Adtech is often described as a wild west, but Gareth Holmes makes it sound more like Cirque du Soleil—complete with flaming chainsaws, gravity-defying stunts, and a standing-room-only audience.
As VP of Strategy Media at SeenThis, Gareth isn’t just navigating the chaos; he’s orchestrating it with the flair of a conductor leading a symphony of algorithms. SeenThis, known for its adaptive streaming technology, has carved out a niche by making ads faster, greener, and frankly, a lot less annoying. Forget static images or bloated video downloads; Gareth’s approach is part eco-revolution, part Jedi mind trick—and entirely effective.
“Streaming Ads Are the Filet Mignon of Formats”
In the smorgasbord of digital advertising, Gareth says streaming ads are the filet mignon, while static images and vast downloads are the equivalent of last week’s cold fries. But what makes these ads so irresistible? Enter adaptive bitrate streaming, a technology that Gareth explains with the kind of geeky enthusiasm you’d expect from someone who compares his work to Spotify’s seamless playback.
“Remember the old days of iTunes?” Gareth asks, conjuring memories of waiting for an ABBA song to download before the party could start. “With adaptive streaming, you hit play, and it just works—because the file is delivered in smaller data packets, not one giant lump.” For brands like Evian, this means ads that play instantly, boosting click-through rates by 152% and slashing CPMs by 36%. Oh, and did we mention the 325 kilos of emissions avoided? SeenThis doesn’t just save your data plan; it saves the planet.
Lazy Meets Paranoid: Why Isn’t Everyone On Board?
Despite the glowing stats, not everyone in the ad industry is rushing to embrace streaming ads. Gareth says the reluctance boils down to an industry-wide case of “lazy meets paranoid.” Agencies, already swamped with deadlines, are hesitant to learn something new, even if it’s as simple as swapping static for streaming. “There are no technical hurdles,” Gareth insists. “It’s a tag-based system that fits right into existing workflows. The real challenge is convincing people to think outside their display-and-video silos.”
This inertia, he argues, is why the ad world moves at the speed of molasses. “People are risk-averse by nature. They wait to see if someone else tries something first, and only jump in once it’s proven not to blow up the internet. It’s frustrating but understandable.”
Sweden’s Secret Sauce
Why does a Swedish company like SeenThis succeed where others flounder? Gareth has a theory: “People trust the Swedes. Sweden doesn’t start wars. It doesn’t cause problems. We show up with IKEA-level simplicity and Viking-level innovation.” That trust translates into less friction when pitching new ideas. Gareth’s method is hilariously straightforward: “We literally hand over a phone and say, ‘Here’s your old vast download, and here’s our streaming version. Watch the difference.’” It’s hard to argue with results you can see.
Manipulation or Evolutionary Brilliance?
Let’s talk about the psychology behind streaming ads, which Gareth describes as “catnip for our lizard brains.” Humans are hardwired to notice movement—it’s a survival mechanism. “If something moves, we look. Streaming ads capitalize on that by starting instantly. If an ad takes two seconds to load, we’re already scrolling past it.”
But this isn’t just about tapping into primal instincts. Gareth rattles off a list of evolutionary quirks that make ads effective:
- Color Psychology: Red signals urgency; blue evokes calm.
- Storytelling: We’re suckers for a good narrative.
- Social Proof: Show popular people using your product, and the herd will follow.
- Pattern Recognition: Consistency across platforms builds trust.
It’s not manipulation, Gareth insists, but alignment with human behavior. “Ads are meant to encourage action. If they didn’t, what’s the point?”
Static Ads: Dead or Just on Life Support?
Static ads, Gareth says, are running out of time. “I think that they’re pretty much done depending on where in the funnel and such like. But sometimes there are places where you cannot get a video to play in online advertising. If you can get a static and there’s an ad server behind it, then you can stream a video to it as well. So really, I would say anywhere online or an app, I think the days of static ads are absolutely limited.”
But while static ads are fading, Gareth warns against the dangers of going overboard with motion. “I think over-busy is not going to impress anybody, but you use movement to grab the attention and then resonance to hold it,” he explains. For him, it’s all about balance: too little movement and your ad gets ignored; too much, and you risk frustrating your audience.
This balance, Gareth suggests, is the future of online advertising. Movement grabs attention, but it’s resonance—the emotional or contextual connection—that keeps viewers engaged. Static ads might not be extinct yet, but in an industry evolving as rapidly as ad tech, their days are unquestionably numbered.
Zoomers, Boomers, and the Art of Equal Opportunity Brain Hacking
When asked who’s most susceptible to streaming ads, Gareth points to Gen Z and younger audiences. “I think research shows Gen Z or younger audience who are more likely predisposed to be attracted by the movement, given the usage of social and the fact that terms like doom scrolling come from somewhere. So they’re constantly doing it,” he explains.
But movement isn’t just limited to younger audiences. “Movement grabs pretty much all of us equally, but there are some where movement will work slightly better,” he adds, identifying tech-savvy consumers, event-goers, and families with younger kids as key groups that are more engaged by motion-driven advertising.
The Moral Compass in Ad Tech’s Chaos
Ad tech, Gareth says, is like an unregulated finance sector masquerading as a digital playground—equal parts exhilarating and precarious. “The lack of regulation allows innovation to thrive, but it also means we’re relying on relationships and trust, not rules,” he explains, painting a picture of an industry where handshake deals and mutual respect carry as much weight as any written contract. This freedom, while fertile ground for creativity, also demands a steady moral compass—a rarity in a landscape that’s often blurrier than a 3 a.m. drunk text.
So how does Gareth keep himself anchored in such a whirlwind? For him, it all comes down to his upbringing. “I grew up in a military family where humility, honesty, and loyalty weren’t just values—they were expectations,” he says, crediting those lessons for shaping his approach to life and leadership. His early years instilled a no-nonsense ethos that’s both refreshing and disarming in an industry known for its jargon and spin.
When it comes to leadership, Gareth is unequivocal: it’s not about barking orders from a pedestal but about rolling up your sleeves and leading by example. “Leadership, for me, is about servitude,” he says, referencing a principle he lives by. “If serving is below you, leading is beyond you.” This isn’t just lip service; Gareth actively practices what he preaches, emphasizing collaboration over command and demonstrating that true influence comes from action, not authority.
But it’s not always easy to walk the line between ambition and integrity, especially in an industry that thrives on disruption. Gareth admits that the temptation to cut corners or bend the rules can be strong, but he relies on those foundational values—humility, honesty, loyalty—to steer him in the right direction. “It’s not about perfection; it’s about consistency,” he says. For Gareth, staying grounded means treating every interaction, whether with a colleague or a client, as an opportunity to build trust and foster mutual respect.
In a world where the pressure to innovate can sometimes overshadow the importance of ethics, Gareth’s approach is a reminder that success doesn’t have to come at the expense of integrity. By staying true to his principles and prioritizing service over self-interest, he’s managed to carve out a path in ad tech that’s as grounded as it is forward-thinking. For Gareth, the real magic lies in balancing ambition with authenticity, proving that even in the chaos of ad tech, a steady compass can guide you to greatness.
From Math Geek to Ad Tech Maverick
Gareth’s career began in New Zealand, where he left school at 15 and joined the military at 16. After a decade of service, he stumbled into ad tech—a world he initially found baffling but ultimately irresistible. His big break came during the rise of programmatic trading, which he credits with giving “math geeks” like himself a seat at the table. “It wasn’t all shiny suits and flash lunches anymore. It became about solving problems with data and strategy.”
When he’s not juggling ad tech jargon, Gareth lives a surprisingly low-tech life on a farm in New Zealand. “I don’t have neighbors. I just look at the stars and relax.” His one indulgence? Flying helicopters. “It’s hilariously fun and forces you to focus 100%—no time for work stress up there.”
Lessons from a Lifetime
If Gareth could step into a time machine, he’d have a very pointed conversation with his younger self—one that involves a lot of listening and a heavy dose of humility. “You’ve got two ears and one mouth. Use them proportionally,” he’d say, in the kind of tone that suggests he’s learned this the hard way. His teenage self might have scoffed at the idea, but Gareth insists that staying in school would have opened up a world of possibilities. “I left at 15 because it was the easy way out. At the time, I thought I was being clever. In reality, I was just avoiding the challenge.”
And that decision lingers in his mind, not with regret exactly, but with a sense of missed opportunity. “I’d probably be an astrophysicist by now if I’d stuck with it,” he admits, revealing a lifelong fascination with the mysteries of the universe. It’s not just a whimsical idea; it’s on his bucket list to pursue someday. That dream, however, got detoured by a winding career path that wasn’t without its hiccups—and one particular misstep still makes him laugh today.
Picture this: a young, confident Gareth managing a not-insubstantial PPC budget for a telecom giant. Armed with enthusiasm but lacking the nuance of experience, he decided to run a campaign from a pub one afternoon. “I thought I knew what I was doing. I didn’t.” The result? He burned through the entire quarterly budget—hundreds of thousands of pounds—in just a few hours. The kicker? He didn’t even realize the scale of the disaster until it was too late.
“It was one of those moments where you look back and think, ‘What on earth was I doing?’” he says, chuckling now at what was, at the time, a monumental failure. The mistake wasn’t just financial; it was a wake-up call about overconfidence and the importance of asking questions. “I learned that knowing how to do something doesn’t mean you know how to do it well. If you’re not willing to admit what you don’t know, you’re setting yourself up for failure.”
These lessons—hard-earned and occasionally painful—are the foundation of Gareth’s approach today. They’ve taught him the value of preparation, humility, and a willingness to listen, not just to others, but to the situations that demand more thought than bravado. And while he may laugh about that infamous PPC debacle now, it’s clear that the wisdom gained from it continues to guide him.
Closing Thoughts
Gareth Holmes isn’t just an ad tech innovator; he’s a walking contradiction—a math geek with the soul of a philosopher, a military man who preaches humility, and a farm boy who’s reshaping the future of advertising. His advice to the industry is simple: Embrace the chaos, stay true to your values, and never stop innovating. Oh, and maybe invest in a neon-green jet ski—it’s a great way to ride the waves of change.
