Dive Brief: 

• Initially hesitant to embrace programmatic ads because of fears that they will drive down direct sales, publishers are now embracing the process. 
• Major publishers like The New York Times, Meredith, and The Washington Post have appointed executives to oversee programmatic ads as part of their overall ad sales business. 
• A big part of each executive's responsibilities is dedicated to training, education, and support for sales teams. 

Dive Insight: 

Advertisers and agencies have made it clear to publishers that they want to purchase ads programmatically. Appointing an executive on the sales team to oversee that aspect is a good way to transition into offering programmatic ads. With an executive at the hull, programmatic ads become less of a threat to direct ad sales and more of an ally.