Adele MacGregor INside Performance Marketing Tue, 12 May 2015 14:01:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.4 Q&A: Single Customer View – The Journey Ahead https://performancein.com/news/2015/05/12/q-single-customer-view-journey-ahead/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=q-single-customer-view-journey-ahead Tue, 12 May 2015 14:01:00 +0000 http://performancein.com/news/2015/05/12/q-single-customer-view-journey-ahead/ In the wake of our most recent roundtable, focusing on the single customer view, we released an expert-led supplement featuring a number of Q&As and features, all of which you can download for free.

In the extract below, our panel ...

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In the wake of our most recent roundtable, focusing on the single customer view, we released an expert-led supplement featuring a number of Q&As and features, all of which you can download for free.

In the extract below, our panel discuss the journey ahead for those seeking the single customer view and the main challenges they face.

Is SCV a reality for retailers and where do they begin?

Gill Makepeace: I think it is a reality, yes. They need to identify the data they already have and work on pulling this into one manageable system. Things like company store cards or mobile contract data will help to identify a customer’s shopping and browsing behaviour across physical locations and online.

They also need to identify before starting what they want to achieve from having a SCV. This is hugely important for making sure the solution they build meets their requirements, plus thinking about potential future enhancements they may want, so they capture all the data required.

James Cartlidge:  It might not be the reality right now but it will be expected in the near future, especially when leading retailer brands start investing heavily [in the single customer view]. Ultimately brands that can build a deeper relationship with their customers will win. I’d say start with the vision and work backwards to see how each aspect of that customer view needs to align.  

Lewis Lenssen: It’s unlikely that retailers will have a 100% joined-up and consistent view of every customer, but there are plenty of opportunities to create a rich view of the majority of customers.

It’s not important what everyone else does – retailers should prioritise the marketing channels, sales channels and devices that are most important to their business and move ahead based on that. It won’t be solved straightaway so there needs to be a roadmap to take them from where they are, to where they want to be, in stages.

From where we stand currently, what are the main challenges to achieving this goal?

Luke Judge:The biggest challenges are probably online to offline and across devices. Collating past transactions is not difficult based on contact email addresses/billing details etc.

However, when an email address or a unique identifier is not collected when someone is browsing the client’s site (i.e. on their mobile, or online before they go on to purchase in store) means the client cannot easily connect the two customer interactions, and hence it is tricky to see a singular customer view.

LL: The main challenge is to get brands to stop questioning if it’s possible and start measuring and joining as much as they can. Just because every user can’t be joined across every channel with 100% accuracy, it doesn’t mean that there’s no value in making the connections that are possible.

Nicola White: The extraction, communication and collection of key data sources around the company form some of the major challenges to achieving a SCV.

However it’s important not to overlook the internal resourcing challenges which can also complicate the process; namely determining who is going to be responsible for driving and co-ordinating the project and also gaining c-level buy-in for investing in it.

As it can involve so many different functions across an organization and take such a long time to implement, it’s vital that retailers gain the full backing and support from the top.  

Are today’s companies structured to take on the task?

NW: Some forward-thinking companies have really embraced SCV and have re-structured or invested in additional resource in order to take on and excel in this area. In these cases it’s investment in ‘data analysts’ or ‘data scientists’ who understand the importance of gathering the required data and how it should be used to treat customers as individuals.

Companies tend to struggle where their online systems have had no historic need or ability to communicate with their offline stores, which then forms a major challenge in itself.  

LL: In general, most companies aren’t structured in the optimum way to take this on. Businesses don’t necessarily have to change, but if we look at the structure of the most successful multi-channel business we’re starting to see the creation of new roles with responsibility across online and offline channels.

It’s now more likely to have people with cross-channel expertise, so rather than teams structured around the traditional channels (search, email, display etc.), these businesses are structuring them around product types (menswear, womenswear, furniture etc.), with responsibility for sales across all channels and devices.

Ultimately, what will concepts like SCV promote and achieve?

JC: A happy customer who remains loyal through a better understanding and  actionable data to help increase relevancy and drive a bigger revenue per user.

GM: I think SCV is key for both merchants and publisher to be able to offer intelligent bespoke marketing to customers. The users these days are becoming more demanding and savvy  Receiving offers and content that is not relevant for their needs now could turn a them off from a brand or publisher. I think the future potential is huge once companies are able to have SCV.

NW: SCV can help organisations to understand a customer’s history, their product relationships and allows for better retention, communication and up-selling.

Ultimately,  if  done  successfully,  it  can achieve an increase in customer loyalty with a brand and help to target the right people, with the right message at the exact right time which is vital in this modern marketing era.

LL: These concepts will help marketers to see a more realistic view of their customers. It will help to promote better marketing that’s based on the real consumer, rather than the concept of a pure online or pure offline persona – a notion that doesn’t exist in reality.

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Video: Wywy’s Fiona Smith on Why TV is the Spoilt Child of the Ad Industry https://performancein.com/news/2015/05/12/video-wywys-fiona-smith-why-tv-spoilt-child-ad-industry/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-wywys-fiona-smith-why-tv-spoilt-child-ad-industry Tue, 12 May 2015 13:09:00 +0000 http://performancein.com/news/2015/05/12/video-wywys-fiona-smith-why-tv-spoilt-child-ad-industry/ As device ownership continues to grow, capitalising on the dual-screen has become an increasingly prominent topic for advertisers and marketers alike.

For Fiona Smith, of ad tech group wywy, this is causing brands to reassess just how effective their TV ...

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As device ownership continues to grow, capitalising on the dual-screen has become an increasingly prominent topic for advertisers and marketers alike.

For Fiona Smith, of ad tech group wywy, this is causing brands to reassess just how effective their TV ad spend really is, and whether it could work better in a multi-channel mix.

As UK country manager for wywy, Fiona’s role includes working on business development with strategic media partners, global agency trading agreements, marketing, and building key agency and client relationships.

Germany-based TV ad tracking company wywy works to analyse the impact of TV advertising, providing real-time analytics, and syncing these spots with online marketing.

We recently caught up with Fiona to find out more about wywy’s offering, the hot topics in online marketing and how TV could finally be held accountable in terms of ROI.

 

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Billionaire Teddy Sagi Ventures into Psychological Ad Tech with Latest Acquisition https://performancein.com/news/2015/05/11/billionaire-teddy-sagi-ventures-psychological-ad-tech-latest-acquisition/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=billionaire-teddy-sagi-ventures-psychological-ad-tech-latest-acquisition Mon, 11 May 2015 12:43:26 +0000 http://performancein.com/news/2015/05/11/billionaire-teddy-sagi-ventures-psychological-ad-tech-latest-acquisition/ Ad tech startup VisualDNA has been acquired by Israeli billionaire entrepreneur Teddy Sagi for an undisclosed sum.

Collecting data from online products such as personality quizzes, the data science and management platform works with advertisers to better target their ads ...

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Ad tech startup VisualDNA has been acquired by Israeli billionaire entrepreneur Teddy Sagi for an undisclosed sum.

Collecting data from online products such as personality quizzes, the data science and management platform works with advertisers to better target their ads with applied analysis, helping them understand their audiences psychologically.

Founded in 2006, VisualDNA, formerly known as Imagini, combines the approaches of data scientists, psychologists and engineers to understand the human personality, allowing businesses to better serve their customers.

“At its core, VisualDNA believes understanding people is key to fairer and more genuine interactions across the board, in business, retail, finance and in society,” said sales director of marketing services Jon Hewson when he joined the company last year.

Investments in tech

For publishers, VisualDNA increases the value of ad inventory, adding layers on contextual data such as demographics, intent, interests and personality to create a picture of specific audiences.

With the advantage of being compatible with all major trading desks, agencies are also able to reach customers with campaigns through VisualDNA.

Following the acquisition, VisualDNA’s founder and CEO Alex Willcock has left the outfit and has been replaced by Jim Purves, the company’s former COO.

The London-based company will now become part of the Teddy Sagi Group.

Sagi himself has made a number of ad tech-related acquisitions of late, including mobile customer relationship management company Adience, e-commerce marketing company StuccoMedia, and data analyzer Crossrider.

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Q1 2015 Round-Up: From Amazon to WPP https://performancein.com/news/2015/05/11/q1-2015-round-amazon-wpp/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=q1-2015-round-amazon-wpp Mon, 11 May 2015 09:38:44 +0000 http://performancein.com/news/2015/05/11/q1-2015-round-amazon-wpp/ With financial reports for the start of the year now rolling in, PerformanceIN brings you a round-up of Q1 results for 2015 from the companies influencing the performance marketing industry.

Amazon saw revenue of $22.72 billion for the quarter ...

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With financial reports for the start of the year now rolling in, PerformanceIN brings you a round-up of Q1 results for 2015 from the companies influencing the performance marketing industry.

Amazon saw revenue of $22.72 billion for the quarter, higher than the $22.39 billion expected by analysts. North American net sales saw an increase of 24% year on year to $13.41 billion, up 24% from a year ago. North American net income was $517 million.

Facebook saw revenue from advertising increase by 46% from Q1 2014, reaching $3.32 billion. Earnings from mobile inventory made up 73% of the network’s ad revenue for the first quarter of the year, a significant increase from 59% in Q1 2014.  

Another internet giant in Google reported revenue of $17.3 billion this quarter, up 12% compared to $15.42 billion in revenue in Q1 2014. Net income also rose, reaching $3.58 billion, up from $3.45 billion the year prior.

Sites owned by Google generated $11.9 billion, an increase of 14% from Q1 2014 and contributing approximately 68% of the company’s overall revenue.

Euro Vision

Advertising company Criteo reported Q1 sales of €261.5 million, up 71% from a year ago. In the Americas region, revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs (TAC) more than doubled, with the company adding over 640 clients in the first quarter.

Sweden’s Tradedoubler reported earnings of SEK 432 million (£34 million), down from SEK 445 million (£36 million) in 2014. Half of this decline was attributed to lower revenues from two pan-European customers.

Interpublic Group (IPR) saw organic revenue increase 5.7% year on year in Q1, surpassing the 4.2% growth that analysts estimated, to $1.68 billion. This was largely driven by a 6.1% jump in organic revenue in the US.

Omnicom’s advertising revenue was up 7.7%, takings from CRM increased 2.6%, and specialty communications went up by 2.6% on an organic basis compared with Q1 2014.

However, on a non-organic basis, taking into account the impact of currency fluctuations and acquisitions and disposals, Omnicom’s Q1 revenue was down 0.9%.

Across Europe, Publicis Groupe saw revenue rise by 21.3% to €575 million from €474 million in Q1 2014, with the company’s divisions in France and Germany seeing 4.2% and 1.8% growth respectively. Acquisitions contributed a healthy €274 million in revenue, growing 17.2% year on year.

Acquisitions and expansions

RetailMeNot Inc reported quarterly earnings of $4.1 million, or $0.07 per share, compared to $6.1 million, or $0.11 per share, during Q1 2014.

Mobile online transaction net revenue rose 137% to $5.6 million in the first quarter, while advertising and in-store net revenue increasing 100% to $7.7 million. The firm also reported $13.7 million in net revenue from international markets.

Rubicon Project saw revenue grow 62% year over year to $37.2 million, attributed to its mobile and orders business, in addition to international expansion.

In Q1, the orders business made up 15% of overall managed revenue, increasing from 13% in the previous quarter. The outfit also signed on two buy-side partners in DigitasLBi and Amnet.

Multinational advertising firm WPP reported revenue during the first quarter of 2015. growing by 8.3% to £2.783 billion. North American revenue increased by 13.2% to £1.36 million, with revenue growth of 16.7% to £417 million in the UK. However revenue for western Europe decreased by 7.65% to £547 million.

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XAd Increases European Growth, Reaches Out to Top Ad Markets https://performancein.com/news/2015/05/08/xad-increases-european-growth-reaches-out-top-ad-markets/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=xad-increases-european-growth-reaches-out-top-ad-markets Fri, 08 May 2015 15:39:33 +0000 http://performancein.com/news/2015/05/08/xad-increases-european-growth-reaches-out-top-ad-markets/ Looking to scale international operations and leadership, xAd is expanding across Europe, maintaining focus on accommodating interest from global and regional marketers and agencies in key markets.

The mobile location targeting company claims that in Western Europe, consumer adoption is ...

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Looking to scale international operations and leadership, xAd is expanding across Europe, maintaining focus on accommodating interest from global and regional marketers and agencies in key markets.

The mobile location targeting company claims that in Western Europe, consumer adoption is driving marketers to shift ad budgets to mobile. Meanwhile, eMarketer estimates the channel’s share of digital ad spend across Western Europe will climb from 24% to over 60% by 2018.

Under the management of Theo Theodorou, xAd’s Head of EMEA, xAd has directed its focus towards Europe, covering the continent’s top advertising markets. Efforts to increase coverage and scale operations in UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy were undertaken within the space of a year.  
 
“The power of location in linking the physical and digital worlds is now really being understood by advertisers, particularly retailers,” said Theodorou.

“Our expansion throughout the EMEA region is testament to the value of mobile as a connector, and we are really excited to extend our brand and agency relationships into new markets.”

Driving innovation

With ever-increasing demand for location technology and expertise in advertising, xAd will also be expanding its global sales leadership team, starting with the appointment of Brandon Starkoff as VP of Global Brands and Agencies.

“With Brandon on board and our expansion into Spain and Italy, xAd is enabling global, regional and national advertisers to leverage the context of location at scale to create meaningful mobile advertising experiences,” said xAd CEO, Dipanshu Sharma.

Starkoff will be based in Chicago and work towards driving strategy and relationships with global agencies and marketers, maximising growth opportunities in mobile advertising and location-based insights.

If recent research is anything to go by, xAd’s efforts over the last year may have put them in an advantageous position in the market.

Swedish market research company Berg Insights recently predicted that geo targeting will become “ubiquitous” in mobile advertising worldwide, while an IAB survey of top European agencies reported that 7 in 10 respondents had shifted budgets from other media to mobile.

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Q&A: French Start-Ups “in Good Hands” Says Sublime Skinz’s Hugo Benguesmia https://performancein.com/news/2015/05/06/q-french-start-ups-good-hands-says-sublime-skinzs-hugo-benguesmia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=q-french-start-ups-good-hands-says-sublime-skinzs-hugo-benguesmia Wed, 06 May 2015 14:34:02 +0000 http://performancein.com/news/2015/05/06/q-french-start-ups-good-hands-says-sublime-skinzs-hugo-benguesmia/ Europe is currently experiencing a surge of enthusiasm for digital start-ups, with Silicon Valley-esque hubs developing across the continent, from Brick Lane to Berlin.

Paris-based Sublime Skinz, which specialises in skin-based advertising (also known as wallpaper advertising), is one company ...

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Europe is currently experiencing a surge of enthusiasm for digital start-ups, with Silicon Valley-esque hubs developing across the continent, from Brick Lane to Berlin.

Paris-based Sublime Skinz, which specialises in skin-based advertising (also known as wallpaper advertising), is one company which has grown from a small business in France to an international outfit.

Creating high impact, non-intrusive ad formats which surround website content, Sublime Skinz is on show in a range of industries, counting Netflix, Ikea and Calvin Klein as clients.

Talking to PerformanceIN, the company’s publisher account director for EMEA, Hugo Benguesmia shared his insights into the world of start-ups in France, from the support they receive to the challenges of international expansion.

Recently Germany re-evaluated regulations for start-up funding. How much support is there for digital start-ups in France?

Hugo Benguesmia: Pretty good. In France, the good thing is we’ve got the government which are helping digital start-ups a lot, especially when they are technology focused.

The more tech-based the startups are, the more they will be helped by either the government or an association. Take the example of Ubifrance [the agency for export promotion], which we already take advantage of. They helped us grow in other markets like the US. We’ve been participating in the UBI i/o program [and] they’ve been helping us set up our business in San Francisco.

[We’ve received] real support on how to develop our business activities in a huge market such as the US and how to do it right, and that’s the main thing. Thanks to them we’ve opened an office in San Francisco and have participated in the World Tech Cup Challenge, where we won the Audience Award, which was just brilliant.

Then you’ve got PPI which help French start-ups if they are technologically orientated. They give you investment and five years to plough this into human resources and workers, to strengthen and grow your technology. And this is why the hub of Sublime Skinz is based in France, not the US.

Then there are people such as Xavier Niel who is CEO of Free [the French telecommunications company]. He’s doing a lot of work with L’ecole 42, a big hub for start-ups, so there is help, there are entrepreneurs in France and we are in good hands I would say.

Many of the big players in the industry hail from America. Can Europe ever compete with Silicon Valley?

HB: I would say that obviously the US market, especially in Silicon Valley, where that major tech hub is based, they are all working and investing on the latest and emerging technology.

However, France has people like Niel; entrepreneurs who are thinking outside the box and I think he is a very good example of someone that is trying to create a new tech hub in their own country. I do however think that in terms of competing with Silicon Valley, there is no point. We want to keep the technology of Sublime Skinz in France, not to outsource it into the US.

I think companies are quite keen to preserve the research and development that they are doing in their main market and they want to keep this know-how and not export it to the US.

I think the key thing now for a country like France is how the government is going to invest; how they are going to help to create a ‘Silicon Valley’ in each country, that’s the main thing.

What do you feel are the main barriers for European companies when it comes to expanding within the continent?

HB: I have been leading the international development of Sublime since the beginning. So we were totally French and covering the whole development in EMEA countries. From my experience, there are indeed several barriers.

First, you don’t know exactly how each market is behaving. There are barriers of cultures and the way people do business. You need to see how companies work [in other countries], to fit and see the best strategy to work with them and as soon as you understand that, it is easier to go forward.

Markets [across Europe] are totally different, there are different behaviours and different cultures, so you need to adapt to each country to do business. This is probably the biggest barrier when looking at expansion.

Then you need to be well organised. When we started out, we had just one business unit. Now we have three – in Paris, London and San Francisco. [It’s about] how to work together, how to get there, to get a workflow that’s going well and how to train people as well – to work at your workflow and your process, so when you go to other countries you also have to learn how to work together.

[When we started], we were only French. Only French people were hired in this company. Now we are working with Irish people, American people, and we have to understand each other and work together.

Investment as well, I’d say is the main part. Obviously when you grow, you need more money, you need to invest in new resources, tech, travel and so on.

Also when you’re a company that is self-funded, you have to find investment to support your international development. We started to open doors, but then we needed people to manage the doors we had opened and that’s one of the barriers: how to find the right investment.

Also the timeline, you need to go step by step. Quite fast, but not too slow otherwise other companies will take a look at your company and try to do what you are doing. So you need to work on a step-by-step basis and ensure the processes are fully aligned to scale your businesses properly and have full control of your international development.

You need to always take control because all technological companies grow very quickly. Today you can be the leader, tomorrow you are the loser. You need to grow steadily but at the same time you need to work on your research and development.

Is there pressure on French companies to expand outside the country?

HB: I wouldn’t say there is pressure. It is more about you or what the CEOs are deciding.

There is no massive pressure – it only depends on your ambition and what you want to do, because expanding your company is not an easy task. It’s a real challenge and as soon as you decide to start expanding your activities, it’s a real, real big project you are starting up.

When you start out, you are at point zero. When you start growing, I would say, the show is starting. But there is no pressure – it just depends on what you really want to do, where you want to go and how you want to do it.

At Sublime Skinz, since the beginning, we believed so much in our company and worked hours and hours because we knew that we were responding to a need in the market. We don’t have pressure, we just have great ambition and the courage to go abroad.

How well are start-ups supported in your country? Join the conversation and comment below.

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Mobile Monthly: April 2015 https://performancein.com/news/2015/05/05/mobile-monthly-april-2015/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mobile-monthly-april-2015 Tue, 05 May 2015 12:03:31 +0000 http://performancein.com/news/2015/05/05/mobile-monthly-april-2015/ In a new compact roundup, PerformanceIN will bring you the stories that made the headlines in ‘Mobile’ over the past four weeks.  

April was a significant month for mobile. Google’s new ‘mobile-friendly’ update caused websites to slide up or ...

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In a new compact roundup, PerformanceIN will bring you the stories that made the headlines in ‘Mobile’ over the past four weeks.  

April was a significant month for mobile. Google’s new ‘mobile-friendly’ update caused websites to slide up or down the search engine results pages depending on how well they cater for smartphones.

In light of the changes, PerformanceIN delivered a five step “mobilegeddon” survival guide.

Rising tide

Spend on mobile advertising could hit $100 billion next year, according to eMarketer, as budgets for tablets and smartphones prepare to rise 430% since 2013.

The firm remarked that the proliferation of smartphones and tablets worldwide was driving a shift in advertising from desktop.

Luckily, Fliplet’s Ian Broom was on hand for a masterclass on five ways to master app creation, arguing that with such a rising tide in mobile usage, businesses that turn their backs on a mobile-first strategy do so at their peril.

Also in April, Headway Digital had some top tips on measuring ROI within global mobile campaigns.

Shifting habits

April saw Millennial Media’s S.M.A.R.T. Year in Review report, which unveiled the major trends in mobile advertising over the past year.

Millennial Media revealed the key insights from the report to PerformanceIN, including how advertisers are taking advantage of mobile video advertising and the ways in which video is being used as part of performance-based campaigns.

And as consumer habits have shifted, first to the desktop and now to mobile, longstanding newspapers such as France’s Le Figaro have had to follow suit.

Thanks to Fiksu’s technology, Le Figaro was able to create a dominant presence on both desktop and mobile and reach no.1 in the ‘News’ category in the French App Store.

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Looking to Secure Loyal App Users? You’ll Have to Pay Up https://performancein.com/news/2015/05/01/looking-secure-loyal-app-users-youll-have-pay/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=looking-secure-loyal-app-users-youll-have-pay Fri, 01 May 2015 18:02:00 +0000 http://performancein.com/news/2015/05/01/looking-secure-loyal-app-users-youll-have-pay/ Costs to attain loyal app users have seen “relentless growth”, according to the data-fueled mobile marketing company Fiksu Inc.

The Fiksu Indexes, published this week, state that intensified competition and a rise in costs are now commonplace for app marketers ...

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Costs to attain loyal app users have seen “relentless growth”, according to the data-fueled mobile marketing company Fiksu Inc.

The Fiksu Indexes, published this week, state that intensified competition and a rise in costs are now commonplace for app marketers, with the amount to acquire loyal users (CPLU) surpassing the $3 mark for the first time ever.

At $3.09, this represents a 10% increase in CPLU in the past month and a notable rise of 113% from last year.

The Boston-based outfit states that these findings are representative of a much bigger trend, reflecting the increasing power of mobile marketing to connect with app user, and the ever-rising costs happening as a result.

Inevitable rising tide

As technology develops and consumer expectations continue to rise, competition for the attention and loyalty of app users has become even more challenging for marketers. Securing an app download from an individual is no longer the end-game as obtaining a loyal user is far more vital to the overall success of a title.
 
According to a report from eMarketer, mobile ad spend will overtake traditional web advertising by 2016, with the majority – a 3:1 margin -of this advertising spend happening inside apps rather than the mobile web.

On iOS alone, CPI (the cost per app install directly attributed to advertising), increased to $1.53 in March, a 20% rise from the previous month and a considerable 46% jump since last year.

In order to stay ahead of this evolving market, Fiksu’s Micah Adler says marketers must continually adjust and take advantage of programmatic media-buying methods to spend their budgets as wisely as possible.

“As we enter another record-breaking month, brands must face the inevitable rising tide: mobile marketing is maturing and becoming more expensive,” he said.

“Sustainable success will be found by brands that use more precise forms of targeting to reach the right mobile users: those who will engage with an app and become loyal over the long term.”

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Is Single Customer View the Consumer Frankenstein’s Monster? https://performancein.com/news/2015/04/29/single-customer-view-consumer-frankensteins-monster/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=single-customer-view-consumer-frankensteins-monster Wed, 29 Apr 2015 16:00:00 +0000 http://performancein.com/news/2015/04/29/single-customer-view-consumer-frankensteins-monster/ In this extract from our latest digital supplement, taking on the single customer view, we analyse expectations of brands in light of technological advancements.

In certain circles, don’t be surprised to hear the single customer view being touted as ...

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In this extract from our latest digital supplement, taking on the single customer view, we analyse expectations of brands in light of technological advancements.

In certain circles, don’t be surprised to hear the single customer view being touted as the Holy Grail of marketing. With customer experience set to take centre stage in retail, brands and advertisers are appearing keener than ever to appease their consumers.

By analysing past behaviour, marketers hope to better target and personalise future interactions. The goal is to ultimately gain a unified view of the customer and, if successful, encourage loyalty to their brand.

Of course, in exploring this approach, there is a strong case for those who believe that by gaining this unobstructed view of the customer, brands come close to overstepping the mark of what is accepted. Over-personalised ads have the potential to appear invasive, which can lead to angering, frightening or unnerving a potential buyer.

But despite the concerns from consumers and privacy advocates fearing an Orwellian future in e-commerce, is there an argument to say that customers have inadvertently demanded this view with their high expectations of brands?

A list of demands

Communications and technology are evolving faster than ever before, while access to data has changed the way brands interact with and target customers.

However, this convenient access to information and advanced tech is also available to the consumer, who has become far savvier than ever before. In this environment, it is not uncommon to see consumers siding with the brand which best caters for their needs without invading their privacy.

In the digital age, where brands are falling over themselves to attract new customers, encourage loyalty and engage with their consumer base across channels and devices, customers simply won’t stand for clunky comms.

Consumer expectations are high and according to Luke Judge, of digital marketing agency Net Media Planet, they expect continuity across channels.

“No one expects to have to tell their mobile phone company what their mobile phone number is, when they are phoning them from the mobile phone that is stored on the system of the mobile phone company that is supplying them with that mobile phone,” he says.

Nicola White, head of affiliates at global media company Medicom, states that if consumers aren’t satisfied with the level of communication and relevancy of ads, they will simply move on.

“With the rise of loyalty and store cards delivering personalised, relevant offers I think customers have naturally started to heighten their expectations and start to dismiss advertisers who are unable to follow suit,” she said.

“No longer will customers put up with generic communications which fail to deliver on relevancy, value and timing.”

Big Brother

It is clear that, as a combined result of advanced tech and human nature, customers demand better communications, relevant ads and a more personal brand experience, subconsciously or otherwise.

However, this personalised approach is not possible without marketers attaining a more unified view of them, which invites a certain amount of controversy.

Without question, marketers and brands must remain cautious when looking to obtain the single customer view. Those who seek a more in-depth vision of their consumers tread a fine line between effective engagement and successful targeting, and bearing resemblance to Orwell’s Big Brother.

White believes there will always be resentment for high levels of personalisation. In light of a number of high-profile data breaches, consumers are more aware than ever of their online behaviour and, more importantly, their personal privacy.

Transparency is key here as, ultimately, consumers want a brand they can trust. Keeping the customer’s needs at the heart of all marketing campaigns is essential to attaining loyalty and ensuring that bands aren’t relegated to Room 101.

Net Media Planet’s Judge advises marketers that to avoid looking creepy, they must use techniques such as frequency capping (limiting the number of times a tagged user will see an ads), and above all, being subtle in the level of personalisation.

Buying data to achieve the single customer view is another issue which should be approached with caution. Many consumers are uncomfortable with being targeted by third parties with whom they are yet to buy from or engage with. Furthermore, purchasing data from outside a business also leaves the brand vulnerable to other risks, such as the data being acquired illegally.

Enjoying the benefits

As to whether customers have inadvertently demanded the world that this unparalleled view exists in, Judge says that whether or not this is the case, they can certainly benefit from better marketing efforts

“They probably unknowingly enjoy the benefits of personalisation that they receive, even if they don’t recognise it.”

James Cartlidge, head of strategic partnerships at Quidco, echoes Judge’s comments on the need for customers to be recognised and rewarded.

“I think it’s a natural human want to have belonging and recognition,” he says. “People like recognition. As a customer if you notice me and reward me for it, I’m going to value you and repeat more. Service is more powerful than price today.”

To appease customers, marketers must tread carefully, ensuring that advertising and customer service remains relevant and works to the advantage of the consumer, without driving them away with seemingly intrusive marketing.

It’s a difficult balance to maintain, but one that is essential to appeal to the people that matter. Because after all, the customer is always right.

The post Is Single Customer View the Consumer Frankenstein’s Monster? appeared first on PerformanceIN.

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Pinterest Looks to Make Life Easier for Marketers https://performancein.com/news/2015/04/27/pinterest-looks-make-life-easier-marketers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pinterest-looks-make-life-easier-marketers Mon, 27 Apr 2015 18:01:00 +0000 http://performancein.com/news/2015/04/27/pinterest-looks-make-life-easier-marketers/ Popular scrapbooking website Pinterest has made it even easier for marketers to use its platform for business with the launch of new tools.

The Marketer Development Program allows partners to gain access to new features, such as pin scheduling, enabling ...

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Popular scrapbooking website Pinterest has made it even easier for marketers to use its platform for business with the launch of new tools.

The Marketer Development Program allows partners to gain access to new features, such as pin scheduling, enabling them to effectively deliver more engaging content and ads to potential consumers on the platform.

Partner companies such as Buffer, Shoutlet and Sprinklr will now be allowed to publish content directly to Pinterest on behalf of their clients, which include marketers and media companies.

These partners will tap into Pinterest using an application programming interface (API).

The San Francisco-based network said it would also start beta testing an advertising API with a selection of its partners to enable marketers to buy its ads, known as “promoted pins”, more easily.

Pinpointing performance

Many forward-thinking companies are already putting their content on Pinterest. What the online bookmarking service is looking to achieve is a program which gives these companies the tools to use Pinterest more effectively.

Furthermore, the virtual scrapbook aims to provide these companies with performance feedback, enabling them to assess what is working and what isn’t, giving them the opportunity to improve their offer.

For its limited partners, currently just ten in total, the company holds “Pinstitute” sessions, inviting agencies and companies within the marketing industry to provide constructive feedback.

Ultimately, Pinterest’s goal is to guide its partners to produce the best content possible.

The first partner event will be held tomorrow (April 28) and will seek to guide developers through the new API services.

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