To Google, or not to Google: Why collaboration is vital for the future digital ecosystem

Opinion In a double clampdown, Google has capped the campaign data available to advertisers and the inventory they can buy — thereby severely restricting their flexibility to deliver successful campaigns to consumers.

Its decision to block use of the DoubleClick ID when transferring data between services has left advertisers in the dark — unable to connect the dots between campaign insights held in DoubleClick Bid Manager (DBM), Campaign Manager (DCM) or the Google...

8 April 2019 | Advertising

FMCG goes direct-to-consumer – but don’t expect a Tony the Tiger Facebook page any time soon

Opinion Last month Kellogg’s – joining a host of established FMCG brands – launched a new foray into the direct-to-consumer (DTC) market as it hired a new director of eCommerce platforms.

I would be surprised if this news made any jaws drop (except maybe Tony’s). From Warby Parker to Kylie Cosmetics, the line that launched Kylie Jenner to become the youngest self-made billionaire ever, DTC brands have made huge waves in the retail space for disrupting a...

3 April 2019 | Attribution

Assessing blockchain for marketers: Potential is there but caution advised

Blockchain, like artificial intelligence and augmented or virtual reality, is a buzzword which currently produces more utopian dreams than use cases right now. A new report from advertising media behemoth GroupM aims to get past the fudging and explore the facts of how blockchain technologies can benefit marketers.

The report, authored by GroupM investment chief product officer Jack Smith, argues at a wider context the role of distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) in managing...

28 March 2019 | Advertising

What are the real effects of data breaches on consumer trust?

Numerous high-profile data breaches have made customers question their trust in brands in recent months and years. Although the costs associated with regulatory fines and lawsuits following a data breach can be severe, perhaps no effect is quite as long-lasting or harmful as the loss of consumer confidence that accompanies these breaches.

Consumer trust is not built, nor can be earned back, overnight. That’s why marketing executives should be focused on preventing data...

22 March 2019 | Attribution

Why it’s high time to embrace internal comms during moments of crisis

On a global level, we’re at a time of great change and, some would say, immense uncertainty. We are living in times of uncharted territory, where sudden 360 turns are happening and, in terms of business, trying to steady the turbulent tide seems to be getting even tougher.

During such times, when events are completely out of their hands and also their workforce’s hands, businesses need to plan and prepare, more so than ever. In times of instability, employee engagement...

21 March 2019 | Attribution

How is automation changing the face of brands’ social media conversations?

It’s no secret how quickly advancements in technology are changing the digital landscape and diversifying how people talk to one another online – and automation is very much at the forefront.

But as more organisations look into enhancing their everyday communication, it’s important to remember that such systems have been developed to – among other reasons – further assist instant, social media conversations with customers.

There’s no doubt...

12 March 2019 | Advertising

AI and automation in marketing: The role for knowledge management

In 2018, companies invested in chatbots and self-service technologies to help their helpdesks manage the volume of customer requests they were experiencing – according to research by Forrester, 46 per cent of enterprises were investing in AI for sales and marketing, followed by 40 per cent for their customer service teams. However, these investments were typically aimed at filled specific gaps in the customer interaction, rather than being part of wider strategies around customer...

28 February 2019 | Attribution

How CMOs can keep themselves in the boardroom – and get the CRO out

The role of a chief marketing officer (CMO) can often turn out to be one filled with uncertainty. At the moment, the average tenure of a CMO sits at only 44 months, and the job is often regarded as the most at risk within the C-suite. The question is: why? There are many reasons, but one common view is that CMOs struggle to prove to the rest of their C-level colleagues how their marketing efforts are benefiting the company - which, ultimately, puts their position at risk.

This...

29 January 2019 | Attribution

Why the advertising industry needs to reprioritise ad quality urgently

Last year, eMarketer’s Geoff Ramsey highlighted the “crisis of trust” across the digital ecosystem: not only pointing to the need for better relations between brands and consumers, but also within the marketing community itself; covering advertisers, agencies, publishers, and ad tech players.

As 2019 begins, issues with misunderstanding and mistrust persist — especially in programmatic. One of the main talking points at this year’s dmexco was around...

11 January 2019 | Advertising

eCPA is dead: Long live the incremental eCPA

Every advertiser wants to spend their advertising budgets in the most efficient way possible. That’s why, in the digital advertising world, it’s vital to measure the results of all campaigns. Advertisers and agencies commonly analyse reports from various tracking tools in order to evaluate the ROI of each of their advertising partners, and these results determine which partners receive budget in the following months. This seems to be a wise approach but often that’s not...

11 January 2019 | Advertising