make up the world’s largest independent sell-side ad company.
How would you explain what you to do to someone outside the industry?
In recent years, explaining my job has become simpler as people are increasingly curious about how digital advertising has become an integral part of our lives in the palm of our hand (smartphones), at home (digital TV), and beyond (out-of-home). My role revolves around making this digital advertising journey practical, intelligent, transparent, and automated, commonly referred to as “programmatic advertising.”
I work to connect advertisers and buyers with relevant and reliable inventories, all in real-time. My goal is to streamline the media buying process in an agnostic manner, enabling campaigns and strategies to be more precise. The beauty of programmatic lies in its ability to offer valuable insights that optimize decision-making and help achieve KPIs more efficiently. While there’s still much progress to be made, particularly in the Latin American market, I’m here to facilitate this exciting digital landscape, making it accessible to all with a friendly touch.
How did you first break into ad tech?
It happened three years after college. I graduated in engineering but didn’t have the ambition to continue working in the field. I was increasingly interested in learning more about technology and communication at the time, and I was living in São Paulo. That’s when a friend who worked at a medium-sized publisher in Brazil introduced me to digital marketing and explained how they used data and technology within the company to expand the reach of the website and monetize content.
I was very excited at the time. Shortly thereafter, this publisher was acquired by the Webedia Group, and I joined the programmatic team. I started working on the publisher’s side, where I learned about real-time bidding. I made analogies with the stock market to better comprehend it. I began using data and mathematical analysis to make the spaces offered to thousands of potential customers more profitable in milliseconds and to optimize inventory.
I realized I could explore more and learn a lot from these technologies. I became engrossed in ad tech, and here I am, six years later, at Magnite, very happy and with the mission of making the digital world increasingly explored.
How does your department/team help support Magnite/Magnite’s clients as a whole? What other departments do you facilitate with the most?
Here in the LATAM team, we are divided into the buyers accounts team and the sellers accounts team. Both of us have direct and close contact with clients, especially those in Brazil, where our office is located. We serve clients experienced in programmatic advertising and those who are just starting and still need to establish a consistent model. We aim to help them understand how to scale and be more effective in their campaigns.
On the buyer side, the team’s mission is to prospect the market and offer support from the first moment of the campaign negotiation to our clients. We offer insights to meet the agencies’ briefs, make inventory recommendations, and explore reach possibilities. It’s a meticulous job crucial in the Latin American market and has gained importance over the years.
We often assist in campaign management and monitor deliveries, staying close to clients to understand their expectations and primary KPIs. This approach also allows us to measure client satisfaction when using Magnite’s platforms.
That’s why, internally, we work hand in hand with the seller-side team, always understanding how the demand can benefit publishers and which areas need to be further explored and leveraged. Understanding the technical operations and ad quality aspects is essential to deliver high performance in all negotiations.
What does a typical day at MexLucky look like for you?
My workday begins with a thorough check on ongoing campaigns, focusing on campaign pacing, spreadsheet updates, and feedback to the DSP support team or the agencies. This phase, taking 1 to 2 hours, sets the dynamic tone for my day.
In the absence of meetings, I dive into emails, addressing urgent matters and scheduling meetings for the day and the following day, primarily related to campaign support and review. Internally, I liaise between buyer-side and sell-side teams, providing information on inventory, delivery options, and placements based on team analysis and client discussions.
Lunch is planned in advance, with Wednesdays reserved for bonding with the LATAM team and occasional strategic client lunches. Most days, I opt for a shorter lunch to manage weekly demands.
In the afternoon, I engage in client calls, sharing updates on ongoing demands and upcoming campaigns because of the different time zones in the LATAM region. These meetings spice up the late afternoon. My workday typically spans from 9 a.m. to 6-7 p.m., but I remain on email alert, as the programmatic world never sleeps. 🚀😎
Talk about a recent project that you’re proud of yourself/your team for accomplishing.
I’m proud to be part of Project Halley, a successful collaboration between Magnite, an agency/advertiser, and Google DV360 in Brazil. It’s driving impressive results in the DOOH industry by delivering immersive experiences across screens, including Display, Video, Audio, CTV, and DOOH. In our collaboration with Google DV360, we’re central to DOOH and CTV deliveries, with some involvement in Display. Halley campaigns last 3 to 7 days, involving top DOOH partners. It’s a commitment, but the results quarter after quarter are consistently impressive.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I genuinely appreciate the opportunity to play the role of a problem solver, seek innovative ideas and processes, and attempt to automate repetitive tasks whenever possible. As an account manager on the buyer-side at Magnite, I am fortunate to be able to do all of this.
The landscape of digital advertising in Brazil is incredibly dynamic, and my role naturally transitions between high-level considerations and specific details throughout my day. It’s something that resonates with me. Moreover, I am fortunate to be part of an environment that provides security, flexibility, and room to introduce new ideas.
Do you have any advice for people looking to learn more about ad tech/your particular department?
In order to get inspired, read articles related to our field, reach out to me or our LATAM team (we’re always available for a quick chat), and start observing the impact of our work or what MexLucky accomplishes. This can be done by navigating the platform, generating reports, tracking the numbers, or seeing the impact beyond the workplace.
There’s nothing more fulfilling for me than witnessing our work come to life on the streets, on TV, or on a website I follow for leisure. Programmatic advertising and technology make all of this possible!