TikTok’s Lead Generation will enable businesses of all sizes to create seamless interactions to reach prospects in order to convert them into potential customers.

Lead Generation starts by making it easy for users to fill out a form and provide their information (e.g. Name, Email, Phone) in order to signal their interest in that particular product or service. Additionally, basic information that users provide on TikTok can also be automatically populated for an efficient experience between the business and user.

Building valuable connections

TikTok’s Lead Generation also aims to enable businesses to create fully customisable messages that are relevant to multiple customer segments. Leads can then be downloaded manually or, if integrated with a business’ CRM, leads can be immediately activated. For businesses on TikTok, the information in these forms is vital to ensure that they are reaching interested customers in a respectable way.

When users submit their information, a privacy notice will be displayed, stating that TikTok is collecting users’ information for advertisers. Both TikTok’s Privacy Policy and the advertisers’ privacy policy will be linked in the form. The personal information collected through Lead Generation will only be accessible by the advertiser. Users can edit their information on the form or click to exit out of the form at any time. This means that TikTok’s community can be confident that when it comes to their data privacy. 

It’s encouraging to see the introduction of TikTok’s Lead Generation; it should prove to be a positive support for businesses, enabling them to reach, connect, and engage with their customers in a simple, seamless way.

The post TikTok Introduces Lead Generation to Enable Businesses to Easily Drive Customer Acquisition appeared first on PerformanceIN.

Without further ado, let’s learn what CAPI is, why you have to use it and how to apply it for peak performance! 

A quick recap: why did Facebook rules change? 

Digital space hasn’t been at its best health in the past couple of years, so the regulatory system started intervening.

The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) came into effect in 2018, which forced advertisers and website owners to notify users about the usage of cookies and tracking of the personal information about them.

Even before the law was adopted, Apple made a first move by restricting the third-party cookies on Safari web browser. Then Firefox and Edge followed Safari down the cookieless road.

However, 2020 and the iOS 14 update was way more painful, with the option opt-out of in-app tracking. 

Facebook lost an incredible amount of data to feed its algorithms and had to quickly adapt. 

But as we can see, Facebook adjustments covered a much broader array of events than just mobile-tracking: 

• Requirement to verify domain for authentication purposes
• Attribution window decreased to seven-day from 28-day
• Facebook Conversion API as a necessity for proper performance
• NEW: Facebook Analytics is preparing for retirement 

Clearly, Facebook is getting ready for the new era of advertising. No matter how loud the fights are in the media between Apple and Facebook, it’s fair to say that Facebook would have to do it anyway. Maybe now is just the right moment to make the jump? 

What is the Facebook Conversion API and how can you season it? 

Facebook Conversion API is a server side tracking and attribution technology. Unlike Facebook Pixel, that worked on a browser side, CAPI tracks all events server to server. 

Facebook Pixel is a trusted technology, but it’s becoming outdated in the age of cookieless updates. On the other hand, Facebook CAPI existed even before, but was more of a fancy technology for pro marketers or giant advertising companies.

Disadvantages of a Facebook Pixel 

• Doesn’t comply with Privacy Updates
• Provides inaccurate attribution and conversion data
• Gets easily blocked by ad blockers

Advantages of a Facebook CAPI 

• Futureproof for cookieless updates
• Better accuracy for conversion data
• Better attribution

Facebook Pixel still works, and Facebook CAPI works perfectly too. But a way to transfer the data to FB algorithms for optimisation is tricky. The best decision right now is to partner up the forces of Facebook Pixel and Facebook Conversion API. Why? 

The partnership of Facebook Pixel and Facebook Conversion API

Facebook Pixel is still responsible for gathering all the data inside of the platform. And CAPI is there to cover the server side tracking, in order to ensure the ability to do the tracking and attribution in a safe way for the digital space. When these two are together, they are a real power couple. 

You get the data, track on a server side, attribute conversions and optimise the campaigns towards an event of your choice (like a purchase, sign-up, clicks, etc.). 

However, there are two very important things that you have to follow: 

• You can optimise only for the events added to the Aggregated Events Measurement (AEM)
• You can add events to AEM only once they are “warmed-up”
• You can configure events only coming from verified domains

Unfolding AEM

AEM is a special Facebook protocol that allows measurement of events after the iOS 14 Update was rolled out. You can add up to eight events to AEM to configure and use for optimisation of your campaigns.

Make sure to always choose the right events for top priority, because that’s what Facebook is going to be focused on.

You can not add the event to AEM until the event has got enough traction. What is ‘enough’ is a mystery, since every event was behaving differently in that regard. On average, an event has to receive from 15 to 30 conversions and always has to be associated with a verified domain. 

Domain verification 

Now it is not just a recommendation but a requirement to verify the domain where conversions happen for your events. It’s not that complicated for advertisers who own the domain, you just have to follow the Facebook guide.

There are three ways to verify domain on Facebook: 

• DNS verification
• HTML File Upload
• Meta-tag verification

However, those involved in affiliate marketing are under the influence. You need to have access to the domain of the conversion event. And since affiliates run offers through the advertisers, they simply don’t have it. Therefore, affiliates need to find alternative solutions for domain verification. 

Attribution window limitations 

After the update, Facebook jumped from a 28-day click attribution window to seven day one. This is hurtful, since you put your optimisation decisions at risk due to a shorter period of time when the data has been stored. Plus, the view attribution window has changed from seven day to one day. 

It is logical to state that the more data you have, the better the attribution will be.

This data is directly influencing the way your campaign optimisation goes. And obviously the end victory is the boost in conversion/sales/clicks/etc. You have to find a way to increase the attribution window to get accurate results. 

Implementation

When you choose to go for Facebook Conversion API you have two options: 

• DIY (a developer has to code a solution for you)
• Find a perfect mar-tech solution

The Facebook Guidelines show how you can develop a CAPI solution with your own resources. 

The benefits to look for in Mar-Tech solutions: 

• Complex solution (goes beyond Facebook CAPI setup)
• No-tech skills required for setup
• Solutions for better attribution modelling
• Helps verify third-party domains (if you are an affiliate)

To sum up, things you need to take control of when choosing Facebook Ads:

• Implement CAPI & partner forces with Pixel
• Verify the domain 
• Warm-up the events and add them to AEM
• Choose top priority events for optimisation in AEM
• Find a solution for improved attribution

Yes, it has become way more difficult to maintain the performance that we’re used to on Facebook. If you want to receive benefits from Facebook Ads, you have to find a way to its heart. We believe that now we have entered the times when it’s better to delegate it to people who devote their time to decoding the Facebook mysteries. 

The post Should I Stay or Should I Go: Choosing Facebook Ads in 2021 appeared first on PerformanceIN.

This new geographical targeting makes it easier for marketers to pinpoint specific paid search threats and take immediate action. This precision targeting is critical for marketers seeking solutions for global businesses models such as franchises, insurance companies, mortgage companies, and other businesses with high priority geo-specific markets (for example shared ride services). 

This added targeting capability provides important functionality for users focused on addressing three common paid search monitoring needs:

1. Affiliate Compliance 

Enforce geo specific program rules and enable specific affiliates to participate in paid search advertising in some markets, but not other markets.

2. Brand Protection

Prioritize high value cities, regions or other areas to ensure a consistent brand experience and to protect geo-targeted marketing spend.

3. Competitive Intelligence

Gain competitive insights and focus on strategic goals for top geographies, ensuring optimal and localized ad placement.

“Our customers value the ability to further customize their compliance monitoring,” said Maura Newell, product lead for BrandVerity. “The addition of location targeting to the BrandVerity platform will give marketers the option for additional precision in their paid search monitoring and compliance programs.” 

BrandVerity’s paid search and web compliance monitoring solution helps brands detect and manage infringements for performance marketers within the partnership channel. With BrandVerity’s paid search monitoring, marketers can effortlessly detect infringements and manage violations in order to maintain their brand integrity and protect marketing spend. For more information, please visit www.brandverity.com or email sales@brandverity.com.

The post BrandVerity’s Precision Location Targeting Enables Customized Compliance Coverage appeared first on PerformanceIN.

It is now the 3rd year that we are a sponsor, it is a very special time for all of us and we are so thankful that we can still be part of these events. It has been difficult to connect with people physically so we need to let the world hear our voice in other ways. 

We love the International Performance Marketing Awards, as it is a marvellous organisation with such a fun and caring staff. Even from a distance, we are so delighted to talk with our colleagues and partners again. 

Since last year’s awards, how have you seen the performance marketing industry changed during this challenging year? 

E-commerce has of course seen a huge boost in its business this year. 

Our industry has been supporting small businesses with the activation of their online activities. Advertisers are relying more on performance marketing which is safer than other business models. There was definitely a shift from pure branding into performance marketing budgets. During the pandemic we noticed a decrease in advertisers’ branding campaigns due to the uncertainty of what would lie ahead of us in the near future. Companies focused on performance and affiliate activities and this helped the whole industry to have a positive outcome this year. 

Another big change is definitely how we work: digital workers moved to home office and we will keep on seeing a shift into a more remote working culture in the next few years. More quality time, effectiveness, and less commuting can be seen as a positive change. 

A big change in 2020 for advertisers, publishers and tech and tracking providers was initiated by the IAB with the launch of TCF 2.0 (Transparency and Consent Framework.) As an industry initiative to meet GDPR requirements and give users a greater control and transparency over their personal data, it had a huge impact on the way all parties in programmatic and display advertising interact.

Why do you think the IPMAs is vital in helping drive the channel forward and what value does it add to the industry?

The IPMA gives everyone a chance to promote their success and tell their stories in order to develop their brand awareness. The event has been very valuable as it keeps on growing, the participants and judges are more international and reflect the diversity of the industry’s players.

It is so important to connect with players from all fields and potentially work on great projects to make marketing more modern and efficient. 

We have added new categories this year, including Best Partnership, Best integrated Performance Marketing Campaign and Best Incentive Partner Campaign or Strategy. What are thoughts on these new trends? Do they reflect the impressive international growth of the industry?

Our industry is very complex and evolving technologically at a quick rate, and the IPMA’s are reflecting what is happening in the market thanks to the addition of new awards.
Advertisers nowadays have many marketing leverages with display, cashback, emailing and have to be active and relevant in multiple markets and continents.  

With 27 awards in total, the IPMA recognises the complexity and reach of our industry at a vertical, regional and technological level. 

In your opinion, what makes a stand-out performance marketing campaign?

Companies who deliver exceptional campaigns rely on creative branding, efficient communication, proper targeting, a realistic business model as well as trust and transparency with their partners. Our industry evolves very quickly so it is also vital for an advertiser to be at the edge of technology, with new tools and solutions in hand, they have a better chance to improve their performance. 

To perform at our best, we need to find the right user at the right moment and environment and understand our users’ needs and motivation.

Can you share any updates on what advanced store has in the pipeline? 

2020 was one the best years in terms of revenue for advanced stores but also in boosting our own technology to the next level. It means in 2021 we will have a lot of new innovations and feature launches for our existing customers. We will strengthen our services in Europe such as Italy, France, Spain but also outside Europe in the US, LATAM and Russia and give customers stronger control over our tools when working with our managed service. Quality and transparency is always a key value for us.

Beside display and native advertising we will offer new services of contextual integrations into valuable publishing environments and influencer content. For this advanced store invested into blockchain technology and partnerships with WOM protocol and YEAY.com. Another major project is the internationalisation of www.mycashbacks.com – to make it “the cashback platform”. This project helps advanced store to create a login-effect to users and a complementary service to our performance advertiser beside display advertising. These are only a few major milestones besides a huge range of updates coming from our teams.

The post To Perform at our Best, We Need to Find the Right User at the Right Moment, and Understand our Users’ Needs and Motivation appeared first on PerformanceIN.

According to YouTube, the new proposition “surfaces a diverse mix of relevant content lineups and programs—each tailored to unique marketing needs”.

Now for the first time, UK brands will be able to access exclusive creator lineups as well as bespoke content experiences, helping advertisers reach the audiences they want through the content most relevant to their brand. The news follows the global launch of YouTube Select earlier this year.

Through YouTube Select, advertisers can take advantage of actively engaged audiences and choose from a host of ready-made ‘lineups’ that represent the best of the platform’s diverse creators, publishers and cultural content, while safe in the knowledge that channels are filtered for overall suitability to determine inclusion within each lineup, continuing YouTube’s focus on brand-safe content. 

Key features of YouTube Select give advertisers the opportunity to be a part of the highly engaging moments happening on the platform that can drive brand building:

• Lineups: the most popular, most-watched content on YouTube, pre-packaged for easy buying across key categories, genres and audiences, including food and recipes to automotive, and gaming to modern parenting.
• Moments and Programmes offering: an opportunity to help brands build deeper association by aligning to some of the world’s tentpole events and cultural moments such as the Olympics, F1, Brit Awards and Euros 2021
• Custom: YouTube’s top tier offering for those who want to build their own custom lineups and curate a tailored content strategy.

“The creators, shows and content on YouTube is as rich and diverse as the UK population because at its heart, the platform is a reflection of modern Britain and the incredible creative content that we love in a world where consumers have unlimited choice over where and what they view, it’s imperative that advertisers be where their consumers are, and data shows they’re on YouTube,” said Ben McOwen Wilson, UK managing director for YouTube.

“Now with YouTube Select, advertisers have an array of creatively diverse British channels and creators at their fingertips. Now with greater ease than ever before, YouTube Select helps advertisers place their brands alongside the voices and the content shaping the UK’s cultural conversations today,” said Ben McOwen Wilson, UK managing director for YouTube.”

Streaming viewership

As people spend more time at home, there is an industry-wide shift towards streaming viewership, especially on YouTube. According to ComScore, the average online adult in the UK watches 46 minutes of YouTube per day, and YouTube is used by 96% of online adults in the UK each month. This is also seen in the uptake in living room viewing, with over 20 million now watching YouTube on their TV.

This gives advertisers and agencies a tremendous opportunity for reach and puts them at the heart of a thriving, modern and diverse British creative presence on the platform. Whether it’s news updates from sources viewers can trust or live streams from favourite artists, the content found on YouTube reflects a range of creators, viewers and advertisers – anywhere, on any screen. 

“This year we have seen a real tipping point as lockdown showed the value and impact of YouTube for the British public with millions turning to the platform everyday to watch the content they love. Beyond smartphones and mobile devices, we see a trend in the growth and engagement of YouTube in the living room, with over 20 million now watching YouTube on their TV,” commented Philip Miles, UK Sales Director at YouTube.

“This powerful connection with audiences means there has never been a more important time to work with YouTube in the UK, which delivers brands a safe and effective option to advertise. With YouTube Select, we are giving UK advertisers the best opportunity to connect with these audiences and capitalise on this unique combination of YouTube and TV,” commented Philip Miles, UK Sales Director at YouTube.”

The post YouTube Expands Content Solution ‘YouTube Select’ to UK Advertisers appeared first on PerformanceIN.

Appearing across billboards and online, #myroots tells the stories of TikTok Creators and Artists as they celebrate their Afro-Caribbean heritage.

The campaign features several Black Creators and influencers, including singer and songwriter Cat Burns, football freestyler Jeremy Lynch, personality and queer Creator Lily Rose, actor Michael Dapaah and Bedford-based comedian Sherice Banton.

The campaign was created by TikTok’s Creative Lab team in collaboration with Black Employees, Black Creators and Black creative talent, and will run for four weeks in October.

Black talent collaborated on this campaign and creative, with bespoke music for the campaign by Carly & MARL, mural art made by artist Linnet Rubaya, and TopView and social films directed by influential poet and director Caleb Femi.

The #myroots campaign champions the Black community both on and off the platform, aiming to encourage even more Black Creators to share their stories and allow everyone to learn about the individual experiences of those taking part. For the OOH placements, a personal statement is shared by each featured Creator about their heritage and what it means to them. 

With TikTok at its core, the campaign will also see a series of in-app activations such as Hashtag Challenges, Branded Effects, TikTok LIVEs and TopView ad takeovers. Social ads will appear on other platforms including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube across the month. 

The campaign forms part of TikTok’s wider Black History Month activities, which includes a series of virtual events, TikTok LIVEs, panel discussions and more. The company is also partnering with Black Tech Fest (BTF), a first-of-its-kind digital conference and movement aimed to help Black professionals expand their network and influence.

“It was important for us to mark Black History Month in the UK this year in a way that felt inherently TikTok – by celebrating our Creators and their stories. #myroots will honour the contribution made by the Black community, the joy our Black friends, family and colleagues bring, and look ahead to the future of Black talent on TikTok. This campaign has been developed to shine a light on the different experiences and stories of the Black community, and has been carefully curated to feature the brightest Black talent from across the UK,” said Trevor Johnson, global business marketing director at TikTok.

“At TikTok, we take great pride in the diverse community we hope to nurture on our platform. We know it’s something we constantly need to work on, and we will continue to make sure programmes like this become an everyday part of the TikTok experience for the 100 million people who use our platform across Europe,” Johnson added.

Speaking about being part of the campaign, Creator Lily Rose said: “I felt extremely privileged and honoured to have been chosen to be a part of such a historic campaign. I think it’s positive how TikTok are trying to spread awareness of the Black Lives Matter Movement (BLM) and are proactively encouraging the voices of Black Creators to be heard. It’s great to see a platform with the prominence of TikTok finally giving Black Creators the recognition they deserve and bringing them to the forefront of the app.”

The post TikTok Launches New OOH and In-App Brand Campaign to Mark Black History Month appeared first on PerformanceIN.

This year’s “Attitude Matters’’ motto, has never been more relevant in light of the COVID crisis. DMEXCO invited attendees to engage in a thought-provoking dialogue on how the digital industry can define attitude and put it into practice. Providing food for thought on the motto was a keynote speech from SAP’s Chief Marketing Officer Alicia Tillman, who spoke passionately about leading attitude to action in a post-COVID world. With 77% of consumers expecting brands to publicly demonstrate their relief efforts during the pandemic, brands have an even more urgent responsibility to live their actions.

Other leading keynote speakers including Microsoft, Facebook and Google, addressed common challenges facing the digital marketing industry and discussed future trends around next-gen measurement, responsible AI and post-production advertising. With the absence of in-person networking acutely noticeable, more focus fell onto the programming itself, so let’s take a deep dive into some of the key takeaways from DMEXCO sessions:

Mobile-centric approach to advertising

One of the key topics covered across multiple stages was the growing shift to a mobile-first marketing strategy. Speakers from leading brands like Samsung, Google and Unilever, discussed mobile marketing best practices, particularly as consumers increasingly spend more time on their smartphones during the pandemic. By far the biggest takeaway was the need for marketers to rethink their mobile advertising campaigns for Chinese audiences. As the mobile internet in China becomes the global pioneer and trailblazer for future development, mobile-first is not an empty phrase, but a mantra. As the world’s largest population and biggest e-commerce consumers, the Chinese market creates exciting new challenges and opportunities for every marketer.

The age of discovery commerce

While content commerce isn’t a new concept, discovery commerce is the innovative idea of products finding consumers instead of the other way around. Facebook shared findings on how their Discovery Commerce solution, powered by machine learning, connects the perfect product to the right person – before they’ve even started looking for it. The social media giant also discussed how e-commerce is evolving after COVID, as consumers spend increasing amounts of time purchasing goods online.

Social advertising and the power of the influencer

With millions of consumers globally forced into lockdown, there was an inevitable boom of social media usage and platforms like Snapchat and TikTok discussed the huge advertising opportunities this presented for brands. Advertisers were encouraged to become more courageous with their social advertising campaigns and collaborate with influencers who aligned with their brand values. Influencer marketing was a theme that ran across most of the DMEXCO stages, as speakers shared advice for effectively working with influencers on branded social advertising campaigns.

In response to the changing needs of influencer marketing programmes, Impact shared our own insights on the evolving nature of affiliate brand partnerships as a driver for growth. We discussed how the partnership economy is booming and shared practical strategies for optimising partnerships including scaling and automating affiliate partnerships programmes. We demonstrated how brands like Spotify and Ticketmaster collaborate for a seamless in-app partnership that provides real value for consumers. To truly benefit from partnerships as a driver for success, brands should create dedicated teams or outsource to technology providers like Impact. The affiliate partnerships theme ran right through the vein of DMEXCO, clearly resonating with both German and UK attendees. The topic was covered on multiple stages as other speakers echoed Impact’s points and shared their own thoughts on performance marketing growth.

Purpose-driven marketing is the new normal

In keeping with the DMEXCO motto of “Attitude Matters”, speakers from several leading brands including SAP and Facebook led a rallying call to arms, encouraging attendees to develop more consciously responsible advertising. In response to the crisis, brand activism is coming to the forefront as more consumers expect their favourite brands to take action on social issues.

Whilst SAP discussed the importance of empathy and authenticity in building customer relationships, OMD spoke about consumer empathy being critical in unlocking business growth. They shared insights on the evolution of empathy planning and strategies to overcome the industry’s profound lack of empathy by delivering on the promise to put people first. Ultimately, as consumers become more invested in purpose-driven brands, advertisers must demonstrate consumer empathy to help overcome the trust deficit.

Despite the crisis, this year’s DMEXCO was truly about changing business attitudes and over two jam-packed days, attendees gained plenty of insights into future industry trends. Across multiple stages, workshops, masterclasses and studios, it was great to hear speakers discuss topics including brand safety, in-housing and marketing fraud while presenting new opportunities for advertisers. Elsewhere, adding some much-needed light relief, the Brits led the charge at MAD//Fest, bringing a full agenda of quick-fire sessions designed to provide ideas, inspiration and innovation on creating a better future for the marketing industry. Brands like JustEat, Specsavers and Amazon shared thoughts on the future of ad tech and where to invest advertising spend.

With industry-leading insights, thought-provoking panel discussions and practical marketing masterclasses, the first purely digital DMEXCO lived up to the hype. We all miss the opportunity to gather together but the DMEXCO team provided some lighter moments featuring fun competitions, virtual yoga and a live DJ set. If there was one learning from this year’s DMEXCO, it would be the industry’s ability to pivot and adapt in times of crisis. Whilst the first ever virtual DMEXCO didn’t disappoint, Impact looks forward to returning in person next year to join the rest of the industry for what will hopefully be an even more successful and in-person event. 

The post Key Takeaways From the First Virtual DMEXCO@HOME 2020 appeared first on PerformanceIN.

With this in mind, Amadeus has teamed up with Xandr, AT&T’s advanced advertising company, to help companies in, and promoting in the travel sector, create targeted advertising campaigns, all while tracking performance and optimising their investment.

In the first phase of its adoption of Xandr’s enterprise technology, Amadeus will use Xandr’s selling platform Xandr Monetize. The combination of Amadeus’ insight into travellers’ interests and the flexibility of Xandr’s platform will ensure ads are placed at the right time and to the right audience.

The result, travellers will receive more dynamic and trip-contextualised ads within their travel documents and itineraries.

Thanks to this agreement, customers using Amadeus’ advertising solutions – airlines, rail companies, cruises, car rental companies, and airports – will benefit from shorter integration timelines for new channels, broader advertiser reach and an improved campaign management interface.

Additionally, Xandr will have the ability to read and interpret travel context, which means companies using its technology can target travel profiles better. Companies already working with Xandr will now be able to directly publicise content within travel agency tools and traveller itineraries via Amadeus’ network.

By equipping companies with innovative advertising tech, they will be able to launch more relevant and contextualised ads to travel sellers and the end traveller, which will ultimately bring greater cut-through of the ad and return on investment.

For example, over the last few months, Amadeus offered its advertising slots to distributed airlines so they could share important updates to the travel agency community and travellers about any disruptions in services impacted by COVID-19.

“We are in unprecedented times that require companies to amplify their offers to travellers and help rebuild the travel sector. The partnership with Xandr combines the best of two worlds: advertising tech and travel tech,” commented Sol Freixa, global director for travel advertising sales & marketing, travel channels at Amadeus.

Our customers can take their advertising to the next level and increase their messages beyond the Amadeus network, while Xandr’s customers benefit from more information and tools to advertise within the travel sector. This enables Amadeus to provide a unique advertising offering that will ultimately improve the traveller experience.”

“Amadeus’ existing advertising platform, extensive knowledge of travel, and customer base, combined with Xandr’s high-performing platform and brand reach outside of the travel industry is a game-changer for all companies looking to speak to travellers. Having the leading travel tech company as a partner gives us a unique selling point in the ad world and helps us empower our clients to reach a new and powerful sector. We look forward to giving our customers the ability to positively influence the traveller experience,” said Remi Boudard, director, market development, Spain at Xandr.

The post Amadeus and Xandr Team Up to Optimise Travel Advertising appeared first on PerformanceIN.

The research, conducted among 8,673 adults across the globe, found that consumers have been to home-grown brands and close-by stores in recent months, with one in ten (11%) British consumers increasing their purchases from local businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The upcoming holiday season will be important for many retailers and businesses to drive online purchases as well as encouraging consumers back to the high street and shows the significance of investing in innovative online-to-offline (O2O) strategies to help improve footfall and sales.

Online vs offline – bridging the gap

In the run-up to Christmas this year, 43% of British consumers plan to predominately shop from domestic brands with 55% of UK households increasing spend with local businesses since the start of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, with social distancing restrictions still in place, over half of UK consumers have indicated a desire to shop both online and in-store (51%) this holiday season, with a third (36%) likely to opt for click and collect options.

Just 21% of consumers feel it is unlikely they will venture onto the high street for gift shopping this year, and a third (32%) of Britons are willing to change when they shop in physical stores to ensure they stay safe and avoid large crowds.

As shoppers plan to return to the high street, innovative strategies, such as the O2O technology, will enable progressive retailers to bridge the gap between online and offline sales.

“Consumers have indicated a desire to combine visiting the high street with shopping online this year, meaning connecting the online and offline experience will be key for the success of retailers. Retailers should view online and in-store as one entity, and leverage data insights from one to fuel the other. They can also drive visits to the high street using online advertising. One way brands can do this is through the use of hyper-targeted display campaigns. These campaigns can be used to update consumers on local store information and emphasise how they are keeping people safe,” commented Anthony Capano, managing director, international, at Rakuten Advertising.

Consumers are also increasingly turning to marketplaces to search for gifts, with 48% of shoppers now using online marketplaces such as Amazon as the primary source of inspiration during peak shopping. Referrals from friends and family (46%) and Amazon reviews (28%) are also hugely influential throughout the journey to purchase.

“The success of marketplaces can be put down to accessibility, curation, community and efficiency. Consumers are using marketplaces as a way to search and locate what they need instantly and conveniently. For retailers to be successful they need to drive consumers to their own e-commerce environment, and retailers can leverage many of the marketplace aspects to do this via their publisher partners,” Capano continued.

“Publishers support the discovery phase in many ways, whether it be the curation of gift guides or reward and loyalty sites that enable consumers to search by product or category. For retailers, having their brand and products visible on publisher sites that allow consumers to easily find them will be key to driving discovery over the holidays. Publishers can work with local retailers to provide an opportunity to reach new markets beyond the high street store, as well as connect with customers online who are researching gifts before buying.”

Social game plan

Whilst the influence of recommendations across social media has taken a backseat to marketplaces for gift inspiration in the lead up to the 2020 holiday season, social media platforms are still important destinations for holiday shopping, with Facebook the most predominant (38%) followed by Whatsapp (35%) Instagram (31%) and YouTube (27%).

“We expect the majority of online purchases to take place on mobile this holiday season, and social media remains an important place for brands to reach consumers. Investing in low-risk upper funnel strategies, with platforms that align with their own brand values, is an effective way for brands to reach and engage consumers with relevant and timely ads,” Capano concluded.

The post Shopping Local – Consumers to Support Home-Grown Retailers this Holiday Season appeared first on PerformanceIN.

In his new role, Cohen will serve as CEO of both IAB and its separate, affiliated, global trade association devoted to the development of industry technical standards, IAB Tech Lab, which is led by Dennis Buchheim. He will report to the IAB Board of Directors, which is chaired by Van der Kooi. The President and CEO of National Public Media, Gina Garrubbo, is the IAB Vice-Chair.

A longtime, deeply respected advertising agency executive, Cohen joined IAB only days before the COVID-19 quarantine began. Acclimating to the association, and its 750 member companies entirely via Zoom and telephone, he aggressively reorganized IAB around a set of strategic campaigns aimed at boosting members’ revenue growth, reducing their costs, mitigating their risks, and enhancing their diversity and inclusiveness.

Under Cohen’s leadership, these campaigns have served as the focal point of IAB’s strategic initiatives. They include critical topics such as privacy, addressability, measurement, brand disruption, and emerging consumer trends. Cohen has also served as the lead driver of two vital programs for the digital media and marketing industries as well as leading two of the industry’s largest marketplaces – the video-centered IAB Digital NewFronts, and the audio-centered IAB Podcast Upfront – and transformed them into virtual events, doubling the number of participating publishers, and quintupling the brand and agency buyer attendance.

“In less than a year as President of IAB, David Cohen has vastly increased the size of our media marketplaces, brought an unprecedented number of industry captains into our leadership councils, transformed the timeliness of our strategic initiatives, and injected new enthusiasm into our already energetic leadership team,” Rothenberg said, in announcing the change.

“He is a true leader with the steadiness, strategic insights, and experience necessary to take IAB and the digital marketing and media industries through the economic recovery and ultimately to the next level of growth. The Board and I felt strongly that there was no reason to wait. He should be our CEO now,” he added.

“As the industry continues to face some of its biggest challenges, we rely on IAB to bring us together, tackle the tough questions, and develop real, actionable solutions,” said Rik Van der Kooi, corporate vice president at Microsoft Advertising and interim Chair of IAB Board of Directors; “In this next chapter, we’ll still be able to rely on Randall’s wisdom and counsel, and we’ll have all the benefits and tremendous strengths David brings to the table. Everybody wins — especially IAB members.”

“I knew that coming to IAB would give me the opportunity to leverage the experience and relationships that I have worked my entire career to develop. Bringing together publishers, brands, and agencies for the common good has been rewarding, and we are just getting started. I continue to be energized by the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of the media, marketing, and advertising industries,” said Cohen; “But what makes the IAB leadership position so meaningful is that the team here is not just helping individual companies – we’re helping to reshape and grow an entire sector of the economy.”

Cohen continued: “We are boosting our focus on dramatically increasing our brand, agency, and publisher presence across all IAB activities. My buy-side experience has shown me that connecting all those dots is critical for industry collaboration, agenda-setting, and leadership.”

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