First Party Data and Advertising: How Does It Work?
First Party Data has got the “it” factor for marketers now, but why? We’ll be talking about what makes this type of data so desirable and the types of ads associated with it. Here are the topics we will cover: First, Second & Third Party Data Benefits of First Party Data Lead Ads Survey Ads How to Run First Party Ads First, Second & Third Party Data It’s 2022 and the retirement of Third Party cookies is coming soon (in 2024). For a long time, marketers have relied on Third Party data to target consumers. Advertising has always been content-based and contextual. Let’s say, our brand sells craft beer and our target demographic are male sports fans. We would serve digital ads on sports-themed websites. On top of that, with Third Party Data, we were able to target people who visited these pages and share an interest across the internet. However, the emphasis is starting to shift away from Third Party. Google announced the removal of Third Party cookies. They also introduced the Google Privacy Sandbox which offers alternative data-tracking options. So, the marketing industry had to a find new solution. Even Facebook and Google are recommending brand advertisers to focus on collecting First Party Data. Before we begin, here’s a quick refresher on types of data available: What is First Party Data? This is information you collect directly from your audience. You own the data that is collected through interactions with your brand. It can be from signing up for your newsletter or filling out a form to download an eBook. The use of First Party Data lets you hyper-target a specific audience. They can come from: Behavior and actions tracked on your website, app, or product Social Media Surveys Lead Forms and more What is Second Party Data? This type of data is another organization’s First Party Data. You would purchase it directly with the organization that collected the data. It’s different from Third Party data, in which you work with data aggregators. Direct interaction is required with your organization of choice that collected the data. Buyers and sellers agree on terms, then exchange data. What is Third Party Data? Aggregators will collect data and sell them to advertisers. Third Party Data contains information about other companies, such as firmographic and technographic data or groups of people who may share: common interests, demography, or online behavior. It enables advertisers to reach a broader audience. All three types give you relevant data to make informed business decisions. Benefits of First Party Data First Party Data will be proprietary to you and can enhance your digital marketing efforts. Here are some other benefits: Better targeting Better understanding of the customer journey stages Insights into customer lifetime value Helps refine a more personalized brand experience It’ll give you an in-depth look at your target audience, leads, and customer base as well. We will discuss two types of ads that are great options to run to collect this type of data. Read on! Lead Ads Lead Generation is one of the most common marketing objectives for businesses. People provide their contact information in exchange for something that benefits them. You can typically find Lead Ads on a landing page or a lead generation ad on social media! These ads help find prospective customers and gather data, such as interests and behaviors. Lead Ads are used by all types of industries. Some of the most common industries are eCommerce, SaaS, B2B, and real estate. Once a user submits their contact information, the data will be stored in the backend, like Facebook or Hubspot. You’ll be able to follow up with the leads afterward. The process is set up to be automated. You can use Lead Forms to: Book appointments, schedule demos etc Grow newsletter list Increase sign-ups, downloads of e-resources, and more Types of Lead Ads to Run Downloadables Reservations Contests…etc Here are some examples of Lead Ads: Benefits of Lead Ads Generates brand awareness for your product or service offering Makes it easy to for advertisers to qualify leads from custom fields Directly syncs with the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) of your choice Hyper-targeted audience segments mean high value data to be collected How to choose the right advertising channel? Survey Ads Survey Ads are a type of Display Ad. They break the mold of traditional banner ads because they’re engaging! Users are prompted to answer a relevant question. You’ll be able to set a target audience and receive real responses from the users. It’s a great and affordable way to conduct market and customer research. Industries that often use these ads are automotive, travel & tourism, telecom, and retail, but it can work for any business. Here are some examples of survey ads: Benefits of Survey Ads Generates First Party Data from targeted audiences such as their interests Further audience segmentation after the survey to create customized ad experiences Drives purchase decisions Improves Brand Interaction and Brand Recognition It increases the Click-Through Rate (CTR) of the ad How Do You Run Ads to Collect First Party Data? To sum it all up: First Party Data is accurate and can provide better insights — it’s going to be the future (for now, until something new comes along). It’s a great push for us marketers to prioritize creating long-lasting customer relationships! Now you’re thinking, awesome — how do I start? War Room is an agency that specializes in programmatic advertising. We have partnerships with 90,000+ publishers with premium ad spaces. This means ad buying is direct and costs less, compared to when you buy ad space on the Google Display Network on your own. Plus, we strategize and execute ads that align with your business goals. We’re experts in building campaigns that make the most of your ad dollars and drive results. Fill out the form below for a free consultation and see if we are a good fit for you! Let’s Work Together Are you thinking of building a First Party Data ad strategy?Speak with one of our advertising experts today! Contact
What is Audio Advertising?
Listen up! Audio advertising is a new, growing “stream” of digital advertising that is a force to be reckoned with, and the COVID-19 pandemic is fueling the consumption of audio as it serves as on-the-go escapism. Did you know that there are over 400 million podcast listeners around the world? And that there are 2 million podcasts out there? Find out what audio ads are and if you should be using this exciting format to titillate your audiences’ ears! In this blog, we’ll cover the following points: What is Audio Advertising? Types of Audio Ads Examples of Audio Ads Traditional Radio Ads vs. Audio Ads Benefits of Audio Advertising TL;DR – What Have We Learned? What is Audio Advertising? Audio is how people consume media on the go. Some people might be jogging to an upbeat playlist or chilling out with a podcast during a commute; either way, they are fully immersed. Audio advertising is the delivery of ads in audio format through online streaming platforms like podcasts or music streaming apps. Examples of audio ad channels include: Amazon Music Apple Music AudioChuck BarStool Sports Daily Wire Deezer iHeartRadio NBC Pandora Podcast Ad Networks (eg. Midroll) Podcast Publishers (eg. NPR, Vox, ESPN) SiriusXM Sonos Advertising SoundCloud Spotify Stitcher (Podcasts) The New York Times TuneIn Univision YouTube Music Global music streaming marketshare 2023 (%) Spotify is the leading global platform for music and podcast consumption. A fourth of their total revenue comes from programmatic audio ads. They shared that their listeners daily life is surrounded by audio streaming: During gaming In the car Mobile Desktop SmartTV (Over-The-Top) Tablet and other connected devices Here’s what a typical day looks like for Spotify listeners in the US: 18% of adults have been listening to more podcasts since the pandemic. As the trend continues for working from home and socially-distancing, audio streaming will become more popular with time. That’s why marketers predict that total ad spend on podcasts will surpass $2 billion in 2023! Types of Audio Ads Programmatic Audio Ads are run similarly to Programmatic Video Ads. Target audience, budget, and parameters are set for each campaign. There are a few different options available: Audio Ads Just like video, ad placements can be: pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll. This means your ad can be played before, during, and after a streaming session. These are typically 15, 30, or 60 seconds long with no visuals. Ad Sequencing Tell a story through multiple ads over time. Many use it to create brand awareness and end the sequence with a compelling call-to-action. Skippable Ads Utilize the first few seconds to grab people’s attention before they skip. Pre-roll and mid-roll ads can have the option to be skippable. It’s a good option for advertisers to experiment with their content and observe listener behavior and interests! Examples of Audio Ads Here are some examples of audio ads on Spotify. You can see how brands decided to use their banner ad space differently. Some with a static image, some video, but all with a clear Call-To-Action. Traditional Radio vs. Audio Ads Traditional radio ads are delivered through airtime purchased from commercial radio stations. Brands compete for morning slots to capture a wide audience driving to work, which drives up the price for primetime. Your ad buy is limited to stations, shows, and time slots. Radio ads are typically costly and is similar to casting a wide net, you reach a lot of the general population but can’t properly track how many people listened to your ad. On the other hand, digital audio ads are distributed through mobile streaming apps. These are more accessible than a car radio, which means a broader audience. Advertisers can select specific artists or podcast genres that align with their target audiences’ interests and directly serve audio ads. The ads are then distributed throughout the stream at certain dedicated intervals. There is no need to compete for primetime timeslots as people stream audio whenever they feel like it. This option is flexible and versatile. Audio ads also tend to be more conversational in tone, and the ad content tends to be more personalized and specific to match the groups of listeners! Benefits of Audio Advertising Suppose you’re interested in investing in audio advertising. In that case, we recommend partnering with an agency like War Room, because most audio ad inventory is available through online auction. It is predicted by 2022, one out of five audio ads will be programmatic. Here are some other benefits to running these ads: High-Targeted Audience Reach Reach listeners based on the audio content that tickles their fancy. True crime podcast? Adrenaline-pumping songs for the gym? Your ads will be played to your target audience, whether they’re at home or on-the-go! Granular targeting means a better Return On Ad Spend. Engage Your Listeners to Take Action Despite human beings being visual creatures, a report states that audio ads have a 24% higher recall rate than traditional Display Ads. Furthermore, surveys show that 60% of podcast listeners made a purchase after listening to an audio ad! This means when people are streaming a playlist or podcast: they are highly engaged. Track Your Ad Spend & Be Cost-Effective Compared to traditional radio ads, audio ads have lower costs, and advertisers can actually attribute listens to ad spend. Audio ads provide in-depth data insights for advertisers to understand their campaign results better. They are also more target-specific, which yields a better return to the brand investing. Easier to Create Than You Think Audio is a new medium and so many advertisers are trying to capitalize on it. But what if you don’t have access to a recording studio? Don’t sweat it! Creating an audio ad for your brand is simpler, faster, and more affordable than you think. Companies like Voices.com offer professional voice actors for hire. You can check out their portfolios and get access to great voice talent in over 100 languages (great if you want to target different language markets). If you plan on using music in your audio ads, you’ll have to use a royalty-free
How to Choose the Right Advertising Channel
So, you’re running a marketing campaign, but not sure what advertising channel to choose? Advertising means bringing attention to a brand’s product or service and implementing specific tactics to achieve campaign objectives, such as increasing brand awareness or driving more sales. An advertising medium is how your brand’s message is delivered to your target audience. Popular advertising mediums are differentiated between traditional and digital. In this blog, we’ll touch upon what traditional advertising is but will mainly focus on digital advertising to give you a better idea of which advertising channels are right for you. What is Traditional Advertising? Traditional advertising means advertisements delivered through traditional media. This includes: Broadcast (TV or radio) Outdoor (billboards) Print (magazines) Traditional advertising channels are great for casting a wide net and ensuring lots of eyeballs on your campaign. However, you are competing with businesses from different industries for a prime spot, you need a big ad budget and you will have a harder time tracking the ad performance. How do you track how many people saw your mobile billboard from the street? What if people took a bathroom break when your TV commercial was airing? Enter: digital advertising. What is Digital Advertising? Digital advertising is the delivery of advertisements on online channels like social media, websites, search engines, videos etc. Digital advertising is flexible when it comes to budget and is full of potential for ad reach. You can and choose which channels work best for your target audience. You won’t be casting a wide net, instead, you’ll have more precision in selecting your demographic, and the placements of your ad serving. When it comes to the digital landscape, there is so much variety. Don’t make the rookie mistake of spreading yourself thin and going after a huge range of platforms to reach as many people as possible. It will be a waste of your time, resources, and precious ad dollars. You need to pinpoint your objectives and take a more focused approach: one that gets you in front of the right people that will convert. In this blog, we’ll break down digital advertising channels by what they are, a few statistics of demographics or fun facts and what types of marketing objectives the channel is great for. Which Digital Advertising Channel Should I Use? In this blog, we’ll break down digital advertising channels by what they are, a few statistics of demographics or fun facts and what types of marketing objectives the channel is great for. Here’s a list of the digital advertising channels we will cover: Weather SMS Performance Max Discovery Twitch Telegram Paid Search Google Ads Microsoft (Bing) Ads Quora Display Display Retargeting Video Native In-App Advertising Apple Search Ads Digital Out-Of-Home Social Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok Pinterest Snapchat Reddit Tumblr Shopping Ads Google Shopping Amazon Chinese WeChat Baidu Weibo Douyin TMall JD Youku Audio Spotify Pandora Hotel / Metasearch Ads Online Travel Agencies Tips for Choosing the Right Advertising Channel Photo by Mike Tyler on War Room Inc What Advertising Channels are Best for You? This blog is as a directory for all types of digital advertising channels we offer here at War Room. We’ll be continuously updating it. Take a look! Weather Weather ads are ads that automate based on the weather in your targeted location! The reason why advertisers love using them is because they can create hyper-relevant, greatly-timed ads that speak to your audience in the exact moment. It can be served across channels such as Search, Display, Social (all programmatically, too). Depending on the weather, consumer’s behavior, needs and responses may vary. For example, if it’s pouring rain, perhaps people are more inclined to order food delivery than dine in at a restaurant. By deploying weather-targeted ads, you can boost visibility and anticipate better results. Weather ads are a type of targeting ad, and can be served Search, Display, Social and other programmatic platforms Facts: Great for these industries: Travel & Hospitality, Food & Drink, Apparel, Leisure & Entertainment, Home & Garden, Energy, Insurance etc When it’s a lower temperature outside (cold, wet, or snowy), people have an increased desire for psychological warmth. Activities or services that have a social element might perform better! Warmer weather & exposure to sunlight increases peoples’ willingness to spend money up to 56%. Great For: Increasing Engagement Driving Conversions A healthy Return on Ad Spend Delivering a more Personalized Ad Experience Boosted Visibility During Key Moments SMS Ah, good ol’ SMS, text messages. Yes, even they have been made to have advertising options! SMS ads promote products and services through mobile phones. Through short and concise text messages, brands can bulk deliver their ads to subscribers worldwide. In a world where people are bombarded with emails and online ads, SMS ads are a cost-effective way to cut-through the noise and drive visibility with high open-rates. It’s a channel that would complement your other digital marketing efforts, such as email marketing and social! An SMS ad is 160 symbols. You can use them to send messages for: Notifications (like, launch of new product) Exclusive deals for your loyalty program members Text-To-Win competitions Discount codes Promotion for sales on your website or stores Facts: It usually takes a user to respond to an SMS ad within 90 seconds Response rates can be as high as 45% (in comparison to email responses, which averages around 6%) Click-Through Rate (CTR) is around 19% Great For: Driving higher Open Rate Boosted Visibility Promoting Deals and Discounts Complementing other Marketing Channels Performance Max Performance Max ads utilize machine learning to automate the audience targeting and ad delivery format, based on the information provided when setting up the campaign. Based on the creative assets you provide, the creation of the actual ad will be automated too. Then, the ad platform will run your campaign based on your specified conversion goals. Performance ad placements will be served across different channels dynamically. It greatly complements PPC Search Ads. You can choose to set up Performance Max Ads based on these conversions:
What is Google Topics API?
Google announced they plan on retiring third-party cookies on Chrome in 2023. In order for that shift to happen, they built out a “Privacy Sandbox”, highlighting all the proposed APIs and tools to get them there. In our 2021 blog, “Google Privacy Sandbox Explained”, we dedicated a section to Google’s proposed Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC) API, which would have been used to identify online users. In January 2022, Google announced they would be replacing the Federated Learning of Cohorts API with Topics. Why? We’ll dive into the following topics: Why is Google Replacing FLoC How Does the Topics API Work Pros & Cons of the Topics API What Should Advertisers Do With Topics? Why is Google Replacing FLoC The Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC) was part of the Google Privacy Sandbox. The original FLoC API would generate an alphanumerical-stringed ID, which would reflect a user’s browsing pattern on Chrome. For example, Criteo discovered that you could still monitor and cross-track users’ browsing habits and cohort assignments using FLoC IDs. Also, FLoC didn’t address the issues related to sensitive category targeting or fingerprinting either. Comparing that to third-party cookies – it didn’t seem to protect user privacies better. After extensive testing in the summer of 2021 and receiving feedback, Google decided to scrap the FLoC plan and go back to the drawing board. The end goal is to appease advertisers and consumers (internet users) alike. Google wants to strike a balance between making interest-based advertising available to brands while having more robust protection for user privacy. How Does the Topics API Work? Before we get started, here is Google’s illustration of Third-Party Cookies (left) and Topics (right). They plan to make Topics easier to understand and manage: Google created this little animation of a quick summary of Topics for the public: Topics will allow Chrome to choose up to a maximum of five topics that represent a user’s top interest for a certain time period (three weeks), based on the websites they visited. Examples of Topics could be travel, music genre, books, team sports, etc. Websites would opt-in to participate in Topics API to serve personalized ads. When a user visits a site, the API will select three topics (one from each of the past three weeks) and share them with the site and its advertising partners. The three topics unique to the user will be available for the next three weeks. Afterward, they will be replaced by new topics. Google plans to start with 350 topics to categorize user interest and activity. They will expand the set of topics as they continue to test and receive feedback. AdExchanger reports that Google may be seeking a third-party like IAB Tech Lab to maintain the taxonomy. Improving on the shortcomings of FLoC, the new Topics API will address the sensitive category targeting issue by pulling topics curated by humans (instead of machines) and manually exclude sensitive categories like race, religion, or sexual orientation. Also, to bypass the fingerprinting issue, Google will limit the number of topics shared of each user. Chrome users will have the option to disable the Topics feature completely, or see what topics are being shared about them. Three topics per user every few weeks sounds limited, but Google is trying to counterbalance that by offering combined topics, for example, a book lover who also loves hip hop, to enable a deeper level of audience targeting. Google’s Topics API will utilize machine learning via user devices. Take a look at this step-by-step breakdown: Topics is Interest-Based Advertising Google’s Topics API was proposed to be an elevated version of FLoC with improved user privacy protection. Advertising is often contextual-based, which means an ad is more relevant to the content that it’s served around. It’s helpful because users who actively sought out that content are more likely to be interested in your ad. Google Topics API will move away from contextual advertising and instead be interest-based. What is Interest-Based Advertising? A form of personalized advertising that chooses the ad content for a user based on their interests drawn from the websites they have visited. What is Interest-Based Advertising? It helps advertisers reach potential customers Fund websites that can’t easily monetize site visits solely through contextual advertising Supplements contextual information for the current webpage to help find an appropriate ad for the visiting user Pros & Cons of Topics API Benefits of the new API: The Topics API will notify you if a topic you get for a user is one of their top 5 topics of the week Websites with ongoing relationships with users will get more data (first-party data is king) There is transparency and individual control for both users and websites. You can see the topics assigned to you, remove the ones you don’t like, or even opt out The API protects users and reduces fingerprinting All Topics will be public and human-curated to avoid sensitive topics like religion and race On the other hand, here are some of the shortcomings from an advertiser’s perspective: Users could opt-out from being tracked Less user data for targeting Data expires every three weeks Limits measurement Harder to cross-correlate / fingerprint users In Google’s technical explainer, they highlight these items as the step towards their privacy goals. It “provides a more private alternative than tracking to help deliver relevant ads.” Note that Topics is currently still in its proposal stage. Google is going to keep an open conversation with the public. It would help them test and decide what the final form of Topics API would look like. What Should Brand Advertisers Do with Topics API? There’s no doubt that the move away from third-party cookies is a step-down when it comes to advertising. It will limit ways to granularly target people with personalized ads, which may likely affect reach and frequency. Topics…as an input for advertisers…can look at various signals and make their own decision about what makes an ad most relevant in a given situation. – Ben Galbraith, Google Chrome Product Lead Advertisers had
What is OTT (Over The Top) Advertising?
We’re not being dramatic, we’re just Over The Top. Over-The-Top (OTT) has been quickly gaining momentum in the video streaming and advertising world. Let’s go over what it is all about. Here is the outline we will be covering in this blog: What is OTT (Over The Top)? Growth of OTT What is OTT Advertising Benefits of OTT Advertising Bonus: OTT Infographic TL;DR – What Have We Learned? What is OTT (Over The Top)? Streaming platforms are all the rage nowadays, with Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV, etc. all fighting for people’s attention. What do they have in common? These channels are all OTT (Over The Top), meaning video content delivered over the internet, versus traditional satellite or cable TV. An important term associated with OTT is Connected TV (CTV). Connected TV stands for the device one uses to watch OTT video. Note, it is closely related but not the same. OTT is the actual delivery method, which is bypassing satellite and cable TV, hence, going over “the top”. As consumer demand for delivering content over the top grows, the demand for opportunities like an OTT advertiser or all-in-one OTT platform provider rises as well. This allows to manage and deliver seamless, high-quality content to their audiences. With OTT, companies can reach users wherever they are, on any internet-connected device, without the limitations of traditional TV infrastructure. OTT ads are served through video format on: Smart TV apps (like Netflix, HBO Go) Streaming boxes (Apple TV etc.) HDMI sticks (Amazon Firestick, Roku, Chromecast) Amazon’s Fire TV has 50 million active accounts and Roku has 46 million. Here is a quick breakdown of OTT devices. Note that Connected TV devices are a subset under OTT. Growth of OTT The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 sped things up for the popularity of OTT channels. People are spending more time at home, and all streaming channels have seen a jump in subscriptions. Many are switching from cable television to only streaming (cutting the “cord” if you will). Emarketer predicts that the number of US households that subscribe to traditional television will drop from 86.5 million to 72.7 million between 2019 and 2023. As mentioned earlier, OTT is streamed through Connected TV (CTV). The Drum identified that Connected TV had grown 35% year over year in 2020. Here are some statistics to showcase how popular streaming channels are: 61% of US households subscribe to 2+ OTT channels 45% subscribe to 3+ OTT channels 31% subscribe to 4 or more Here are the most prominent video streaming players: Netflix Disney+ Amazon Prime Video Apple TV+ To give you a sense of how big the userbases are, as of December 2020: Netflix has around 200 million subscribers and Disney+ has 86 million worldwide. It’s the hottest thing, and everyone wants a piece. Players that recently entered the arena include: Hulu HBO Max (HBO) Peacock (NBC) Discovery+ AMC+ (AMC) Shutter Crunchyroll and more Some showcased their entire media library, others like Shutter and Crunchyroll focus on niches: horror and anime–to cater to specific audiences. This competitive group is often dubbed as “The Streaming Wars”. Here is a 2019 CNBC feature and a quick look at their analysis in 2021: The public loves being able to watch Videos On Demand (VOD), binge an entire TV series with no commercial breaks, any time of the day. However, 57% of Netflix users said they would cancel their subscriptions if Netflix brought in advertisements. How do brands manage to reach people in their households in this new era of media consumption? What is OTT Advertising? Now that you have a better understanding of OTT, let’s dive into the advertising side of it! There are three primary types of OTT services: Transactional Video-On-Demand (TVOD): pay-per-view Advertising-based Video-On-Demand (AVOD): content is free, but with ads Subscription Video-On-Demand (SVOD): ad-free paid content There are three ways to buy and deliver OTT ads: Programmatic OTT ads: served across multiple networks through Demand Side Platforms (DSPs) using automation Platform Direct ads: purchased from the OTT device provider Publisher Direct ads: purchased through the OTT service provider Across these channels, ad formats may include: Banner ads Sponsored content In-stream video ads OTT can be streamed across different devices aside from TV, such as mobile phone, computer or gaming consoles like Playstation. This expands audience reach options. Because it’s internet-based, ads can be delivered to anyone around the world who has access to OTT TV. Pretty neat, right? Why don’t we now look at some benefits of this method of advertising? Benefits of OTT Advertising Guaranteed Ad Delivery What makes OTT ads effective is that they viewers can’t skip an ad or close a window nor use ad blocker. The viewer may not be able to click through to your website via TV, but video completion rates are very high instead. So make sure your ads are visually-grabbing and make an impression! More Accessible & Affordable Than Traditional TV Ads The number of people using Connected TV to stream video content is increasing. Why not take advantage of this trend and show off your brand on a whole new platform? OTT has made advertising to audiences in their households accessible to brands. Bypass lengthy negotiations for a TV spot with a specific channel on a particular day and time within a certain region. Ads can be served to the right people at the right time directly. Granular Audience Targeting Compared to traditional television advertising, OTT has the capability of hyper-targeting audiences. You won’t be limited to regional TV stations anymore, think big and think global. Advertisers can leverage consumer data such as online browser and purchase history to set up their audience segment. Excellent for Retargeting OTT enables advertisers to retarget users who have seen their ads elsewhere. It closes the cross-channel loop, which is invaluable for advertisers. It can be easily incorporated into a bigger marketing strategy and capture audiences. Ad Performance Attribution For every marketer, Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is an important metric to measure. Because OTT is internet-based, it has detailed data analytics of ad performance, which allows brands to attribute that to conversions (website
Our Favorite Valentine’s Day Ads
Love is in the air! In recent years, Valentine’s Day has evolved from its romantic roots. Yes, roses and chocolates are still popular; people are now celebrating Valentine’s with more than just their significant others. Friends (Galentine’s from Parks and Recreation, anyone?), pets, family, and even co-workers—it’s become a themed day that everyone celebrates! According to Printful, they identified the age groups that have been rallying behind the idea of V-Day celebrations: Younger Millenials (age 23-29) Gen X Baby Boomers Gen Z Older Millennials This order is based on the fact that these age groups are more likely to be single looking for love or already settled down in a relationship. Another great stat to note is 50% of people aged 13 -36 years old do keep an eye out for sales promotions themed around Valentine’s day. For this blog, we’ve handpicked ad campaigns from different brands and industries to see how much fun and creativity they could work with for this romantic occasion. Perhaps you can get some inspiration! Editor’s Note: This blog will serve as a living document, and we will continue to update it with other Valentine’s Day ads we fall in love with! Photo by Rinck Content Studio on Unsplash Our Favorite Valentine’s Day Ads Match.com Newsjacking is when you take a current event and use it in a creative spin to promote your brand. Memes like Bernie in a chair being photoshopped into the background of your office are a great example. Everyone “gets” it and feels like they’re in on the joke, which creates a sense of trust and likeability of your brand. Match.com newsjacked the COVID-19 pandemic and launched this commercial series directed by Ryan Reynolds. Satan uses Match.com and is matched up with a woman called 2020. They go on dates in empty stadiums, steal toilet paper, and even take a selfie in front of a literal dumpster fire. It’s cheeky as hell (pun intended), and it’s what we loved about it! Hotels.com Talk about a bold and sassy statement!Instead of presenting a creative ad depicting a typical romantic date night out, Hotels.com rejected those fuzzy feelings and created a campaign that jumped out from the crowd. When you went to the landing page: hotels.com/vdaydumpsterstay (note: link is no longer valid), you would fill out a form saying why your ex deserves to stay in the dumpster and where your dream hotel is. All participants would receive a fictional booking confirmation of your ex’s dumpster stay for Valentine’s Day (which is…oddly satisfying?). Participants would also be entered into a draw: 15 lucky winners would be able to win a $300 Hotels.com gift card. It’s pretty genius to speak to the masses in a cheeky, memorable way. Rent the Runway Going the classical Valentine’s Day route, luxury fashion rental company, Rent the Runway shares a stellar image of a model rocking a pretty, lace dress, content with herself. Their message is that you can treat yourself to beautiful clothes as a form of self-love, not just appeal to others! This image would work beautifully in an email marketing campaign and would be stunning as a social media post. You could repurpose it as a Display Ad or, even easier, serve it as a Social Display Ad. Twitter In 2020, Twitter ran Out-Of-Home billboard ads in high foot traffic transit stations in New York, Seattle, and San Francisco. Their approach to this campaign was to talk about relationships in a relatable way. Their ads featured actual Tweets by everyday people, covering topics from dating apps, nudes, dates, dealbreakers, marriage, or Valentine’s Day itself. We like this campaign because it does two things: humor that everyone can relate to and showcasing that Twitter is for sharing thoughts! Both appeal to the Valentine’s Day theme too. Two birds, one stone. Ads with a text emphasis (those with a statement or strong Call-To-Action) could work well as Display Ads. We also highly recommend you to consider Digital Out-Of-Home as a channel. They are digital billboards that can change and switch out ad creative based on the criteria you set. For example, you could have a statement ad in the morning, and a different one in the evening, which can fit people’s moods at the end of a workday — or you can even have creatives change it up depending on the weather! It’s flexible and gets many eyeballs as DOOH ads are typically displayed in high foot-traffic areas. Deadpool Deadpool is the R-Rated superhero in the Marvel Universe, and his actor, Ryan Reynolds brings him to life. He’s badass, hilarious, and he’s got a lot to say with his potty mouth. The movie was slotted to hit the theatres on February 12, the week of Valentine’s Day, so they did a series of commercials with Deadpool trying to “seduce” the audience. We love that they could weave in the seasonality, a clip from the movie, and celebrate how zany Deadpool’s character is. Hallmark Writing a heartfelt card is a no-brainer. Plus, Hallmark dominates the card industry. How can they promote cards for this Valentine’s Day? They stepped out of the box by tackling the prominent issue of cyber-bullying at school, showing what words can do to hurt someone and cause negative internalized thoughts and a sense of helplessness and isolation. But Hallmark also flipped it around on us, showing us how powerfully positive words can be. They set up this comparison between digital vs. physical text to show that a physical, written card is an excellent embodiment of your love and care for another. We also liked that it didn’t go the typical romantic route but that Valentine’s Day can be celebrated by friends too! Lenovo Lenovo promotes their new tablet with very effective puppy dog eyes. They build the story up by setting a conflic right at the start, thentpresenting their product as a solution to the problem. As the story unfolds, they were able to show off the product’s features such as the built-in projector and storage space. The message is clear that the tablet
Benefits of Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO)
Did you know that the average human attention span is lower than a goldfish? Our average is 8 seconds, whereas a goldfish is 9 seconds! With so much stimulation around us in person and online when it comes to marketing, brands need to find a way to cut through the noise. Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) is a way to stand out from the crowd. It’s 2022! If you’re a brand marketer, you should know that DCO is a game-changer and should be a part of your digital ad strategy. If you’re not sure what it is, fret not! This blog will discuss what it is, how it works, and how it will affect (and benefit) your marketing. Here are the topics we’ll cover: What is Dynamic Creative Optimization How Does Dynamic Creative Optimization Work Examples of Dynamic Creative Optimization Why is Dynamic Creative Optimization Effective Benefits of Dynamic Creative Optimization What is Dynamic Creative Optimization? Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) is when advertisers serve personalized ads to the right person at the right time by utilizing ad technology and data sets. Data sets may include audience information, such as: Device Location Interests Language Website behavior, etc Common examples of a dynamic ad would be a Display or Facebook carousel of the products you previously browsed on a website but didn’t purchase. The ad is unique to every user. How Does Dynamic Creative Optimization Work? The beauty of dynamic ads is that personalization is automated! DCO ad tech creates personalized ads based on the data of the user viewing it at the moment. It will showcase dynamic content like things they left in their shopping cart or items they’ve browsed. It does so by dissecting an ad into different components, lile: image, tagline, or copy. Advertisers would upload their creative assets (image, headlines, text etc.), then DCO technology will then create various combinations of ads to serve. Think of it as A/B testing but on a much wider scale: less manual, more automatic. While running the variation of ads, the ad tech’s machine learning features will constantly assess what is effective and what isn’t. Then after a few days, it will determine which of the best-performing combinations and serve those to the relevant audience. When your ads are runing, it’s collecting data on consumers. The data records and analyzes users’ interactions with your brand and website. In turn, it gives you more insights to make improvements to your creatives. Examples of Dynamic Creative Optimization Do you remember the personalized ads in the fictional future in the movie, Minority Report? We’re definitely on the path to this level of personalization. Digital Out-Of-Home ads can change messaging dependent on the time, weather etc. Audio ads can be served to specific genres or podcasts users listen to. There has also been a shift towards first-party data: the advertising industry will have lots of options to capture the attention of their audience! Let’s say you’re running an ad that targets the general population. It may appeal to some people but might not pack that extra oomph to persuade another demographic to convert. DCO takes personalization to a new level. You can target different audience segments based on age, interests etc. For example, you own a health and wellness store. You can run an ad promoting protein powders to 20-40 year olds. However, some people could be health-conscious but aren’t gym enthusiasts in that age range, so those ads might not be relevant. With DCO, you could have another ad for your vitamin products be served to this group instead, which might appeal to them better. Personalization provides more context for the consumer as well. Here’s a look at some visual examples! Different Call-To-Actions to appeal to different shoppers: Different image, tagline & landing Pages for different audiences: Dynamic retargeting ad showcasing previously browsed products: DCO is often used for retargeting by brands that sell products and the travel industry. For example: Home Hardware General Retargeting AdSave big on all our home improvement products. Shop now. [Images of miscellaneous products] Dynamically Optimized Retargeting AdThis is a great weekend to install that fence. Shop now. [Carousel of fence products previously viewed by user] Travelocity General Retargeting AdLow fares on hundreds of airlines. Book now. Dynamically Optimized Retargeting AdLow fares on hundreds of airlines.Find flights from Orlando to San Francisco. Book now. With personalized content in the ad, it speaks directly to the consumer and their needs, which increases its effectiveness. We’ll dive more into some statistics to back this up in the next section. Why is Dynamic Creative Optimization Effective? According to Adlucent, 71% of consumers prefer personalized ads, which results in a higher Click-Through Rate (CTR). So, it’s easy to say; relevant ads are a must for successful digital advertising. Some more statistics support this point, for example: 1 in 4 consumers say personalized ads are a great way for them to discover new products. About 20% of people say it makes their online shopping experience easier. 44% of consumers said they’re willing to provide basic contact information (name, email, address, preferences etc) to get more relevant ads tailored for them. Customer journeys are not all identical, and DCO helps prepare brands for this. The process of DCO is data-informed: it minimizes a lengthy process of creation, scales it, collects data, and makes optimizations. Facebook and Google each have their own systems for dynamic creative advertising. Benefits of Dynamic Creative Optimization Increase Brand Awareness Perhaps you’re trying to reach a new market segment and want to make a good impression. DCO’s smart and personalized messaging enables you to speak to different users’ pain points, needs, etc. It helps people feel connected to your brand. Studies show that users are almost twice as likely to click on an ad for an unknown brand or product if it is personalized. It’s a great way to grow your brand presence digitally. Higher Click-Through Rate (CTR) We’ve learned that DCO helps brands scale when it comes to the variations of unique, personalized ads. Because the content is highly relevant, the message is
Digital Advertising Trends in 2022
The advertising industry has collectively had quite a journey in the past two years. Brands had to navigate between the COVID-19 pandemic and tech giants’ privacy algorithm updates and so much more. It’s 2022, and to thrive and make this year more than just “2020 too”, we’ve identified channels and trends in the digital ad space that marketers should take note of. Advertising Channels to Consider in 2022 When it comes to digital advertising, we advise against spreading yourself too thin across way too many channels. Think about their target audiences’ customer journey from awareness to after conversion holistically. What channels do they use the most? It may differ depending on their age, interests, locations…etc., but the importance is showing up for them at the right place at the right time, with the right messaging for their needs. For an overview of some of the most popular programmatic advertising channels we offer, check out “How to Choose the Right Advertising Channel”. Today, we’ll share some channels you should consider trying out in 2022. TikTok Did you know that in 2021, TikTok dethroned Google for the number 1 domain ranking? It’s hard not to mention TikTok’s explosive growth since the pandemic. The video social app hit 1 billion users in 2021 and is still growing. A US survey found that TikTok is the primary source of where 39% of Gen Z women learn about new products.If your audience is Gen Z, we highly recommend considering this as a channel–especially if you’re already creating great visuals for Instagram stories, posts, or Facebook videos! It would be a great way to drive brand awareness and engagement. Voice Search Whether it be Microsoft Bing or Google, there’s no doubt Paid Search is a core channel of your digital strategy. It’s effective in capturing people who are actively searching for a product or service. As technology evolves, voice search has been rising in popularity over the past few years, whether it be on a smartphone, tablet, or a smart home device like (Amazon Echo, Google Nest), and also wearable tech, like Apple Watch. Data shows that 65% of people aged 25-49 speak to their voice-enabled devices once a day, at minimum. 18-24-year-olds are the second largest age group to use voice search and are a big reason many households adopt the technology in the first place. The third age group is those aged 50 and above. It’s hands-free and convenient! According to Neil Patel, Google suggests that 27% of all mobile searches are voice searches! In order to increase your online visibility through voice search, long-tailed keywords will be key. Furthermore, it’s expected that 55% of households will own smart speaker devices in 2022.People use these devices to search for answers; they also shop. Experts predict that in 2022, voice shopping will reach $40 billion across the US and UK. Voice search would be a must for brands that sell products on Amazon. So, there’s no better time to get ahead of your competition by aligning your digital ad strategy with an increased focus on voice search! Connected TV Traditional TV has been seeing a steady decline. In 2021, millions of households have cut the cord (meaning cable) and opted for internet-streaming-based video content powered by Connected TVs. This category encompasses Smart TVs, gaming consoles, and Over-The-Top connected devices such as Roku, Amazon Firestick, and Google Chromecast. Almost all Americans aged 25-34 access television content through the internet. In fact, 90% of young people prefer this method over cable television. Connected TV ads are engaging and more interactive than traditional TV commercials. For example, some allow you to click-through directly to your landing page, or you can serve up customized retargeting ads. You’re no longer stuck with paying a fortune for a certain channel’s time slot. Everyone knows you have to drop big bucks for ad spots on cable. But people PCR shows nowadays and skip over the ads anyways. So Connected TV ads are a new way to bypass traditional TV advertising media limits. It offers different options such as home screen display, in-stream and pre-roll video ads. They all have great visibility – many of them are full-screen, which means guaranteed viewability (no more skipping)! This means you could have your ads served at 1 AM to a couple that’s binge-watching a show. Timeslot allocation and big budgets are no longer an obstacle, making Connected TV an excellent channel for many brands to test out. Audio A recent eMarketer report revealed that in 2021, over 40% of US internet users are also paid audio subscribers (around 122 million people). In 2021, advertisers had spent $1.3 billion on podcast ads in the United States alone. A whopping 38.7% Year-Over-Year increase! The most popular audio platforms are: Spotify Pandora Amazon Music Apple Music eMarketer also predicts that Amazon Music will outpace Pandora’s listener count by the end of 2022. People listen to music and podcasts anywhere and everywhere. They may be on the go: commuting on the bus, driving (Apple CarPlay or Android Auto), jogging, or at home doing chores and meditating…etc. There is a podcast and playlist for absolutely everything. Take a look at why Spotify can be a great channel to target people at any time and day granularly. Like Connected TV mentioned above, there is a decline in traditional media advertising. Radio ad spots are competitive and pricey; plus, you’re locked into a specific day and time. What if your target demographic prefers streaming podcasts over the radio for their commute? You can’t even track if the ad had been listened to. That’s money down the drain. Digital audio ads are great for granular targeting. You can choose the basics like user demographic and interests. But you can even target shows, artists, or mood (genre) to serve customized and relevant content. Audio ads can blend in and become part of the listening experience; most of them aren’t skippable either. Some audio ad formats also include a chance for you to serve a display ad to enhance your messaging. In fact, some ads, users can click through to your site right in