Fast Track to Data Maturity
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Want to get on the fast track to Digital Marketing Maturity? In response to the unparalleled changes of the last 18 months - specifically the accelerated digital evolution caused by the pandemic, rapid expansion of consumer demand for personalisation and the dwindling data-stream once nourished by the third-party cookie – BCG & Google have collaborated once more to analyse the impact this has had on advancements in Digital Marketing Maturity. As we would expect, overall brands have progressed their digital maturity since the first research in 2019. The coveted multi-moment stage registered a considerable jump (from 2%) with 9% of companies now operating as the most digitally advanced marketers. There’s more good news for those already making strides along their Digital Marketing Maturity journey, as this new BCG research has found that more mature brands have further increased their effectiveness and efficiencies since the first study - 18% 29% 2x Sales Increase (up 2 points since 2019) Costs Savings (up 16 points since 2019) Increase in Brand Share (by 3% or more) As you can see companies that have made considerable advancements are already reaping the rewards of those efforts, with the gap widening between the former and those companies that have continued to stand still or have made only minimal steps compared to their more mature competitors. But all is not lost if your company is yet to begin its own Digital Maturity advancement. In getting to the heart of the rapidly changing landscape, this new study identifies four specific drivers that can accelerate the journey of digital maturity and put companies on the fast track today. Rest assured that wherever your current position, the six digital marketing pillars identified in 2019 remain imperative to digital success. Even when in the same stage of maturity, companies that are balancing their development of the four accelerators are generating more effective and efficient business results. For those high-maturity brands this is not something to ignore, the further development of these accelerators has the potential to increase revenues and efficiencies by 2% compared with static peers. Accelerator One: Technical - Building a virtuous cycle around first-party data Utilising first-party data — information that is shared directly by people following their consent — has always enabled companies to gather valuable insights about their audiences, that when strategically analysed gives a competitive advantage in their category. Privacy concerns and regulatory changes have heightened the value of that first-party data, with the primary objective being to gain and maintain consented access to the data itself. Companies that are yet to invest in understanding their current sources of data will need to start now, to ensure that data quality is the foundation across their capabilities. This in turn will help them navigate new regulatory changes and privacy concerns. For more digitally mature organisations, further investment into creating a holistic view across all sources of first-party (online and offline) data and establishing a cross-functional data privacy team for the long-term will be key. And how do you convince your consumers to share this valuable data? Success will come in the creation of a compelling story across each touchpoint of the purchasing journey, which is told in the language of your audience. That story must underpin the two-way trust value exchange of first-party data, as without this companies may struggle to build trust with their audience — leading to difficulties in maintaining long-term access to first-party data. This latest research shows that companies who have connected their first-party data can generate 1.5x the incremental revenue from a singular interaction, compared to those with limited data integration. Accelerator Two: Technical - Developing a true end-to-end measurement capability across channels, using predictive models The ability to measure the impact of paid, earned and owned interactions with consumers along the purchasing journey, has long been the sought-after holy grail of marketing. Stepping towards this, companies need to build an effective measurement system that continuously optimises the value exchange with customers. With the sun setting on the third-party data source, precision marketing must evolve into the predictive marketing era. This latest study finds that even some of the more advanced marketers have not yet built this capability. Only 42% of Multi-moment companies and 36% of Connected companies currently leverage predictive models effectively. In establishing true end-to-end measurement capabilities, companies must widen their lens from focussing only on consistent KPIs through cross-channel and cross-device measurement out to deploying predictive models along the entirety of the purchasing journey. The future is modelled. Only by leveraging advanced analytics can these predictive models permeate the data gaps currently filled by third-party cookies, attributing the value of customer touchpoints on modelled conversions in place of actual. Accelerator Three: Operational - Setting up agile performance loops based on a test-and learn approach The importance of the two technical accelerators reaffirms the need for organisational agility. Curating first-party data cycles and test-and-learn approaches will not be possible for those still operating in traditional, siloed organisational structures. Nevertheless, a considerable number of companies still lack cross-functional, agile teams. Likewise, real-time response capabilities - think dashboards accessible by all relevant stakeholders presenting data signals on campaign performance - are still not commonplace. While multi-moment marketers have built connections between their data, allowing this to flow between cross-functional teams in near time. Agile teaming aids in the breakdown of silos and empowers companies in reacting effectively and efficiently to fast-evolving consumer behaviour. You can take the first step toward establishing agile teaming by inspiring and enabling cross-functional teams to work in partnership, while promoting a strong, strategic test-and-learn culture based on current trends and insights-driven hypotheses. Accelerator Four: Operational - Securing access to new skills and resources In strengthening skills and resources companies can take a hybrid approach, primarily filling skill gaps through strategic, specialist partnerships, while conducting in-depth analysis of the most effective balance of internal and external capabilities longer term. The success of this a hybrid model may rely on external partners for areas such as creative content, objective strategic advice, and technical expertise, which is then harmonised with internal skills which may be focused on data analyses and activation. This is a chance to navigate the turbulent sea of “The Great Resignation” by building compelling development and retention programmes, creating an environment of professional growth that empowers talent. So how are you going to pick up the pace? The digital maturity journey has already begun — and less mature companies need to accelerate their endeavours just to keep pace as our Multi-Moment finish point today may fall into Connected tomorrow. It may seem overwhelming; however, it is not unachievable. The spotlight is firmly on C-suite leadership here as their sponsorship is key, particularly critical in when advancing into the upper levels of maturity. Only then can alignment of stakeholders throughout the organisation begin, with customer value and trust moving to the centre of the vision for the future. No matter your position on the maturity curve, the four accelerators outlined above are powerful levers of progress in driving long-term, sustainable growth. Read more of the complete research ‘The fast track to digital marketing maturity’ .telerik-reTable-5 { border-collapse: collapse; border: solid 0px; font-family: Tahoma; } .telerik-reTable-5 tr.telerik-reTableHeaderRow-5 { margin: 10px; padding: 10px; color: #3A4663; text-align: left; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-family: Tahoma; text-transform: capitalize; font-weight: 500; border-spacing: 10px; line-height: 11pt; vertical-align: top; } .telerik-reTable-5 td.telerik-reTableHeaderFirstCol-5 { padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; color: #3a4663; } .telerik-reTable-5 td.telerik-reTableHeaderLastCol-5 { padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; color: #3a4663; } .telerik-reTable-5 td.telerik-reTableHeaderOddCol-5 { padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; color: #3a4663; } .telerik-reTable-5 td.telerik-reTableHeaderEvenCol-5 { padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; color: #3a4663; } .telerik-reTable-5 tr.telerik-reTableOddRow-5 { color: #666666; vertical-align: top; font-size: 10pt; } .telerik-reTable-5 tr.telerik-reTableEvenRow-5 { color: #666666; vertical-align: top; font-size: 10pt; } .telerik-reTable-5 td.telerik-reTableFirstCol-5 { padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; } .telerik-reTable-5 td.telerik-reTableLastCol-5 { padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; } .telerik-reTable-5 td.telerik-reTableOddCol-5 { padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; } .telerik-reTable-5 td.telerik-reTableEvenCol-5 { padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; } .telerik-reTable-5 tr.telerik-reTableFooterRow-5 { color: #3a4663; font-weight: 500; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; line-height: 11pt; } .telerik-reTable-5 td.telerik-reTableFooterFirstCol-5 { padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; text-align: left; } .telerik-reTable-5 td.telerik-reTableFooterLastCol-5 { padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; text-align: left; } .telerik-reTable-5 td.telerik-reTableFooterOddCol-5 { padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; text-align: left; } .telerik-reTable-5 td.telerik-reTableFooterEvenCol-5 { padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; text-align: left; } 0
8 mins read
iProspect named global media partner for luxury group, Kering
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iProspect, a dentsu company, today announced it has been named global media partner for all Kering brands. As the global agency of record, iProspect will be responsible for managing all end-to-end media planning and buying, integrated across brand and performance. iProspect will operate as a media partner across all 42 markets where Kering has a media presence, and gradually take charge over Q1 2022. The announcement follows a unique four-month agency review based on innovation principles and a fast-tracked process. Kering sought agility and nimbleness within the response to brief to select its future partner. In reference to the pitch and subsequent selection, Kering appreciated; “the iProspect team’s digital and data-driven strategic vision and capabilities, its drive for innovation and creativity, along with its constant agile mindset. The Group looks forward to working with iProspect within the fully integrated dentsu network as its unique partner, empowering the combination of a global vision and strong local expertise.” iProspect Global Brand President, Amanda Morrissey said: “Enhancing our strong partnership with Kering is an amazing win for iProspect, one which propels our existing relationship onto a global stage. As the end-to-end agency, with the full scope of Brand & Performance Media, our passionate team looks forward to working with one of the most innovative, digital first, and data driven luxury brands in the world.” The win builds on a year where dentsu re-launched iProspect as a new, future-focused, end-to-end global media agency. 0
2 mins read
Get Ready For The Cookieless World
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Get ready for The Cookieless World Download the full dentsu report to focus on what you should and need to know today to prepare for 2023 By: Caroline Fülep, Associate Director, Paid Search, iProspect What is happening For many years, ‘big data’ in marketing has been ripe for the taking. Tech and ad platforms approached tracking people’s personal data as an implicit and default choice. For businesses that grew in the digital space over the past years, it meant unlimited access to valuable data that enabled them to reach people who were most likely to buy their products or services. At any time. Wherever they were online. However, as consumers started to worry about the data companies were collecting on us, we started taking steps to reduce, or at least select, the personal data to be shared online. This shift in consumer behavior has started a revolution in the digital marketing industry. User consent is now at the core of privacy regulations across the globe – GDPR in Europe, LGPD in Brazil, CCPA in California, APPI in Japan, among many others. Today, one out of two people (52%)1 believe that it is essential that organizations gain active consent to use their personal data to serve them the most relevant online ads. In addition to legal regulations, limitations on tracking technology have increased exponentially since 2017 when Apple introduced its Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) to limit cross-site tracking and conversion measurement. This move by Apple – who had little to lose in the advertising revenue world – led to a slew of tech and ad platforms following suit. Each platform likely wanting to show off their user privacy focus similar to Apple. Perhaps most notable alongside Apple’s iOS 14 updates, were Google’s commitment to ending third-party cookies by 2022/2023, and the rise of other types of tracking prevention. This will impact brands and advertisers across different dimensions. Why we need to care These dramatic changes in the industry will lead to fewer opportunities for ad targeting and personalization, especially for acquisition-focused campaigns. It will be important for brands to adjust strategies, by prioritizing those that interact with the ads and inviting them to take the next step (and share first-party data like email addresses to be used for future targeting and personalization). It will also be imperative to continue investing in creativity that will catch user attention. It is imperative that brands understand these changes will also affect marketing measurement and KPIs. For example, without third-party cookies, most display and programmatic view-through conversion data will disappear, but consumers will not have simply stopped converting after seeing banner ads. Most brands leverage tactics such as retargeting user profiles based on interactions (e.g. site visit, click on the banner, abandoned cart) and extend their audiences through modeling, which will be impacted with the end of third-party cookies in 2023. Although the deprecation of third-party cookies undeniably disrupts how brands engage with audiences online, alternatives continue to emerge. With no single silver bullet solution but many workflows and new concepts arising, the digital world is racing to find helpful and privacy-first options for targeting and measurement. How to prepare Advertisers must look to more durable methods to continue activating audiences and measuring the impact of digital programs in the future. Some alternative routes are already known, such as the importance of nurturing first-party data sources. Others are still in development, such as Google’s Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoCs) and unique ID solutions from The Trade Desk and Liveramp, each with different potentials for scale, levels of investment needed, and infrastructure requirements. For most brands, business continuation and growth are not likely to come from a single alternative, but from a blend of alternatives, which are unique to needs. A one size fits all mothership will no longer be achievable, and instead rigorous test & learn options will help prove out performance and tactics. It will likely be based on a combination of: First-party data relationships including learning how to motivate users to share their personal or CRM/email data. Partnerships with platforms and walled gardens using unique and shared identity solutions to identify users in different environments. Non-audience-based targeting solutions such as contextual targeting; focused on the type of content people consume rather than a specific audience type. Hybrid measurement models including in-platform attribution, incrementality testing and fast-paced media mix modeling. Dentsu’s definitive guide for global marketers, The Cookieless World, cuts through the ambient noise to help focus on what you should know today and investigate tomorrow to be ready in 2023 when the world becomes cookieless. 0
4 mins read
How iProspect Is Building an End-to-End Media Mindset
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Danielle Gonzales, CEO Americas, and Duncan Smith, Chief Media Officer US, at iProspect sat down with Adweek to discuss where the agency is headed and the new media mindset. How have iProspect’s own brand initiatives progressed since the refresh in March? How has iProspect redefined itself? Danielle Gonzales: It’s been a transformative moment for iProspect—we evolved our organization to offer clients a competitive advantage by bringing a performance mindset to all media decisions. In addition, we’ve cross-trained our teams, brought together expert skillsets, [and] better enabled tools and technology to be used for end-to-end connectivity. We’ve already seen a considerable amount of progress with the positioning and output of iProspect over the last year. The vision of iProspect enabled significant wins, such as Cox Communications and LinkedIn, as a true full-service, performance-driven media agency. We have been accelerating the delivery of those services not only for Cox Communications and LinkedIn but across our client portfolio every day. Not only has the balance of the work shifted, building on our world-class performance foundations to offer more strategic and omnichannel activation, we have also evolved the internal organization and services to form a cultural mindset. Over the past year, we have built a larger, stronger and more consolidated strategy team to work across our entire portfolio, continuing to drive market-leading thought leadership around all things performance while balancing that with award-winning brand strategy and personnel. We have also doubled down on communications planning expertise and are currently raising the bar for those disciplines across the entire body of our account management and planning teams. As we continue to evolve and accelerate growth, we want to ensure that our mission to close the gap between brand and demand is well heard, understood and embraced by our clients and the industry. In addition, we will continue to develop thought leadership around the intersection of all things performance. How has the company’s approach to performance marketing evolved? How has the definition sharpened or been refocused in terms of the work iProspect has been doing? Duncan Smith: iProspect has always been at the vanguard of performance marketing. Our belief that no dollar should be left unaccounted for can now be applied across every interaction with a consumer, driving communications and commerce up and down the marketing funnel. To achieve this means taking the lens of performance to all of the media and marketing decisions activated by our clients—evolving our product to be more strategic and consultative, more outcomes-focused across every touchpoint, and more dynamic and addressable in execution. Check out the full article here 0
3 mins read
How iProspect Is Building an End-to-End Media Mindset
Blog
Danielle Gonzales, CEO Americas, and Duncan Smith, Chief Media Officer US, at iProspect sat down with Adweek to discuss where the agency is headed and the new media mindset. How have iProspect’s own brand initiatives progressed since the refresh in March? How has iProspect redefined itself? Danielle Gonzales: It’s been a transformative moment for iProspect—we evolved our organization to offer clients a competitive advantage by bringing a performance mindset to all media decisions. In addition, we’ve cross-trained our teams, brought together expert skillsets, [and] better enabled tools and technology to be used for end-to-end connectivity. We’ve already seen a considerable amount of progress with the positioning and output of iProspect over the last year. The vision of iProspect enabled significant wins, such as Cox Communications and LinkedIn, as a true full-service, performance-driven media agency. We have been accelerating the delivery of those services not only for Cox Communications and LinkedIn but across our client portfolio every day. Not only has the balance of the work shifted, building on our world-class performance foundations to offer more strategic and omnichannel activation, we have also evolved the internal organization and services to form a cultural mindset. Over the past year, we have built a larger, stronger and more consolidated strategy team to work across our entire portfolio, continuing to drive market-leading thought leadership around all things performance while balancing that with award-winning brand strategy and personnel. We have also doubled down on communications planning expertise and are currently raising the bar for those disciplines across the entire body of our account management and planning teams. As we continue to evolve and accelerate growth, we want to ensure that our mission to close the gap between brand and demand is well heard, understood and embraced by our clients and the industry. In addition, we will continue to develop thought leadership around the intersection of all things performance. How has the company’s approach to performance marketing evolved? How has the definition sharpened or been refocused in terms of the work iProspect has been doing? Duncan Smith: iProspect has always been at the vanguard of performance marketing. Our belief that no dollar should be left unaccounted for can now be applied across every interaction with a consumer, driving communications and commerce up and down the marketing funnel. To achieve this means taking the lens of performance to all of the media and marketing decisions activated by our clients—evolving our product to be more strategic and consultative, more outcomes-focused across every touchpoint, and more dynamic and addressable in execution. Check out the full article here 0
3 mins read
Linsey Loy, selected as one of Business Insiders’ 50 Rising Stars of Madison Avenue
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Linsey Loy, SVP and Head of Growth for iProspect, has been selected as one of Business Insiders’ 50 Rising Stars of Madison Avenue who are revolutionizing advertising in 2021!
2 mins read
Danielle Gonzales Joins iProspect as Its First North America CEO
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NEW YORK, NY — October 5, 2021 -- iProspect, a dentsu company, announced today that it has appointed Danielle Gonzales as its first North America CEO. In this new role, Danielle will guide over 1,000 specialists across the US and Canada, leading a unified team in elevating the agency’s end-to-end capabilities to accelerate growth through a performance mindset. Danielle will report to Doug Rozen, CEO, dentsu Media – Americas and become a member of the dentsu Media Americas executive team. With a deep knowledge of changing consumer behaviors, innovative media connections, and data-driven storytelling, Danielle is known for how she redefines media approaches that push business outcomes. Danielle joins iProspect from Publicis Groupe, where she was recently elevated to President and Chief Client Officer of Publicis Media North America. Before that she was President and Chief Client Officer at Starcom, where she led North America and global client partnerships for KraftHeinz, McDonald’s, and BeamSuntory across Publicis Groupe’s media, communications, data, and tech teams. With over 25 years of industry experience, Danielle has helped transform clients’ marketing and communications connections from siloed to complete consumer experiences. Before her leadership positions at Starcom, she led the largest multicultural media agency Tapestry for more than a decade. At Tapestry, Danielle successfully grew the business by double digits for five consecutive years. Doug Rozen, CEO, dentsu Media Americas said: “Danielle is a get it done, master practitioner that truly knows the how, the what, and the why -- which allows her to push the status quo and stay ahead of what’s next. Her ability to understand the radical shifts in media and develop client friendships beyond just a professional relationship is exactly what the new iProspect requires to capitalize on their impressive full suite of services. Danielle brings a leadership style of boldness and empowerment that not only champions systematic change, but creates an inclusive environment for our people, clients, and partners.” Danielle is also a well-recognized industry leader, having been named Ad Age’s Women to Watch, Adweek’s Media All-Star, and HispanicAd.com’s Media Planning Executive of the Year in recent years. On joining iProspect, Danielle commented: “The next evolution of marketing involves improving performance at every bend of the consumer journey, and iProspect’s unmatched expertise and craftsmanship makes them unstoppable. I’ve seen first-hand the power of product and the value it brings to global brands and iProspect is perfectly positioned as the agency to not only accelerate growth for those brands, but also make a distinct impact on the industry. I’m excited to lead this forward-thinking team focused on delivering real outcomes.” Amanda Morrissey, Global President, iProspect added: “iProspect is the agency designed to deliver more effective growth across the entire media spectrum through the intersection of brand and demand. Danielle’s fierce ability to know consumers and their needs will play an integral role in shaping iProspect’s unique culture and client relationships.” Danielle joins iProspect at a transformative moment, recently launching into a game-changing digital-first end-to-end media agency. iProspect was also chosen as a global strategic media partner for LinkedIn anchored out of the US, and named the agency to handle Cox Communications US ad planning and buying business. In addition, it has won numerous accolades at industry events this year, including the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Original article on Adweek Danielle Gonzales joins iProspect as its first North America CEO NEW YORK, NY — October 5, 2021 -- iProspect, a dentsu company, announced today that it has appointed Danielle Gonzales as its first North America CEO. In this new role, Danielle will guide over 1,000 specialists across the US and Canada, leading a unified team in elevating the agency’s end-to-end capabilities to accelerate growth through a performance mindset. Danielle will report to Doug Rozen, CEO, dentsu Media – Americas and become a member of the dentsu Media Americas executive team. With a deep knowledge of changing consumer behaviors, innovative media connections, and data-driven storytelling, Danielle is known for how she redefines media approaches that push business outcomes. Danielle joins iProspect from Publicis Groupe, where she was recently elevated to President and Chief Client Officer of Publicis Media North America. Before that she was President and Chief Client Officer at Starcom, where she led North America and global client partnerships for KraftHeinz, McDonald’s, and BeamSuntory across Publicis Groupe’s media, communications, data, and tech teams. With over 25 years of industry experience, Danielle has helped transform clients’ marketing and communications connections from siloed to complete consumer experiences. Before her leadership positions at Starcom, she led the largest multicultural media agency Tapestry for more than a decade. At Tapestry, Danielle successfully grew the business by double digits for five consecutive years. Doug Rozen, CEO, dentsu Media Americas said: “Danielle is a get it done, master practitioner that truly knows the how, the what, and the why -- which allows her to push the status quo and stay ahead of what’s next. Her ability to understand the radical shifts in media and develop client friendships beyond just a professional relationship is exactly what the new iProspect requires to capitalize on their impressive full suite of services. Danielle brings a leadership style of boldness and empowerment that not only champions systematic change, but creates an inclusive environment for our people, clients, and partners.” Danielle is also a well-recognized industry leader, having been named Ad Age’s Women to Watch, Adweek’s Media All-Star, and HispanicAd.com’s Media Planning Executive of the Year in recent years. On joining iProspect, Danielle commented: “The next evolution of marketing involves improving performance at every bend of the consumer journey, and iProspect’s unmatched expertise and craftsmanship makes them unstoppable. I’ve seen first-hand the power of product and the value it brings to global brands and iProspect is perfectly positioned as the agency to not only accelerate growth for those brands, but also make a distinct impact on the industry. I’m excited to lead this forward-thinking team focused on delivering real outcomes.” Amanda Morrissey, Global President, iProspect added: “iProspect is the agency designed to deliver more effective growth across the entire media spectrum through the intersection of brand and demand. Danielle’s fierce ability to know consumers and their needs will play an integral role in shaping iProspect’s unique culture and client relationships.” Danielle joins iProspect at a transformative moment, recently launching into a game-changing digital-first end-to-end media agency. iProspect was also chosen as a global strategic media partner for LinkedIn anchored out of the US, and named the agency to handle Cox Communications US ad planning and buying business. In addition, it has won numerous accolades at industry events this year, including the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Original article on Adweek 0
6 mins read
A Cookieless World Conclusion
Blog
As 87% of people now believe data privacy is a right, not a privilege,[1]we, as marketers, should do better to address their growing concerns around how their information is collected and used. It is not only a matter of legal compliance, but also a matter of trust. In that context, although the recent evolution in the cookies landscape has triggered legitimate concerns around the potential consequences on advertising efficiency and on market dynamics, we should all welcome any change promoting user privacy as a collective, meaningful progress. Of course, these changes come with their own set of challenges and uncertainties, and the industry will probably have to make do with less - but better - data. As we have seen in this report: The leading web browsers are moving away from third-party cookies, creating a fresh paradigm for the digital marketing industry. In 2023, we consider using third-party cookies for advertising purposes should be a relic of the past. Apple is going even further, requiring apps to explicitly obtain consent to keep tracking users.[2] Some digital marketing activities are impacted, such as data management, audience activation, and performance measurement. Marketers must reconsider how they manage data. This means questioning their current value exchange, improving communications around data privacy, and revisiting their technology needs. To keep engaging consumers, marketers should investigate the possibilities offered by contextual targeting and cookieless audience targeting alternatives such as persistent IDs. To measure future performance, marketers will have to combine multiple techniques, from in-platform attribution to incrementality measurement to media mix modelling. A solid testing roadmap will be more important than ever. There is no silver bullet for this evolution, instead, each brand must develop its unique combination of responses. It is fine if your organisation has not figured out the best option yet. You are not running behind as there is still time to adapt – but you should not wait any longer to plan your transition to a new model. We expect discussions around privacy and identity to stay at the forefront of the debate even after we have pivoted to the cookieless world. This is why at dentsu we constantly monitor the martech landscape and are committed to working alongside our clients and partners to imagine and implement solutions that work for all. As a global leader in search marketing, we have implemented advanced cookieless strategies for the world’s largest brands for the last 10+ years. We are using this know-how to help our clients not only thrive in a world free of third-party cookies but do so with speed. Digital advertising has always been one of the most dynamic and exciting marketing spaces - and we are confident the best is yet to come. For more, download the full report today: http://ow.ly/KDTK50FKTaJ [1] Microsoft Advertising in partnership with iProspect, 2020 Consumer Privacy and Brand Trust Survey, Dec 2019 – Mar 2020, as featured in the report In Brands We Trust, published in April 2020 [2] Apple Developer, App Store, User Privacy and Data Use, as accessed on May 4, 2020 0
3 mins read
Data Management
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More Than Just Technology When we think about data management, we can be tempted to jump to the question “How do we do it?” which leads to a conversation around technology. Although this conversation is necessary, it is not sufficient to build a solid strategy. Why we collect the data (i.e., the specific purpose of this data in both the pursuit of business objectives and the improvement of consumer experience), and What data we collect (i.e., what data is really useful) are critical. The answers to the Why and What questions directly influence the How. They enlighten our tech investment decisions (e.g., infrastructure, partnerships) by helping refine our needs. We also know that people can decline to share their data or even game the system when they deem the reasons for data collection are not legitimate: 88% of them have already either refused to give or provided false personal information.[i]Additionally, sitting on data that has no potential for activation because it does not address a specific objective or it does not contain valid user information increases costs without contributing to growth and profits. The transition to a cookieless world is the perfect time for brands to ensure they define clear answers to the Why, What and How of their data management strategy. Three considerations for efficient data management 1. Define the right value exchange Finding the right balance in the data value exchange is no easy feat. According to the dentsu Digital Society Index, a third of people (32%) globally have opted out of receiving personalised ads in the last 12 months. [ii] Additional research shows that marketers generally tend to overestimate the value of the benefits they provide. Half (49%) believe they offer a fair exchange to consumers for the value of their data, [iii]while only 37% of consumers agree. [iv] However, as illustrated in the opposite table, marketers tend to underestimate consumers’ motivations to share their data. Interestingly, only 9% of marketers believe helping a company improve products or services is an incentive for consumers, while 44% of consumers believe so. These disconnections can create a perceived imbalance in the value exchange, which can result in distrust from consumers or missed opportunities for brands. For that reason, it is important for brands to develop a clear understanding of the specific factors influencing their audiences’ attitudes and behaviours around privacy, and to build upon these insights to adjust the value exchange they propose to consumers. Use Case #1: Invest in research to understand your perceived value exchange User surveys and interviews can help you appreciate how audiences see your brand regarding privacy issues and to understand their expectations when sharing data with you. These insights are useful to define the best approaches for which your audiences would see an interest in logging in your website (e.g., rewards, gamification, product registration) – and, as a result, to build and nurture robust sources of first-party data. Use Case #2: Tap into media consumption to identify opportunities for data partnerships An in-depth analysis of your audiences’ media consumption can help you identify relevant publishers to partner with to access complementary data. We expect these second-party data partnerships to increase as companies look to build comprehensive portraits of their consumers while decreasing their reliance on third-party data sources. 2. Invest in user education and transparent communications With two thirds of consumers (67%) having little to no understanding about how their data is used by companies,[v]brands that proactively reach out to customers about how they approach privacy can help alleviate concerns, explain the value they deliver in exchange for data, and seize the opportunity to differentiate from the competition by positioning themselves as trusted partners. Use Case #1: Explaining privacy / cookie policies As only 22% of consumers declare they always read privacy policies,[vi]regularly educating your customers about your privacy practices in clear and concise language can demonstrate greater attention to consumer privacy needs compared to competitors only reaching out sporadically and in legal jargon when they update their policies or when a data breach happens. For example, this might include providing information in layers (with the most valuable information being provided in the initial layers), just-in-time notices, or using icons that convey important information (e.g., a bar graph icon in front of a description of analytics cookies). Use Case #2: Making the case for opt-in iOS 14.5 has officially been launched by Apple. After installing the update, an iPhone user opening an app is shown a popup notification asking the user to explicitly opt in to data tracking. Apple authorises application developers to explain to users why they would like permission to track before the prompt is shown. We encourage brands to make the most of this opportunity to explain the value they can provide in exchange for collecting data. However, there are strict guidelines to follow, and any incentive scheme or tactic to trick users into allowing tracking is against the App Store Review Guidelines39 and should be avoided. This is an excellent example of why proactively building trust is more important than ever—the brands that have been building this trust with consumers prior to launch are in a more advantageous position than those only addressing the issue after the update went live. Use Case #3: Improving user experience for privacy A good user experience builds the trust needed for users to opt in and consent to marketing activities. Low consent rates are not necessarily due to a perceived lack of value in the exchange proposed by the brand, they could also be simply due to a poor user experience. So long as first-party cookies exist, so will cookie notifications - and cookie pop-up and banners are not created equally. These notifications should not be treated as afterthoughts and should be carefully handled by both legal and UX teams to ensure consent is properly collected and that the user choices are presently clearly and compliantly with legal requirements. 3. Adapt your technology infrastructure The third key consideration for efficient data management is selecting and optimising the right piece of technology. The perfect out-of-the-box stack does not exist – it is all about each organisation’s needs, objectives, and operational capabilities. Many technology suppliers offer interesting solutions to support a cookieless future, such as Salesforce or Adobe. As a matter of simplicity, we will use Google’s solutions, which are prevalent among many organisations, as an illustration of how to reduce immediate reliance on third- party cookies. Fundamental #1: Evolve your current tag setup It is important that your tag setup is able to measure conversions even without third-party cookies. This means shifting to first-party cookies and identifiers, whether client-side or server-side. Client-side tagging solutions (i.e., living on the browser) are the easiest ones to implement on the short term, as this can be done through a tag management platform (e.g., Google Tag Manager). On the long term, server-side tagging solutions (i.e., living in the cloud) offer more durability and control, as you can leverage and customise them across partners. However, they require significantly more time and financial investment. Fundamental #2: Ensure you can differentiate tracking according to user consent If you are not already using a Consent Management Platform, this addition to your tech stack is worth considering to help your organisation process user content on-site in a compliant way. You also need to configure your tags to automatically adjust tracking for activation and performance measurement according to the user’s consent or withheld consent: • For users who consent, first-party cookies can be used to track the user journey and conversions. • For users who do not consent, tracking cannot be deployed, and conversions must be modelled. To do so, several solutions are available to you. For instance, Google Analytics can integrate with IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent Framework v2.0 to adjust tags. Another available option is to use Google’s Consent Mode to pass consent signals across the Google stack (e.g., Google Display & Video 360). You also need to remember that many privacy laws around the world require that once a user has consented to the use of cookies, they have the right to withdraw that consent. Consequently, you need to ensure that your chosen Consent Management Platform (or equivalent solution) allows users to easily withdraw consent or indicate their cookie preferences. In practice, for example, this may be achieved by having a "cookie" or "privacy" icon that continuously hovers at the bottom of a user's screen, which if clicked takes the user to a cookie preference window where the user can toggle specific cookies "on" or "off". Fundamental #3: Implement the foundational technology to prevent gaps Google also offers many solutions to prevent gaps in measurement. Enhanced Conversions use hashed first- party customer data rather than relying on cookies or IDFAs. Conversion modelling through Consent Mode uses machine learning to model non-consenting conversions based on observable data. Google Analytics 4’s Enhanced measurement can also track engagements which were once difficult to monitor (e.g., video plays and exit link clicks). When using Google, we recommend marketers experiment with the different features offered by the platform - even when only available in beta – and to upgrade to Google Analytics 4 to maximise the full potential of their Google partnership. For more, download the full report today: http://ow.ly/KDTK50FKTaJ [i] Microsoft Advertising in partnership with iProspect, 2020 Consumer Privacy and Brand Trust Survey, Dec 2019 – Mar 2020, as featured in the report In Brands We Trust, published in April 2020 [ii] Dentsu, Decoding Data Dynamics: Digital Society Index 2020, Global survey of 32,000 respondents [iii] iProspect, iProspect 2020 Global Client Survey, October 2020 [iv] Microsoft Advertising and iProspect, Consumer Privacy and Data Survey Dec 2019 – Mar 2020, as featured in the report In Brands We Trust, published in April 2020 [v] Microsoft Advertising and iProspect, Consumer Privacy and Data Survey Dec 2019 – Mar 2020, as featured in the report In Brands We Trust, published in April 2020 [vi] Microsoft Advertising and iProspect, Consumer Privacy and Data Survey Dec 2019 – Mar 2020, as featured in the report In Brands We Trust, published in April 2020 0
9 mins read
The Beginning of A New Era
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The global demand for privacy is one of the most consequential consumer dynamics at play today. Across the globe, 91% of consumers are concerned about the amount of data that companies can collect about them, [i] and 42% have taken steps to reduce the amount of data they share online.[ii] In light of this desire for increased privacy, most technology platforms have recently implemented or announced restrictions around data collection and user tracking through their web browsers and operating systems. For brands and the advertising industry, the magnitude of this evolution is massive. On the short term, it is undoubtedly a source of conundrums for many marketers and publishers. Processes, ways of workings, legal compliance efforts, technology stacks, customer data strategies – even business models – must be reviewed and rethought to limit business disruption. Yet, in the long term, it offers a unique opportunity to (re)build trust between brands and consumers around the data issue. Success will hinge on increasing efforts to educate audiences (67% of consumers declare they have little to no understanding about how their data is being used[iii]) and defining a right value exchange that works for all (only 15% of consumers feel they are getting a good value from granting access to their data[iv]). In the midst of sensationalist headlines, technical solutions still being worked out, and a lack of shared standards to get behind, it is normal for marketers to feel lost and nervous. In a recent marketer survey we conducted, 60% of respondents declared they are not familiar with tracking prevention or are unsure about the consequences on their business, showing that this fast-changing landscape is not fully understood yet.[v] In this new dentsu definitive guide for global marketers, The Cookieless World, we rise above unique market perspectives and cut through the ambient noise to help you focus on what you should know today and investigate tomorrow to be ready in 2023, when the world will become cookieless. For more, download the full report today: http://ow.ly/KDTK50FKTaJ [i] Microsoft Advertising in partnership with iProspect, 2020 Consumer Privacy and Brand Trust Survey, Dec 2019 – Mar 2020, as featured in the report In Brands We Trust, published in April 2020 [ii] Dentsu, Decoding Data Dynamics: Digital Society Index 2020, Global survey of 32,000 respondents [iii] MMicrosoft Advertising in partnership with iProspect, 2020 Consumer Privacy and Brand Trust Survey, Dec 2019 – Mar 2020, as featured in the report In Brands We Trust, published in April 2020 [iv] Microsoft Advertising in partnership with iProspect, 2020 Consumer Privacy and Brand Trust Survey, Dec 2019 – Mar 2020, as featured in the report In Brands We Trust, published in April 2020 [v] iProspect, iProspect 2020 Global Client Survey, November 2020, as featured in Future Focus 2021: Brands Accelerated, published in April 2021 0
3 mins read
Making the most of Attention by Aligning UX with Consumer Intent.
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This article is authored by Chris Philp, VP, Lead, SEO and Karen Kysar, Senior Director CX Strategy. Advertising campaigns are not the only ways for brands to get consumers’ attention. Guiding them when they search for information, helping them to learn more about a topic, and assisting them in accomplishing what they want are powerful means for brands to capture their interest and to influence what happens next. To design valuable, consumer-centric experiences that will be noticed by their audiences, marketers should focus on three priorities: correctly interpreting intent, solving users’ problems and delivering on expectations. Understand intent Correctly interpreting intent is not just about observing consumers’ search activities and the various tasks they perform throughout the day, but also about understanding their reasons and the context around them. First-party data is a good place to start. For instance, website analytics inform about the kind of audiences you attract, CRM data show who buys your products, and customer support data cast light on consumers’ struggles. To complement these data sources, ad hoc surveys can capture consumers’ attitudes, motivations and triggers. For example, running a large-scale quantitative survey of first-time moms helps understand what their everyday looks like, where they are seeking advice, and how they handle caregiving issues. To give voice to that data, small-scale user studies enable you to hear directly from first-time moms (e.g., the types of searches they perform). As privacy regulations give consumers more control about how their data is used, we anticipate that consumer surveys will see renewed interest from brands. By encompassing what audiences express and how they interact with your brand, this approach makes it possible to truly know audiences as people. You can then develop actionable portraits rooted in data which help identify areas where your brand is well positioned to win with content and develop content roadmaps that truly address your audience needs. Solve a problem To help consumers solve a problem, start with a shift in focus from the brand to the consumer. It is about adapting the brand response to the consumer moment, and recognising that all these moments are not necessarily about purchasing a product. For instance, Google has identified four pivotal micro-moments: I want to know, I want to go, I want to do, I want to buy. When first-time moms look to soothe their crying infants, they will often turn to search engines. The keywords they use carry a lot of intent and emotion. A search for “swaddle” may be about looking for a product, while a search for “swaddling” may be about looking for information on whether it is safe. In both cases, these keywords are proxies for the underlying problem: how to get a baby to sleep through the night. In the search engine result pages, results for the “swaddle” query are centred around products – which only partially addresses the bigger problem at play – and there is a lot of advertising competition. Conversely, the query “how to get a baby to sleep through the night” returns the “Interesting finds” component, which provides users the option to land on a content page. For brands, it is an opportunity to demonstrate they understand people’s intent and context, and to provide a valuable solution rather than focusing solely on the product and transaction. From telecom companies developing guides around improving Wi-Fi reception to water treatment companies educating consumers about contamination of water, this approach using value as the key factor to capture attention is applicable across all industries. By understanding intent and assessing the search engine results page and content types delivered, brands can much better assess not only the problem, but the best suited format for delivery, too - whether that is a video, an article, an image or other. Deliver on expectations Delivering on expectations means ensuring that you are not only showing up when people search, but also that they can convert easily once they land on your website. This requires acting simultaneously in two dimensions: the user experience (UX) and the technical side. There is an important difference between a website that looks clean and a website that is truly user friendly. Analytics can help you detect the most problematic bottlenecks of your website. Then, user testing can help you understand the various reasons behind these bottlenecks, such as a frustrating product catalogue organisation, or an impractical checkout. These insights can help you address the most urgent pain points through A/B testing, and ultimately improve your UX. From a technical standpoint, there is a host of aspects to consider, starting with site speed. Site speed is fundamental in user experience, and has a strong influence on bounce rate and conversions. Marketers should regularly monitor their site speed, using online tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights. Additionally, UX plays an increasingly important role in search engine rankings. From May 2021, page experience signals (e.g., mobile friendliness) will be included in Google Search ranking. Simply put, UX is not only important for making the most of the attention of people who reach your website, but it also conditions your ability to get the attention of additional users through search results! As one marketer out of two (48%) declares that not being consistent across every element of the consumer experience is a main challenge for long-term trust in their brand (iProspect 2020 Global Client Survey), strategic use of content presents a true opportunity to bring the experience together - from attention to transaction - by making the most of consumer intent and context through value. This article is excerpted from the report Future Focus 2021: Brands Accelerated. Download it now for key insights on how brands can make the most of brand and performance to accelerate their growth. 0
5 mins read
Trends from global conversation and what they mean for gaming
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This article has been written by Lisa Cowie, Head of Agency Research at Twitter, and Thomas Bailly, Global Agency Lead at Twitter. When people care about something, they talk about it. There are hundreds of millions of Tweets sent everyday around the world. What we choose to share says something about us — about who we are, about what interests us, about what we believe in. Conversation gives a window into culture. Whilst Twitter isn’t short of data, gaining insights from that data requires the right analytical tools. We partnered with Black Swan to analyse 300,000+ topics of conversation. Using AI-driven network science to map conversations into clusters, we looked over 2 years (Jan ‘19 - Dec ‘20) to detect evolving trends. Tweets were analysed across 8 markets - US, Canada, UK, France, Spain, Brazil, Australia and India. Many conversations persist across markets From a macro perspective, people around the world are talking about a lot of the same things — but they can manifest differently depending on the cultural context. Our analysis surfaced 6 key spaces: Understanding culture isn’t about honing into one area that is most obviously connected to a brand or vertical. Conversation is fluid and therefore trends are interconnected. It’s important to consider all the ways that consumers are thinking and behaving, to know what matters to them across many facets of their lives. Trend #1 - Wellbeing Of course, wellbeing. Conversation has increased by at least 40% in all markets. The notion of #ItsOkayNotToBeOkay has come to the fore, with increasingly frank and open exchanges. #CollectiveHealth. Wellbeing is increasingly being shaped by conversation around ‘communities of care’. Healthcare systems, nursing care, health tech, telehealth services and “looking out for each other” have all seen growth. Trend #2 - Creator Culture A new generation of entrepreneurs and everyday makers is emerging: the creator class. Spanning those who create for a living through to everyday people who want to inject a bit of creativity into their days. #Participation. Everyone can create. Involvement is more prominent than ever. This notion is fueling the entertainment space as content proliferates from everyday creators and consumption becomes much more social. Conversation around creator culture has increased by +26% in the US and as much as +135% in Brazil. Trend #3 - Everyday Wonder Escapism is a fundamental human desire. From the cosmos to spirituality to wanderlust, people are immersing themselves in content and experiences. There’s renewed wonder in imagined realities. Fantasy worlds, role-playing, cosplay, sci-fi, and superhero culture are providing ways for people to lose — and find — themselves. The conversation is steadily growing everywhere, with particular resonance in Spain, +35%, and Brazil, +31%. Trend #4 - One Planet The notion of #BuildBackBetter is emerging as a key driver of the conversation around sustainability and the environment. #TheGreatReset in the US, #GreenRecovery in the UK or #Agenda2030 in Spain are setting the tone, with a focus on regeneration not just sustainability. There has also been heightened interest in nature and local surroundings — from the impact of climate change to an appreciation for green spaces and the land around us. Trend #5 - Tech Life A changing dialogue about the way we live, work, and create. As the pandemic hit, a burgeoning reliance on tech in our homes saw more mentions of everything from video calling to smart sensors to connected entertainment to ed tech. Tech Life is expansive - people are talking about smarter living, tech for good and tech angst. The conversation has grown between 30-40% across all markets. Trend #6 - My Identity People are feeling more supported — and celebrated — to live out loud. #RepresentMe. Equality has become one of the most prominent themes on the platform, as individuals and communities push for real representation. This doesn’t stop at politics, it’s increasingly a topic within entertainment. As people increasingly define themselves against their values, beliefs or ethics, #BeAnAlly and #TakeAStand are concepts that are gaining traction not just for individuals but within fandoms too. Who you stan says a lot about what you stan. People are realising the power of their fandoms to drive real social change. The US is seeing the highest growth around this theme, 61%, but with 40%+ growth in all markets the conversation around identity is happening everywhere. ------------- We see those conversations shaping global culture. One of the recurring themes, showing up in conversation and making its way into mainstream culture, is gaming. Let’s look at how the gaming conversation has evolved, and what that means for content creators and brands. Everyday prevalence of gaming Gaming is a huge area of opportunity for brands, irrespective of their vertical. It sits at the intersection of culture, tech, and content. Mainstream, but also a multitude of niche communities, gaming is spreading far and wide into peoples’ lives, accelerated by the pandemic. ●2B+ gaming related Tweets globally in 2020, up +75% YOY ●Globally, people on Twitter are 1.7X more likely to have a connected gaming console and 2.2X more likely to watch competitive video gaming, vs. those not on Twitter. Gaming shows up within conversation in various ways, driving two of our trend spaces: Gaming Focus Trend #1 - Creator Culture: Conversational Entertainment Game talk A new era of gaming, one where games become social experiences. Mentions of games like Among Us, Animal Crossing, Pokemon and Fortnite have all seen huge growth. Conditions of the pandemic have driven usage, but these games inspire connection and conversation. Streamers Gaming as video content. Increasing mentions of live streams show that gaming is also a consumption experience. #SupportSmallStreamers is gaining traction as more people move into the role of creator, putting out content for their audiences. Gaming ecosystems Franchises are converging with film and music. In-game social events like concerts are driving conversation around music artists in the same context as gaming. Gaming Focus Trend #2 - Everyday Wonder: Imaginative Escapism Nostalgic experiences As people seek out comfort in the familiar and iconic, classic franchises like Pokemon, Pacman, Mario, Star Wars characters and countless others have been delighting new and old fans alike. Immersive narratives Not quite a video game, not quite a movie. Gaming is increasingly being talked about in the realms of characters, settings and stories as people desire full immersion into fantasy-worlds. Beyond gaming itself Animal Crossing wasn’t just something to do during lockdowns. Conversation on Twitter spiraled into everyday dreaming about travel, holidays and IRL experiences. Hype and conversation around Cyberpunk, the long-awaited game, has moved into story-telling and cosplay (costume play) as people throw themselves into character role-playing. Acting on the gaming phenomenon If it’s happening in the world, it’s happening on Twitter. Particularly when it comes to the gaming conversation, fans around the world come to Twitter to talk about the biggest moments of the year — the game drops, the fandom, and more, all year long. We see this in the consumption habits of our audiences — during live events, while attention shifts away from other social media, it shifts towards Twitter. This is why game publishers and esports teams alike are prioritising using Twitter as an immediate distribution platform for their biggest moments. With Amplify, Twitter’s pre-roll video offering, brands can reach the younger demographic who are difficult to reach by TV and the increasing cord-cutters and cord-nevers. From always-on packages with our gaming press partners, to live events and esports opportunities, Twitter has a wide range of solutions to allow brands to align with premium, brand-safe content that resonates with a younger audience, globally. For more information on Twitter Trends please visit marketing.twitter.com/trends 0
7 mins read