Get to know Ansel Olson, CPX’s West Coast Account Manager, as he shares about his past work experience, favorite CPX event, and what he loves about the LA team.
1. Who are you and what do you do here at CPX?
As the Account Manager for the West Coast office, I am responsible for providing premium customer service to each advertiser/client brought forth by my premiere sales team. I work closely with the VP of Sales and the Director of CPM Operations to optimize all campaigns and provide innovative ideas for upcoming strategies. I also serve as the conduit of information between the East Coast operations, trafficking, and account managing teams, and the West Coast office. In a nutshell, I enjoy being part of a team that helps advertisers get their message across, while optimizing every moment of it.
2. Before you joined CPX, you worked in special events and in the entertainment industry. What drew you to online advertising?
After years of producing special events on a business-to-consumer level (Hollywood nightlife, restaurants and fashion), I found myself eager to learn all aspects of the business. When an opportunity popped up with CPX Interactive, I jumped at the chance to work for a company that has so much influence in the online realm. Not only do we work with thousands of publishers, we also work with dozens of brand advertisers – it’s an exciting thing to be part of. I decided then that it’d be easy to leave the Hollywood glitz and glamour for the CPX reach and advertising clamor.
3. You went from working for a publisher to working for an ad network. How has your prior experience helped you in your current role?
As the Marketing Director of LA.com, the entertainment portal for the Los Angeles Daily News, I had the ideal opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the publisher side. The fact that I was able to have a “hands on” experience is a great asset when meeting with agencies and their respective buyers/planners. After all, some wise person did say that “knowing is half the battle.” Also, having a close relationship with the amazing CPX publisher team dually helped me with publisher recommendations and suggestions for various campaigns. I feel that my experience on the publisher side has definitely given CPX an edge with our West Coast clientele.
4. What has been your favorite industry, or CPX sponsored, event that you’ve attended so far?
Hands down(!), I feel the inaugural CPX Beach House event at the Manhattan 6-Man Volleyball competition this summer was my favorite industry event. It was CPX & Southern California at its finest. Not only were we able to thank our clients for their business, we were able to celebrate our relationship by really making a day out of it. It had all the makings of a great summer day: a few blocks from the ocean, BBQ, drinks, A/C, Wii, music, and thousands upon thousands of excitingly creative beach volleyball fanatics. What I found most amazing was the fact that our guests were having a great time throughout the event and we still hear about how much fun they had. The fact that this event made such a positive impression on everyone made it my favorite for the year.
5. How would you describe the LA team? What is the dynamic like in your office compared to New York?
First of all, I’d like to insert laughter after reading this question (after jokingly being advised to choose his words wisely). The East Coast team is amazing, and I can’t speak to their day-to-day dynamics as I am only there a few weeks a year (ahem). We, at the West Coast office, are a much smaller team and are in very close proximity to one another on a daily basis. This allows us to really keep a close eye. We’ve definitely become like a tight-knit family, and that makes it easier for every industry social event to be an opportunity to represent CPX as a potential business partner to our Agency neighbors. I can say that we are definitely a breath of fresh air to the West Coast online media scene, and with the tutelage of our leadership (here and on the East) are always prepared to place CPX ahead of the competition.
