Getting out of first gear with engagement in the digital age
The best digital display campaigns will have engagement at the heart of them, says Tim Greatrex, founding director at Rezonence – so how can brands and planners make sure they’re getting it right?
The publishing world has been rocked by the digital revolution and the accompanying changes in advertising technology. However, only the most innovative businesses are realising that the evolution of technology in this space means they can create far deeper relationships, and proven engagement, with consumers.
Today media planners can bring brand propositions alive and enhance digital display beyond DR and CPA mechanics, as well as avoid communicating with bots and fraudsters using the latest ad technology.
Such tools enable the delivery of highly effective, strategic campaigns. But they also mean planners must adopt a new approach. The question is, what should this comprise?
Convey brand values through customer experience
Planners should adopt an ideas-based approach to managing campaigns that helps convey brand values through experience.
For example, a bank advertising business loans online could use ad technology which asks a potential customer questions related to the size or needs of their business. The company could then provide an in-stream loan calculator followed by a more tailored loan offer. The result: the consumer will feel supported by the bank and experience a service that’s relevant and helpful.
Another example: a cosmetic or fashion brand might ask consumers questions about their style – the sort of make-up or shoes they would feel suitable for a date or party – then provide them with options that help bring the brand alive, maybe fun hints or tips videos. Most importantly, it engages the consumer who experiences the advert as imaginative and tailored to them.
Deploy active recall
Active recall is the stand-out method to generate strong awareness of a brand’s values – its USPs. It does this by stimulating memory during the learning process. It asks a question and respondents learn by giving an answer – whether they are right or wrong.
The Health Lottery recently deployed this technique. It wanted to inform consumers that they are seven times more likely to win The Health Lottery than the National Lottery; a key brand USP but not a widely known fact. The brand ran an ad followed by multiple-choice questions around the likelihood of winning using our FreeWall technology. Users had to answer the question before they could continue reading the article in which the ad appeared.
The alternative, passive review, where viewers learn from observation, is often achieved via the standard banner ad, but with 90 per cent ad blindness accepted as norm, the impact of advertisements of this sort is negligible.
Run campaigns across multiple platforms
The amount of media channels and touch points is proliferating, yet not many media can really claim to engage consumers and unify the multi-media experience.
Today, through the latest ad technology, digital display is one of them. It can bring elements alive on our small screens, mobile or otherwise, simply with measured and proven engagement.
Make an audience journey integral to the campaign
Audience journeys can be delivered on the fly using simple engagement techniques such as asking the reader to self-select the most relevant or interesting brand proposition they would like to appear further into their reading or content journey.
A typical journey might begin with an in-stream car ad conveying a brand/marque message. This would be followed by interaction with a consumer establishing their model and size preferences. The consumer might then receive a call to action, further into an article, in the form of a finance offer and contact details.
Focus on data
Data is at the core of delivering engagement – helping to drive it forward – and critical to the four points above.
There are huge efficiencies available for marketers based on new technology and how it crunches data.
For example, a manufacturer of golf balls could ask a golfer what their handicap is online and serve them with details of the ball that suits their level along with a voucher for 30 per cent off. Data around how well content is received is also essential for publishers wanting to ensure they satisfy their readership.
It’s this engagement that drives greater insight and generates more insight which can be used to improve targeting in the future.
Measure engagement and how media is consumed
Engagement is an integral metric for most media campaigns, and should be incorporated into creative and media agency briefs. It is the planner’s responsibility to bring it centre stage.
And remember there’s no universal description for engagement, so engagement metrics must be clearly defined based on the brand’s lifecycle – what it’s trying to bring alive, achieve and for whom. For instance, the engagement metrics for a new car launch would be different for a run-around versus an executive car – the former focused on economy, the latter positioned on gadgets and extras.
Understanding the way media is consumed is also essential to any advertising campaign. Eye-tracking technology reveals that people usually ignore banners meaning they are probably not the best advertising tool. But if ad technology can truly provide an understanding of a readership’s preferences, and target ads accordingly, more content will be supported. Arguably this will result in fewer paywalls, a win-win for all parties, including the consumer.
The digital market is still evolving but the change is positive for advertisers and publishers alike. The tools available can help deliver engaging and measurable campaigns as long as they are matched with imaginative planners who take time to understand their clients and their target audiences.