Oftentimes, the best ideas that disrupt an industry happen when groundbreaking entrepreneurs face career setbacks. This is certainly true for Chris Gampat, Editor-in-Chief, Publisher, and Founder of The Phoblographer.
Gampat launched The Phoblographer in 2009 – a time when the world was recovering from The Great Recession and when journalism job opportunities were scarce. As a passionate journalist with a knack for creating a story through the power of articles and photography, Gampat recognized a profound gap in the evaluation of photography gear in real-world scenarios.
“My philosophy was that a bride didn’t care about seeing her pores in her wedding photos,” he explains. “She wanted to see good photos of the most important day of her life. The best way for a photographer to determine the best products for their needs comes from real-word, hands-on experience. That’s what we offer through our articles.”
Over the years, The Phoblographer has grown into a trusted resource for Gen Z and Millennial photographers passionate about both the technical and artistic sides of photography. More recently, the platform has focused on the ethical concerns surrounding Generative AI and its impact on authenticity in photography. Once again, The Phoblographer is creating a conversation around the topics that matter most to the artists behind the lens.
From Pixels to Profits
Despite its monumental success, The Phoblographer faced challenges in ad management. The site struggled with unreliable programmatic ads that frequently broke, causing technical issues and server load imbalances. While much of The Phoblographer’s advertising spend comes from direct campaign sales, the organization needed an ad partner to provide improved programmatic ad management. Dissatisfied with previous ad monetization platforms, Gampat sought a solution that could deliver stability without compromising the user experience.
Gampat turned to Adnimation to address The Phoblographer’s ad management needs, looking for a reliable partner that could:
- Provide seamless programmatic ad integration without technical disruptions.
- Improve load balancing to enhance site performance.
- Deliver a steady, sustainable revenue stream.
Framing Success Through Adnimation
Since partnering with Adnimation, The Phoblographer has experienced significant improvements in revenue and ad management. More importantly, the consistency in earnings has allowed for better strategic planning, enabling The Phoblographer to reinvest in investigative journalism – an area of reporting that can be expensive but essential to the organization’s mission.
An unexpected development was the resurgence of interest in banner ads. Previously, Gampat had moved away from selling them due to low demand. However, with Adnimation’s expertise, he has found that advertisers are once again eager to invest in premium banner placements, opening up new revenue opportunities.
“I’m quite amazed that the industry wants to buy banner ads again. I never sold them when I took over ad operations from a third party because folks didn’t want them. But now? They do.”
Adnimation Delivers Clicks, Clarity, and Customer Service
One of the standout aspects of working with Adnimation has been the level of personal attention and partnership. Unlike other monetization platforms, Adnimation provided a dedicated point of contact, Amir, who Gampat describes as a business partner who genuinely cares.
“Amir feels like a business partner that genuinely cares about us on a level that I’ve never experienced. The world needs more Amirs.”
While The Phoblographer didn’t require customized ad solutions beyond revenue stability, Adnimation’s consistent performance ensured that financial goals were met. Additionally, Adnimation’s reporting tools helped Gampat’s team gain deeper insights into site traffic, which, in turn, allowed him to optimize affiliate deals and direct ad sales more effectively.
“Adnimation’s reporting helps me understand what’s going on with traffic on the site more, when we need to lean into affiliate deals more, or do more direct advertising sales.”
While Gampat jokingly says he wouldn’t recommend Adnimation to others because he wants to keep the secret for himself, the results speak for themselves. With increased revenue, a stable ad setup, and a true business partner in Adnimation, The Phoblographer is positioned for sustainable growth.
For publishers looking for a monetization partner that delivers not only higher revenue but also reliability and personal support, Adnimation proves to be an industry leader. The Phoblographer’s experience highlights how a strong partnership can transform ad monetization from a frustrating challenge into a powerful business asset.
