Elsie Kaplan: Vice President of Partnerships
Elsie is one of the top YouTube ad buyers in the world but don’t let the numbers fool you. Yes, she’s launched thousands of campaigns, scaled client spend 2–10X, and helped brands smash revenue goals with integrations topping half a million views. But if you ask her, the real thrill is the spike whether it’s a volleyball save (she still holds the Brandeis University digs record, and it isn’t even close) or a campaign that outperforms everyone’s expectations.
Before joining ADOPTER Media, Elsie cut her teeth in influencer marketing, learning how to build funnels and nurture customers with high AOV and LTV. Today, she brings that same precision to every ad buy, matching creators with brands in ways that feel less like “placement” and more like alchemy. She’s the one who introduces clients to channels she personally follows, writes NPR ads that make facts sound fun, and convinces long-time podcast-first brands to test YouTube only to see those tests blow their CAC/ROAS benchmarks out of the water.
Her campaigns aren’t just smart they’re bold. She took early bets on programmatic when others dismissed it, built 360° collaborations with Sony Music and JVN, and experimented with AI ads that actually sound… good. She’s even closed buys with The Daily Wire, a goal she set two years earlier and patiently worked toward with the confidence of someone who knows how to play the long game.
Elsie thrives on the competitive edge, but it’s always paired with a team-first mindset. Clients love her because she cares as much about their wins as they do. Teammates love her because her enthusiasm is contagious whether she’s breaking down performance stats, brainstorming the next trend, or celebrating a client breakthrough like it’s a championship point. For Elsie, ad buying isn’t just work. Ad buying is sport, strategy, and storytelling rolled into one and she’s here to keep spiking performance for the brands bold enough to play.