What's the difference between GDN and Programmatic
Programmatic has a lot of detailed targeting options that GDN does not support. While GDN uses search data to target users, Programmatic offers a mix of third-party data and first-party data which enables more granular targeting.
GDN is a walled garden, while Programmatic also offers access to dozens of ad exchanges and private marketplaces (sites with invitation-only access) bringing much bigger audiences.
Programmatic affords greater brand safety measures as well as Google ratings, it uses additional third-party verification companies, for example Integral Ad Science.
How retailers can boost engagement with dynamic creative.
Programmatic can target the right audience at the right moment across all addressable channels. However, creative plays a leading role in creating a relevant and personalised message.
Just targeting the right audience is ineffective if an uninspiring and irrelevant message is delivered. In fact, at its worst, it can switch audiences off and cause them to install ad blockers.
Programmatic advertising inevitably requires the input of captivating creative to achieve successful consumer engagement. Increasingly this requires personalisation through dynamic creative.
Dynamic Creative (DC)
Using data points that establish the most appropriate combination of the elements in the creative (i.e. background image, offer and text), Dynamic Creative makes it possible to serve tailored and meaningful messages.
The use of dynamic creative allows retailers to tailor ads based on individual tastes and interests, enabling shoppers to see relevant products and special offers. Additionally, it allows for the quick creation of a multitude of variations of display ads, to which high-volume retail campaigns are suited.
Retailers must leverage the data that feeds the power of Dynamic Creative
Retailers are sitting on a gold mine of data that is perfect for dynamic creative optimisation, including first-party data and third-party data sources. Insights can be gained from instore and online purchase activity, and measurement data from tracking offers such as discount codes etc.
Combining these data sets retailers can gain a comprehensive profile of their customers, including things such as:
- demographics
- online behaviours
- transactional insights (e.g. information on unique likes, device types, location, the day of the week, weather and time of day).
This enables retailers to build real-time continuously updating models of what their perfect customer looks like, driving increased relevance and impact of their ad creative.
Use the customer journey data to optimise performance
To assess the true impact of dynamic creative deployment in retail, its necessary to understand the metrics which deliver a return on investment. The same data sources that inform the creation of dynamic ads also need to be mined to understand how various elements of the campaign are performing.
Dynamic Creative Optimisation, (DCO) is automated and efficient, eliminating the manpower and time required to create multiple singular creatives. An ad’s image, product, text or calls-to-action can be dynamically changed to deliver relevant messages to an individual. When implemented well, DCO can deliver on average a 60% uplift in performance.
What to keep in mind when using DCO
- Too many parameters - Retailers needs to be conscious not to create too many variations of creative elements without testing their effectiveness. Brands need to accurately establish what works and what doesn’t by initially using a set number of elements to gain statistically meaningful results i.e. ad size, target location, target gender.
- Too much focus on remarketing – While offering the last product seen can persuade customers to buy products, dynamic creative goes beyond single conversions. In fact, DCO can be used across the sales funnel — for everything from loyalty programs, upselling, through to new-customer acquisition and awareness campaigns.
- Ignoring experience – There is still a place for retailers to utilise their knowledge of their own products, goals, and audiences. Dynamic Creative should be adapted to facilitate these human insights.
- Forgetting the user experience – It is critical to keep in mind the customers' experience. Advertisers need to deliver a personalized and relevant message while not overstepping on the customers right to their privacy. In that way, things such as ad frequency management and running across multiple channels can help create an impactful message across various touchpoints that doesn’t feel redundant or intrusive for the customer
The Benefits of Dynamic Creative
- Leads to higher engagement and ROI - serving automated personalised offerings to customers
- Improves conversion rate and loyalty – More relevant and personalised approach to your customers can boost sales and repeat purchases and increase brand favorability.
- Deliver maximum relevancy at scale - DCO enables advertisers to develop and leverage many unique ad creatives while ensuring ads are relevant to each user.
Imedia looks to the future
Acquire Online Directors had the pleasure of attending the iMedia summit last month. Among the many speakers were two fascinating Brads. Futurist and keynote speaker, Brad Berens didn’t disappoint with his concept of Neanderthings and Permaverbs. Search Republic’s Brad Guthrie gave an enthralling talk on Voice Search, highlighting the power of smart speakers and audio.
Berens’ Neanderthings are those technological products and services that have essentially gone extinct. Landlines, fax machines and traditional cameras have all made way for digital alternatives. Yet our actions, the Permaverbs, stay the same. Though we type onto a screen now and send messages instantaneously, listening to music via streaming, the need to communicate remains – it’s just the tools that change. Modern necessities like smart phones and cars make way for alternatives like self-driving cars, smartglasses, mixed reality and co-viewing.
Smart speakers on the rise
Guthrie’s talk served to demonstrate the concept in action. As traditional searches make way for voice searches, Voice Shopping is set to jump to $40 billion by 2022 (rising from $2 billion today).
Smart speaker penetration and adoption in America alone is already significant, with one billion voice searches per month. And 50% of those are voice-based, he said.
The effect of voice on search marketing is equally telling. In terms of SEO, voice search is ranked differently with faster page speed, favouring longer content. Some 56 million smart speakers are set to ship worldwide in 2018. Clearly this is no passing fad.
Berens emphasised that in the midst of these changes, we need to consciously invest in relationships as, despite the technology, we will never get away from the need to be in front of one another. “Though the Neanderthings may evolve and people will continue to want to interact remotely, they are also increasingly uncomfortable with being ignored,” he said.
Keeping it human
Acquire Online did its bit to ensure communication at iMedia. Inbetween the networking and educational opportunities, delegates enjoyed a programmatic cocktail courtesy of Acquire. Ingredients included what marketers have come to expect from NZ’s largest independent programmatic trading desk – brand safety, viewability, reporting and optimisation, audience targeting, and an experienced team – all wrapped up in the popular mojito for good measure!