On Tuesdays, we watch talks or interviews with artists and designers and discuss how to present our work clearly and with confidence. This week we’ll hear from Adam Singolda, who is the CEO of Taboola.
As you watch this interview, consider these questions: Does the designer speak clearly and with confidence? Does he use gestures and intonation to emphasize his points? Does he smile and look at the camera? Does he use professional vocabulary?
What does Singolda do well? He speaks with confidence, and he uses good vocal variety and gestures to emphasize his points. His speed and volume are both good, although the background noise and music of the video is a little distracting. He speaks clearly, smiles occasionally, and avoids filler words. Overall, I would say this is a good interview and he speaks very passionately about his business and their mission.
What could he improve? Because of his sunglasses, I’m not sure if he’ looking at the interviewer while he’s speaking or not. Although sunglasses look cool, it’s usually better to avoid them when giving an interview. Much of our expression comes through our eyes, and covering them is like putting up a wall between you and your audience. The plant behind him is also a little distracting. If possible, try to be sure the space near you is clear when you give an interview so you don’t have to worry about bumping into anything when you speak or move. These are little things, but they can make a difference in the way your audience perceives you.
What professional vocabulary does he use? Singolda uses a lot of vocabulary specific to the advertising industry, so let’s break it down a little. We’ll focus on his response to the first question. First, he shares the vision and purpose of Taboola, which is to create an alternative, or another choice, to the walled garden which we are dependent on for online traffic and revenue. (A walled garden is a limited set of technology or media information provided to users with the intention of creating a monopoly or secure information system. In this situation, he’s talking about how Google, Facebook, and Amazon ads are the companies controlling most of the advertising on the Internet. They create a walled garden that controls the information we see online.)
The goal of Taboola is to be a vehicle to help publishers drive significant growth (this means to bring more users) from sponsored content and from video access. They offer a unique value proposition (a service or feature to make a company or product attractive to customers) for marketers to be next to a brand-safe environment vs. social, which can be less brand-safe. This means that if you can choose to have your ad shown next to sponsored content and you know what that content is, it is safer for your brand than having it shown next to social media, because you don’t know what that content is. If your ad appears next to something offensive or annoying, it’s not as safe for your brand because people might have a negative reaction to it.
So, he says that Taboola has the opportunity (chance) to bring a huge budget to create an alternative offering (another choice) that is significant, or important enough to allow brands to spend their dollars next to editorial, high-quality content. He says that Taboola gives back a lot of what they generate (the money they make) to quality journalism, and often Taboola is one of the top three revenue sources for these publishers, so they have a good relationship. He feels this can help to make a difference.
If you work in an industry that uses a lot of technical vocabulary or jargon, it can be difficult to understand what you are hearing or reading. It can also be difficult to keep up with co-workers and use these terms accurately in your own speaking and writing. A good language coach can help you learn these words effectively, and teach you techniques for using them with confidence.
At Artglish, we help artists and designers to speak confidently about their work. We coach you to speak professionally using the best vocabulary and correct pronunciation. If you want to learn more, click here to join The Studio and try some free ways to improve your English, or check out our Lessons page to learn how Artglish can help you succeed.
I’ve chosen 5 words or phrases for you to focus on today. They are in bold. If you don’t know them, look up the meaning, synonyms, antonyms, and other forms of these words. You can find links to Merriam-Webster dictionary sites at the bottom of this page.
To see the original video, posted by Hub Institue on June 20, 2018, click the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBj5bHmHDWw