Episode 1 – A Conversation with Vivian Ceresero, Head of Ad Operations at Piemme Spa
Welcome to Industry Perspectives, a new content series from Onetag where we spotlight leaders shaping the future of programmatic and ad tech. Each edition brings real voices from the field, sharing insights, lessons learned, and visions about what’s next.
We’re thrilled to kick off the series with Vivian Ceresero, Head of Ad Operations at Piemme Spa, who brings a rich and unconventional career perspective to digital publishing.
Here’s what Vivian shared with us:
Q: Thanks for being a valued partner to Onetag. Can you tell us how working with us has helped you achieve your goals?
A: With Onetag, we’re lucky to be working with an international platform that offers a global market perspective, which keeps us up-to-date on trends and innovations that often reach Italy with a slight delay. The platform also ‘speaks’ Italian, which certainly helps broaden our strategic vision. Additionally, the support we receive, whether for troubleshooting or optimization, is of very high quality, especially compared to other platforms we work with. You’re undoubtedly one of our best partners, and we really value having you as part of our programmatic ad stack.
Q: What energizes you most in your current role, and what keeps you motivated in such a dynamic industry?
A: I get bored very easily, so working in an environment that practically forces me to learn new things almost every day is a major motivator. It keeps me from becoming complacent or resting on my laurels. This constant intellectual stimulation, especially in the realm of programmatic, keeps me curious and passionate about the job—even after so many years.
Q: What was a moment in your career that really changed the way you think about publishing?
A: My career has been, to say the least, unusual. I started in offline media, transitioned to digital, went back to offline, then left it all behind to become a bookseller in Tuscany and later in Milan. Eventually, I returned to the digital world at Mediacom. The turning point was changing perspectives, leaving the buy side and media agencies to join the publisher side. From the buy side, it’s hard to grasp the complexity of publishing, sales houses, and pure publishing entities. This side continues to be the most fascinating to me. I did a brief stint back on the buy side with a fun and interesting startup trading desk, but for me, nothing compares to the publisher side—possibly only ad tech could be as intellectually stimulating. So yes, my outlook changed when I changed seats from buying to selling.
Q: What’s a myth about digital publishing you’d like to debunk?
A: I have a personal crusade against brand safety, or rather, the current interpretation of it. I’m not convinced that a user automatically associates a brand with the negative content of an article they see an ad next to. Sensitivity and contextual awareness are crucial. For example, placing a fast- food ad next to an article about eating disorders is clearly inappropriate. But that’s about sensitivity, not brand safety. Today, I see hysteria around this topic. For instance, our site Focus, which is clean and educational, gets blocked from campaigns because it mentions Julius Caesar, including historical accounts of betrayal and death, just purely educational content. This over-cautiousness often stems from lack of time and depth in understanding. For publishers, it’s a serious issue. Advertising is vital to survival. Subscriptions alone aren’t enough. All forms of information, whether news, educational, or entertainment, deserve protection and support, not just from publishers, but from everyone.
Q: How do you see the role of publishers evolving in the coming years?
A: We’re facing incredibly complex challenges like the rise of AI and the devaluation of editorial work. I’m genuinely worried, both professionally and personally, as a citizen and as a parent. The web is becoming dominated by generic, AI-generated content with little oversight. Publishing has to find a new balance, much like it did when print began giving way to digital. Today’s reality demands long-term vision and structural reinvention for anyone who wants to remain relevant and avoid being drowned in questionable content from unknown origins.
Q: What are the biggest challenges and opportunities you see today in digital advertising, and how are you tackling them?
A: For me, AI is currently a way to save time on repetitive, low-cognitive tasks such as SPO, traffic shaping, and flooring. It frees us up for higher-value, more qualitative work that requires deep expertise and contextual understanding. On the publisher side, this means automating time-consuming or low-value processes so we can focus on strategic improvements. That said, everything is still pretty unclear. We’re bombarded with information, but there’s not a lot of clarity. I haven’t found a reliable course or resource yet, so I’m experimenting hands-on with one-shot implementations that provide quick insights. Over time, AI might learn faster and better than me, and I’m not against that. On the contrary, I’m curious. But for now, only a human truly knows their own product’s intricacies.
Q: How do you balance short-term monetization goals with long-term audience trust?
A: I’m lucky to work for a publisher that, while appearing old-school, is actually very receptive to digital transformation. In just a year and a half, I’ve seen a big shift from “this is off-limits” to “let’s test it, maybe on a smaller site.” Il Messaggero remains protected, of course. But other third-party sites like Sorrisi and Focus are much more open, allowing us to experiment and learn. We’re doing lots of testing, and users generally react well, apart from a few of our bolder experiments. It all comes down to common sense, which I see as my guiding principle. Plus, all our partner publishers have been supportive and open to innovation.
Q: Which media or tech trend is getting too much attention and which one is getting too little?
A: Right now, the industry seems obsessed with AI and CTV. I don’t have CTV in my portfolio, so maybe I sound bitter, but from a user standpoint, it’s overwhelming. I binge-watched a series last weekend, and the ad breaks were worse than prime-time Italy in the 1980s. I get it. They need to deliver impressions, but ignoring the rest of the ecosystem, which has invested in quality editorial video content with dedicated tech and editorial teams, seems short-sighted. It feels like the mobile boom all over again, with an abrupt shift and no transition. The underestimated trend, on the other hand, is more of a concept. The market is interconnected. Decisions made by buyers impact sellers and often vice versa. I sometimes feel that everyone is focused only on their own backyard, without fully realizing the broader market impact of their choices. I understand that companies aren’t charities, but a little foresight is always necessary.
Q: How do you navigate the noise in ad tech and make smart decisions about partners and platforms?
A: First, thanks for assuming I make smart decisions—what an ego boost! I’m known for replying to everyone, even when it’s spam. Sometimes we get emails intended for another company with a similar name, asking for quotes on hardware or components. I often reply to clarify the mistake. This takes a lot of time, but I believe it’s the only way to truly do my job well. If I stick only to what I know, I won’t grow. My goal is to increase RPM, not maintain it. I experiment as much as possible and monitor the results. What works gets implemented; what doesn’t gets dropped. I work quarterly, planning tests in advance. We’ve adopted a wrapper, which has made testing and implementation much easier. I also rely heavily on peer feedback, constantly asking others in the industry about their experiences. Hands-on testing and constant learning are key for me, especially since no one solution fits everyone.
Q: What’s one thing you wish ad tech better understood from the publisher’s point of view?
A: I believe that ad tech—and only ad tech—understands our world better than anyone else That’s probably because our world is built on it, and I always find it exciting to speak with people who know exactly what I do, what I need, and why I need it. From the ad server to every component in the stack, we simply wouldn’t exist without it. The challenge now is managing the overwhelming number of ad tech pieces, despite wrappers and the ease of implementation. Each tool has its own dashboard, and while we’ve built our own internal one, it can’t capture everything. It’s too costly to fully integrate everything. There’s a need for less fragmentation, maybe through joint ventures or consolidations. Today, I’m talking to about 30 different vendors. It’s a lot to juggle. Still, ad tech is the player that best understands and actively supports us.
Q: What does “value” mean to you in today’s programmatic supply chain?
A: Value is knowledge. Knowing what you’re doing, how you’re doing it, and most importantly, why. I may sound naive, but to me, human relationships are still a kind of value that should never be overlooked.
Q: What are the next steps for your company, and what innovation opportunities excite you the most?
A: In March, I attended the Prebid conference in London and returned with tons of new insights—at least, they were new to me. International publishers didn’t seem as thrilled, but I was excited. Right now, I’m focused on traffic shaping and SPO because both offer great optimization potential for our current state. Piemme is evolving in data strategy and investing in taxonomies, which are crucial for news sites—not just for targeting, but for brand safety. My big goal is to implement Prebid Video. We currently use TAM but want to run both systems in parallel. Our custom video player is a bit rigid and doesn’t suit Prebid’s flexibility, so there’s friction. Hopefully, we’ll resolve it by year’s end. Server-side tests, traffic shaping, SPO, all these are top priorities now, and our wrapper makes A/B testing much simpler.
Q: If your company were a musical artist, what would its style be? And its vibe?
A: Piemme has over three decades of history. Next year will mark 30 years under Caltagirone Editore, so it’s certainly not a newcomer. I’d compare it to a modern classical composer, someone like Giovanni Allevi. A figure with deep roots in a rich history, but with a touch of modernity and relevance.
Q: What advice would you give someone entering our industry today?
A: I’ve mentored several people over the years, and my one constant piece of advice is: never lose your curiosity. Don’t take anything for granted. Keep asking, checking, studying, questioning. That curiosity is your compass. I say the same to my daughter. It applies beyond work.
In ad operations, programmatic, and ad tech, if you lose curiosity, you lose the essence of the job and your ability to grow. Also, it’s crucial to be patient, which is something I struggle with. Over time, I’ve tried to become more Zen, because the pace and complexity of this world can be overwhelming. With patience, focus, and organization, this industry is one of the most interesting I’ve ever worked in. Second only to being a bookseller, which also requires a curious mind.
Q: Coffee or tea?
A: Gin and tonic, all the way! All kidding aside, I usually go for orange juice and coffee. But gin and tonic to end the day, without a doubt.
Originally Published on: LinkedIn
