Keeping It Real With B2BMX Speaker Edwin Wong Of BuzzFeed

b2bmx_blog-header_kir-wong-buzzfeed

The speaker lineup for 2018’s B2B Marketing Exchange is better than ever (and growing)! We wanted to take some time to really get to know these industry powerhouses before they hit the stage in Scottsdale in February.

This week, we sat down with another new member of the B2BMX community, Edwin Wong. At B2BMX in February, he will take the stage to share new research BuzzFeed conducted with Omnicom Media Group called Next Level Native, which explores consumers’ engagement habits and perceptions of native advertising by understanding the consumer experience and demonstrating why advertisers need it.

Wong is the VP of Research and Insights for BuzzFeed, and leads research efforts to identify key trends in consumer behavior and helps advertisers capitalize on these trends to effectively connect with their core audiences. Learn more about Wong and get a sneak peek into his session at B2BMX below!

B2BMX: Tell us about your role at BuzzFeed and how you help your advertisers connect with their core audiences? 

Edwin Wong: I run BuzzFeed’s Research and Insights. That opportunity affords me the ability to help our editors, content creators and product builders create the most sharable and amazing content on the internet. On the more sales-focused side, we help advertisers understand why BuzzFeed matters, how to optimize for the best performance, and measure and track the effectiveness of their campaigns. We also create case studies and thought leadership [content] that make the industry think about advertising, targeting and engagement with consumers in a different way.

B2BMX: In your presentation abstract, you mentioned that the topic of native advertising brings confusion to B2B consumers and advertisers. Why is that the case? 

EW: Simply, native is understood as a format when its philosophy [is geared] towards advertising. Just because an ad looks the part doesn’t necessarily mean it acts the part. Consumers are getting significantly more sophisticated and would rather spend time with true native experiences that feel authentic.  Advertisers and publishers need to raise the bar, specifically when it comes to the native content we produce.

B2BMX: You will be presenting recent research BuzzFeed conducted on native advertising along with Omnicom Media Group at B2BMX. Can you share any key insights that surprised you?

EW: Here’s something to consider. Using eye tracking, we found that consumers only consciously view and engage with native sponsored content 2x more than traditional banner ads. While many of us in the industry focus on this concept of viewability with premium providers like Moat or IAS, we are just measuring the opportunity to be viewed as opposed to actually being seen and processed. That fact in it of itself tells you what the power native can have on the most basic of measures.

B2BMX: What real actionable takeaways can attendees expect from your sessions at B2BMX? 

EW: At the heart, BuzzFeed’s take on advertising is about creating ground rules that ultimately benefit what advertisers should want: true engagement, viewability and, ultimately, results.

B2BMX: Is this your first time at B2BMX? What are you looking forward to the most about the event? 

EW: Anytime people are willing to give a researcher a few minutes to talk, it’s a treat!  In all honesty, we feel we have an amazing piece of work that will make the industry smarter. With an attention starved world, we don’t want the native conversation to trick a consumer into engaging. That doesn’t serve the industry well. Being able to come to a place to connect with such great people and have interesting conversations of how to do this better is incredibly inspiring to me. I also love going to other speaker sessions to enhance my own learning and push my thinking!

Get Updates

Complete the form below to get event updates.

Deadline: DECEMBER 15, 2023

Fill out my online form.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Fill out my online form.