In a privacy-friendly world, is your audience targeting strategy truly ethical?

marketing 5 Dec 2024

How does cross-device addressability help marketers deliver cohesive, personalised ad experiences while navigating privacy constraints across various digital environments?

Cross-device addressability means you can accurately manage your touchpoints with potential customers and deliver a more seamless advertising experience that offers personalisation with relevance but without intrusion. In order to achieve this, marketers need to ensure they are working with an enabling partner that respects the privacy of the user. This is about giving power to consumers to choose how, where and with whom their data is used and shared. And obviously, it is also vital that privacy regulations are adhered to within the jurisdiction in which the advertising is being shown.

What strategies can companies adopt to scale their first-party data solutions in compliance with international privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA?

First-party data takes many forms. Traditionally it's thought of as an email address or mobile phone number that is usually collected once a user has logged into a website. However, getting a user to register and login to a site is easier said than done. Delivering and managing an effective, valuable login strategy takes a lot of work and isn't always possible, relevant or even appropriate.

The reason publishers are looking for more first-party data is to enable better audience addressability, but an email isn’t the only way to do this. There are lots of different types of consumer data out there, and publishers need to think about ways to get what they want using this.

The answer is in a solution that provides publishers, brands and agencies with persistent user identification on the open web without requiring users to share their personal identifiable data.

How can brands foster user trust through transparent, privacy-first consent mechanisms in a multi-device world?

Trust has to be earned and can be easily lost. Brands should be considering the user first as they define their marketing strategies and touch points with potential customers.

For too long there has been no joined-up thinking or tech capability to effectively deliver a coherent marketing strategy across browsers and devices. But this is now possible thanks to solutions like our own, so there is a clear path to build trust with users.

It’s really about taking consumer privacy seriously, and developing a platform that provides the public with a seamless, comprehensible and simple way of managing their data in a multi-device world.

What role do first-party identifiers play in enabling ethical data usage while maintaining targeting accuracy in digital marketing?

In order to have ethical data usage, the user has to be put first. This means gathering freely given and transparent consent as a starting point, and then respecting privacy regulations across all marketing activities.

Solutions like Utiq’s, deterministic first-party identifiers are now readily available which makes targeting audiences both highly accurate, scalable and ethical across the open web.

How can advertisers strike the right balance between advanced audience targeting and upholding strong privacy standards across mobile, desktop, and IoT devices?

The user sets the boundaries. If they consent to receiving marketing messages then the advertiser needs to ensure they are respecting those requirements across all platforms. Making it easy for the consumers to freely give, manage, and rescind their consent is integral to this.

Educating consumers about the value exchange is a big part of the process. If an audience understands its data will help provide a better, more relevant advertising experience across the web, which in turn will help fund independent journalism and maintain a plurality of voice on the internet, then they are much more likely to provide the identifiers that advertisers want.

Ultimately, with full consent and respect for privacy, advertisers are able to achieve the balance of personalised yet relevant advertising across all platforms.

Navigating Ad Tech Disruptions: Why Brands Must Diversify Amid Industry Trials

marketing 18 Nov 2024

1.Why should brands reconsider their advertising strategies in light of recent industry trials and disruptions?

The recent antitrust trial against Google has revealed significant scrutiny over their practices in search and programmatic advertising. The trial's findings have prompted many brands to reconsider their dependency on Google’s ecosystem, and the risks at hand should encourage advertisers to use a platform that enable them to navigate all these channels on a level footing. This presents an opportunity for brands to diversify their ad tech strategies, adopting a more omnichannel approach that reduces reliance on a single ecosystem. By leveraging alternative channels like Connected TV (CTV), Digital Out of Home (DOOH), and audio, brands can ensure that they are not overly exposed to changes in any one platform, thereby fostering a more balanced and resilient advertising strategy.

2.What are some alternative data sources that brands can explore to replace third-party data?

With third-party data deprecation already impacted the majority of browsers and new channels, brands are looking to bolster their first-party data strategies and exploring other privacy-compliant data sources. Some effective alternatives include:

First-party data from direct interactions with consumers, such as website behaviour, purchase history, and customer feedback.
Second-party data through strategic partnerships with other brands that share a similar audience but do not compete directly.
Contextual data that allows advertisers to place ads based on the content of a webpage rather than specific user data.
Cookieless ad tech providers with a transparent privacy first approach.

3.What are the benefits of audience curation and more focused targeting for brands in the current ad tech environment?

Audience curation allows brands to refine their target groups based on well-defined characteristics and behaviours, leading to higher engagement and improved ROI. In the current landscape, where data privacy is paramount, focusing on specific audience segments rather than broad-based targeting helps brands achieve more relevance and reduce wasted ad spend. Additionally, curating audiences based on first-party and contextual data allows brands to retain more control over their messaging while aligning with consumer privacy expectations. This curated targeting approach mitigates against a reliance on third-party cookies and aligns well with omnichannel strategies that emphasise cohesive customer experiences across multiple platforms.

4.How has the deprecation of third-party cookies impacted the digital advertising ecosystem?

The phase-out of third-party cookies has fundamentally shifted how advertisers approach data-driven marketing. Without cookies, advertisers face challenges in tracking user behaviour across sites and personalising ads at scale. This shift has led to a greater emphasis on building first-party data infrastructures and adopting privacy-first advertising models. Many brands and platforms are exploring cookieless tracking methods, like browser APIs (e.g., Google’s Privacy Sandbox) contextual advertising, not to mention probabilistic and deterministic cookieless soloutions including ID5, RampID and Ftrack. The cookie deprecation is also accelerating innovation in data privacy technologies, including AI-powered audience segmentation, which offer advertisers new ways to achieve effective targeting without compromising user privacy.

5.What are the long-term implications of current ad tech trials for the broader digital advertising ecosystem?

The ad tech trials, particularly those focusing on Google, are likely to reshape the entire digital advertising landscape by pushing the industry towards greater transparency and reduced customer lock-in. Regulatory actions, like the Digital Markets Act (DMA), underscore a move toward more equitable competition, which could amplify opportunities for independent ad tech companies and smaller players to thrive. In the long term, this will likely result in a more diverse ecosystem with multiple viable options for advertisers, reducing reliance on a few dominant platforms. For brands, this means a shift toward more diversified, omnichannel strategies that emphasise flexibility and independence from any single ecosystem. Additionally, the rise of AI in advertising could bring new considerations for data privacy and ethical ad targeting, shaping the future of consumer engagement across channels.

These trials indicate an industry-wide push toward a fairer marketplace that values transparency, accountability, and consumer trust —fundamentals that will define the next era of digital advertising.

Strategies for Super Apps: Navigating Market Saturation and Unlocking Growth in Emerging Regions

marketing 4 Nov 2024

1. Given the saturation of Super Apps in Asia, how can new entrants differentiate themselves from established players like WeChat or Gojek?

“Even in saturated markets, new apps can (if perfectly executed) disrupt established Super Apps by offering a solid Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that sets them apart. This differentiation doesn’t have to be a radical change; it can be an improvement in functionality, cost, or user experience.

To differentiate effectively, new Super Apps should:

Identify a clear USP: Highlight how your app improves upon existing solutions, whether through innovative features or better value.
Combine services creatively: Offer a unique mix of services that aren’t currently bundled together by competitors.
Invest in marketing: Launch a well-resourced and optimized marketing campaign to gain visibility and enter the conversation.
Target untapped markets: Consider focusing on regions outside of Asia where Super Apps are gaining popularity but competition is less intense. Building a sizable user base in these markets can provide a strong foundation before entering the more competitive Asian landscape.

By focusing on these strategies, new apps can narrow down and master their niche and compete effectively against established players with a wider and lesser focussed product offering.”

2. How can brands leverage the data provided by Super Apps, such as user preferences across various services, to create more targeted and effective advertising campaigns?

“One of the reasons why Super Apps are so successful is because they keep all their user data primarily for themselves. This increases the value of the Super App due to the better understanding of their users (in various all-day life situations). This data is made accessible to marketers by tapping into the native advertising possibilities offered by these Super Apps. With all that data, you can set up very targeted and specific ads, targeting various user types as well as user segments and use-cases for which the Super App is used in the first place.”

3. In a market where users are turning to specialized apps for media consumption, how should media companies balance diversification with focused user experiences to stay competitive?

“The app industry is among the most competitive and dynamic sectors around. Consumer preferences are in a constant state of flux and there are literally thousands of new apps launched every single day. This means that even very successful apps can’t stay still - they need to be constantly reevaluating both their offering and their marketing initiatives. What is important to remember is that the average consumer does not think about using a Super App or a specialized app as a binary choice. Most wouldn’t even recognise an app like Uber as a Super App. The critical factor is that every aspect of the app works as well as it can because if it doesn’t there are plenty of competitors that a user can switch to. Key to ensuring the best user experience is responding to change. This means knowing what new innovations can enhance your app or how it is marketed, what your competitors are doing and how market conditions and consumer demands are changing. If you stay ahead of the curve, you will be able to stay competitive.”

4. What strategies can developers adopt to tap into the growing appetite for Super Apps in Western markets, particularly with the rise of Uber and Revolut?

“Although we often talk about Asia or Western markets as a homogeneous block, the reality is that there are huge variations between each country. What may work well in France, might not appeal to an audience in Australia. Knowing the market and tailoring the app offering and how it is marketed to the demands of consumers in each country is fundamental. App developers will naturally know their home market the best, so that’s the most obvious place to start. From there, it is about identifying the next most similar market and modifying the app and how you promote it to that audience. It may seem appealing to go after the most lucrative markets first, for example, the US. However, not only will they be the most competitive, they will also likely be the most expensive places to do business. It is better to take an incremental, pragmatic approach to growth - learning lessons on the way - and build up your audience and capabilities on this journey.”

5. With growth slowing, how should investors evaluate the future of Super Apps in Asia and emerging markets? Are there specific sectors within Super Apps that still hold high-growth potential?

“Although growth has slowed, the number of new users being acquired is still considerable. User growth is also not the only metric of success, it also really matters how engaged an existing user base is as that will have the most important impact on the bottom line. In addition to this, Asian Super Apps also have the capacity to break out of the region and look to acquire substantial growth in other markets that are largely untapped. One of the virtues of Super Apps is that there are an endless configuration of services that can be created. Fintech, ecommerce and mobility services are all growing at a considerable pace in Asia, so too are AI tools - everything from companion apps to art generation. There is therefore plenty of scope for these Super Apps to add a new service from a fast growing industry and maintain their market position. I think investors will look at all of this potential and keep up the level of investment.”

Revolutionizing Travel: Delivering Personalized Experiences Through Omnichannel Marketing

marketing 21 Oct 2024

1. How does arrivia leverage omnichannel marketing to create personalized booking experiences for members across various travel sectors?

In the past, a traveler would simply visit a travel agent and that would be the extent of their travel planning. Today, however, travel decisions are made across a variety of channels, from social and personal interactions to online travel agencies (OTAs) and travel loyalty platforms. Instead of a single conversation with a travel agent, today’s process involves a series of “micro conversations” that unfold over time, shaping and influencing the traveler’s buyer journey and decision-making at various stages.

Omnichannel engagement is more relevant than ever, and when leveraged correctly, it provides travelers with a consistent, valuable experience across all touchpoints.

Consider this scenario: A traveler sees an Instagram post from their favorite influencer about their recent Alaskan cruise. Inspired, they head to their travel loyalty platform to explore options for a similar trip of their own. After browsing available packages, they check their favorite OTA to compare their offerings, consult with friends and family about their experiences, and maybe even revisit Instagram for further inspiration. Ultimately, they return to their loyalty platform to finalize their booking. Throughout this journey, multiple channels come into play, and each one has the potential to influence their decision.

In this omnichannel ecosystem, the key is to engage travelers at the right moments, in meaningful and useful ways. Personalization is critical, and today’s technology allows travel providers to maintain ongoing conversations with customers -- whether through SMS, email, or phone – tailored to individual preferences. This ensures that travelers receive timely, relevant "nudges" at crucial points in their decision-making process.

Behind the scenes, customer data platforms (CDP), play a pivotal role in these interactions. For example, arrivia’s platform “stitches” together a detailed profile of each traveler’s preferences and behaviors across channels. By analyzing this data, our platform can anticipate needs and deliver customized, dynamic messaging, creating a seamless experience that feels tailored to the traveler’s unique journey. This ability to personalize interactions—whether online or offline—has become a key differentiator in building loyalty and enhancing customer satisfaction.

2. In a rapidly evolving travel market, how do you ensure that your loyalty programs stay relevant and continue to meet the changing demands of travelers?

Speaking of our own platform, we stay relevant by truly understanding our customers and offering them content, deals, benefits, and customer service experiences that they find valuable. Leveraging omnichannel strategies, as I mentioned earlier, plays a big role in maintaining that relevance.

For instance, if a customer is a high-earning, single woman in her 40s living in New York, we send her offers and trip suggestions that match her lifestyle and interests. While she might love living in New York during the week, she may prefer weekend escapes to the forest for hiking. It’s important to appeal to different aspects of her personality at the right moments to provide her with options that align with her preferences and feel perfectly suited to her needs.

3. How do you balance the use of technology with the need for a personal touch in travel loyalty programs?

Technology is what enables us to deliver a personal touch. With over 25 years in the industry, arrivia has become one of the largest communicators to loyalty members in the world, with access to vast amounts of high-quality data about members, including their preferences and expectations. However, we haven’t always had the technology to leverage that data into meaningful insights. Over the past five years, we’ve invested in AI-powered technology that allows us to effectively analyze our data so that we can tailor different initiatives to individual members and create unique audiences.

With these capabilities, someone living in the Midwest with a wife and two tweens will have a different experience with their travel loyalty interactions, whether online, via SMS, chat or e-mail, than a retiree from Florida. While both may be interested in an Alaskan cruise, the family would likely prefer a larger ship with kid-friendly activities, whereas the retiree might prefer a smaller ship with a more relaxed setting.

AI also is an effective tool for our customer service teams. When it comes to communication with members, especially chat, being very transparent about whether they’re receiving an AI-generated response or interacting with a human is key. Let’s say a member wants help planning and booking a trip to Rome and the customer service agent they are speaking with has never been there, AI can step in and quickly generate a personalized itinerary for that member. This not only improves the speed and accuracy of responses but also ensures that members receive relevant, high-quality recommendations, even if the agent lacks direct experience.

4. Can you discuss how arrivia integrates traditional loyalty benefits with advanced technology to enhance the overall member experience?

What comes to mind when we think of traditional loyalty benefits? Discounts, free upgrades, and additional perks are likely the most common. Advanced technology ensures that these benefits align with the values of individual members.

It also automates tasks that used to fall on the customer, saving them both time and money. A good example is arrivia’s Rate Rover, an AI-enabled tool that monitors refundable hotel prices post-booking. If there’s a price drop, the tool automatically issues a refund in the form of credits to members who have opted in. This is a game-changer for the member experience. No longer do they have to come back to the site periodically to check if their hotel price has dropped and manually re-book at the lower rate.

We’re also introducing a trip planning tool called via, which will use AI to craft your ‘perfect’ trip in just a few clicks. Customers will be able to directly book these recommendations without having to search for them on the booking platform, creating a frictionless and personalized experience from planning to booking that doesn’t currently exist on the market.

5. How important is the integration of advanced technology in maintaining a competitive edge in the travel loyalty market?

Advanced technology is the difference between a travel loyalty program that thrives and one that fails to reach its goals and meet customer expectations.

When our members willingly share their data, they’re doing so with the confidence that we will a) keep it safe and not share it with anyone else, and b) use it to refine their experience. I know I’ve stated this before, but the importance of personalizing the member experience and providing them with relevant value cannot be understated. Travel loyalty programs that can harness the power of advanced technology, offering unique, targeted benefits, and value, are well-positioned to increase their market share and engage their members long-term.

6. As CMO, how do you see the intersection of travel and technology evolving in the next few years, and what role will loyalty programs play in that evolution?

When a consumer visits their travel loyalty provider to book a trip as opposed to an online travel agency, they’re not just looking for competitive pricing and value, they’re seeking a better experience. Amid constant distractions and information overload, travel companies that use technology to cut through the noise of our modern world will build lasting loyalty with their customers over time.

As travel loyalty providers we have access to extensive amounts of zero-and-first-party data, as well as some third-party data. Machine learning and AI allow us to analyze this data with incredible efficiency, helping us understand your preferences so well that we can almost predict your needs before you do. With this insight, we can proactively anticipate whether you’re likely to visit a particular city next or if you’d like to take a cruise instead and tailor our offers accordingly.

Using predictive modeling algorithms-- leveraging millions of transactions as well as a loyalty member’s personal data -- we can accurately predict where that member is likely to go next. Once we have that insight, we can automatically trigger personalized marketing emails, texts, chats or phone calls that speak to this desire.

At arrivia, nearly all our major initiatives moving forward are technology-driven, which has shifted how our technology and marketing teams collaborate. A decade ago, these two departments worked in siloes with little crossover. Today, companies have data scientists and technologists embedded within their marketing team, which just goes to show how intertwined technology is not just with travel but with the whole apparatus around the travel loyalty experience.

MarTech Edge Interview with Gareth Holmes, VP of Commercial Strategy & Media at SeenThis

marketing 3 Oct 2024

Q. With over two and a half decades in media and technology, how has your approach to leadership shaped his teams at SeenThis?

A. My approach to leadership is what I call leadership-through-servitude; I see my job as working to not tell anyone to do anything, my job is to outline where we need to get to and then ask my team’s leaders how they believe we should get there and if they require assistance to achieve it. I am staunchly against micro-management, and believe this is only necessary when the recruiting manager has not done their job to its fullest.

My aim is always to hire people who are smarter than me, and far more fitted to the roles we are hiring for than I am. My role is to ensure we all remain aware of the bigger picture while teams deal with their own reality on the ground, or the local-picture, and when they need assistance they have the confidence to ask me. My role is never at the top of a pyramid; I see myself as an equal to all, regardless of position, and am therefore simply another asset my teams are able to deploy to assist in getting things done.

I do not have all of the answers but I do often have a different perspective on how to approach challenges - we all see things differently and our views are typically shaped by our own history, and my history is a little different to most people’s therefore the perspective I bring, and the style I deliver it, provides a refreshing perspective for many.

My teams are typically very self-sufficient and self-managing. They are also aware I am very data-oriented and will have my own measures on where each team is, and where it may need guidance when we stray too far from the company’s course & bearing.

Q. What are the specific advantages that SeenThis’ adaptive streaming technology will bring to the advertising market?

A. The advantages are varied across the multiple parties involved.

The Consumer
Less data is used to deliver streamed creative assets; firstly the whole ad file is not downloaded to the consumers divide; once the creative is in-view we begin streaming 2-4 seconds of video at a time, if the consumer watches half the video only around half of the total creative file is transferred to the consumer’s device. If the consumer scrolls straight past the ad then little data is transferred.
The Website
Publishers websites have to load a substantial amount of data when loading a page, this is exacerbated by the advertising they carry - streamed ads from SeenThis only transfer data when the creative is in-view therefore our ads do not disproportionately impact page-load times. Oftentimes a streamed video creative can be less impactful on page load than a static creative due to file sizes; SeenThis uses adaptive bitrate and as such we deliver smaller data packets sequentially so many small data packets rather than one large data packet, this lessens the overall data that needs to laid for a publisher page to be rendered fully for a consumer.
The Brand
Brands are able to deliver high quality video creatives into Display as never before; without compressing and lowering the quality of the creatives brands are able to match the fidelity of the ads with the origins; creative or TVC to ensure brand guidelines are never compromised to make a creative small enough to to be delivered in-App or open-web; generally every media performance KPI increases with streaming due to the speed with which streaming is able to deliver a creative to a consumer - as is widely known & reported, blank ad slots do not drive consumer engagement - streaming guarantees every video ad will start playing as soon as it is in-view. Brands also enjoy the data-saving generated by streaming versus download-tech video activations, and often reference the data they have saved in their own Case Studies, proving their own commitment to lowering the CO2e footprint for video & Outcome-based buying activations.
The Agency
Agencies are able to activate streamed video creatives via their programmatic teams, or directly with publishers. Our technology is tag-based so it does not impact buying methodologies leveraged by all agencies. Agencies are also able to deploy their extensive technology & experience in audience targeting with streamed videos, rather than outsource them to a video ad network where they can not control where, when, and to whom ads are shown; returning the sovereignty of video activations back to agencies is seen by many as a great use case on its own for working with SeenThis.
The Environment
Our technology is used by many of our clients as their own initiative to lower their overall emissions position; SeenThis measures data transfer at a very granular level, we provide dashboards for estimated savings for our clients and encourage them to use our data (exported and ingested by their measurement platforms) to enable them to define their own CO2e emissions to their own standards & measurement guidelines.

Our overarching company mission is to make the internet faster, with a smarter footprint and from our inception through to today, this is something we constantly strive towards.

Q. Can you elaborate on how SeenThis’ technology contributes to more sustainable advertising solutions?

A. Three substantial ways:

In View Only Play: SeenThis only transfers data when an ad is in-view. In itself this leads to substantial lessening of data transferred as we do not stream to out of view ad slots, and do not download the entire creative pre-consumer engagement.

Creative Optimisation: We implemented technology called segment-by-segment optimisation leveraging compression algorithms, modern codecs, and differing bitrates to adapt to user/device conditions; this technology, put very simply, means only aspects or elements of the ad creative video which change are streamed - if one part of a video is unchanging, say the sky or the background of a car ad, then we do not re-stream those elements to minimise the overall amount of data we are using to deliver the same high quality creative.

Load Time: the largest amount of data is wasted in ads which are downloaded but never viewed; in providing instantly starting creatives we mitigate this wastage as SeenThis streamed ads will always start, if in-view of a consumer.

Q. The Lumen study showed that SeenThis drives 70% higher attentive seconds and reduces data waste by 40%. Can you explain what this means in terms of real-world campaign performance?

A. 70% higher attentive seconds

A campaign to deliver 10,000,000 impressions of a 15 second video ad using downloaded video technology, eg Outstream ads, may see an average of 8 seconds attentive seconds per ad shown

The identical creative, streamed by SeenThis, would see, on average, 70% more attentive seconds raising the average attentive seconds for this campaign from 8 seconds to 13.5 seconds

Over the course of the entire 10,000,000 impressions SeenThis would deliver a total of 56,000,000 additional attentive seconds, for the same amount of delivered impressions

Using Downloaded Video Technology (e.g., VAST):

Total attentive seconds = 80,000,000 seconds

Using SeenThis Technology with a 70% Increase in Attentive Seconds:

Total attentive seconds = 136,000,000 seconds

A. 40% data reduction

A campaign using download technology (eg. VAST) to deliver 10,000,000 impressions of a 15 second video may require a 4mb file to download to a consumer’s device to play; the total data downloaded if all 10mn ads were delivered would be in the order of 50,000,000mb’s

SeenThis delivering the same campaign would, on average, save a total of 20,000,000mb’s of data being transferred, or 40% of the total data transferred

Using Downloaded Video Technology (e.g., VAST):

Total data download potential = 50,000,000 mb’s

Using SeenThis Technology with a 40% data reduction:

Total data download potential = 30,000,000 mb’s

Q. How does SeenThis plan to educate on the benefits of transitioning from static image-based ads to immersive video campaigns?

A. This is a great question, and one we started answering around 7 years ago.

We live by the matra show, don’t say - given it is incredibly hard for anyone to visualise a video ad starting quicker than video ads they have seen before, we showed, with our mobile phones, the difference in real terms, what an instant loading ad actually looks like when viewed alongside a downloading ad.

Streaming is a comparative sell, and streaming is a technological evolution in advertising as opposed to a revolution; most everyone uses streaming today for their gaming, movies, or general entertainment so most people are personally very aware of the benefits streaming does bring - we assist in joining the connected synapses people have for gaming & entertainment to advertising as many of the benefits are mirrored across both.

We use our monthly newsletter to highlight the Case Studies client’s release and stay away from too much from partial commentary as it can come across as hyperbole-with-purpose - the only real way for people to become interested is through relevance and we spend a lot of time making sure people are aware of the real impact of streaming ads. We also drive a lot of traffic to our own website where we “show, not say” about streaming.

And, of course, we have our commercial teams - without a doubt our most effective & valuable asset for educating markets on the benefits of streaming.

Beyond this I personally share a lot of the data & science behind why humans are predisposed to engaging instantly starting video ads from an evolutionary perspective.

The benefits of streaming really are based in science, and as humans if something moves we “have to” look at it - and in being able to guarantee every video we deliver will start instantly it really just becomes an exercise in mathematics as described early with the 70% increase in attentive seconds, and 40% less data transferred as two of the myriad of advantages of having Seenthis stream your ads.

Martech Edge Interview with Thomas Kriebernegg, General Manager, SplitMetrics Agency

marketing 27 Sep 2024

How does the color choice of an app's icon influence its conversion rate, particularly in the finance category?

A well-designed, professional icon can make a strong first impression, and first impressions are everything for finance apps that strive to build a powerful brand and a sense of security around it.

Our ASO Benchmarks & Mobile Trends Report 2024 has found that finance apps can see a substantial boost of an average of 12% in conversion rates by incorporating bold colours into their icons and screenshots. Vibrant visuals encourage users to explore product pages more deeply, with the average time spent increasing by 1.35 seconds or more.

43% of the top finance apps use blue icons, followed by green and black colors. However, it makes sense to switch to red for app businesses operating or launching in Eastern markets. We found that for the Chinese market, red gives an average conversion boost of 5%.

What role do seasonal updates play in App Store Optimization (ASO), particularly for shopping apps?

Seasonal ASO updates around the holidays, special offers and other relevant seasonal events can lead to increased conversions by up to 14% for shopping apps. It is no surprise as seasonal and holiday deals are a huge attraction for shoppers looking for timely bargains. That’s why app marketers need to make sure that their product pages are optimised in time for these events. Highlighting seasonal offers, discounts, and promotions grabs users' attention and encourages them to explore more.

In terms of wider ASO for shopping apps - They have have notably higher conversions and engagement rates in the App Store than Google Play. This suggests a more effective user experience or stronger brand trust among iOS users. For app marketers, it means that they may need to focus on developing a recognizable brand that can drive immediate installs.

ASO is not everything though and it has to go hand-in-hand with brand recognition, specifically for shopping apps. Users in the shopping category tend to install apps immediately (direct install rate of 23%). This indicates the importance of brand recognition for shopping apps. Since few visitors install the app after exploring it (engagement rate of 41%), it is clear that users typically know what the app offers beforehand.

Why is A/B testing considered essential in app marketing, and what are its benefits?

Each app and brand is different and A/B tests can help you see what works best for your app.

Our research highlighted that seemingly minor things in app marketing can make a big difference - what may appear to be a small decision on color, font type or icon can actually determine whether your app lives or dies in this crowded marketplace.

Our ASO report revealed that app developers and marketers can make very minor tweaks to their storefront and see a substantial boost in user engagement. The challenge is understanding where and how to make these changes, which is why testing is so important because it removes some of these unknowns.

Once you implement any changes, it is important to keep monitoring and optimising. Ultimately, a one-size-fits-all strategy will not work in app marketing, you need a considered and fluid strategy where every small detail matters

How does SplitMetrics' research suggest that minor design choices can influence an app's success in the marketplace?

Our research of close to 200 apps and 3,500 A/B tests across Google Play and the Apple App Store has revealed the small changes that make a big difference to whether an app is successful or not. Simply optimising your app’s icon can land up to 25% more users. App icons with a clear and simple icon background tend to fare better, experiencing a conversion rate increase of over 26% across all categories.

As mentioned before, even color can have a huge impact but also - what may seem as a minor thing - how your app screenshots are presented in the storefront. Nearly half of app users only view the first two screenshots and only 7% see the fifth screenshot on display in the app store listing, suggesting that the first two screenshots matter the most when it comes to gaining new users.

How does the report suggest that app marketers should approach optimization strategies, and why is a one-size-fits-all approach discouraged?

The main challenge is understanding where and how to make the changes and the main way to find that out is to test different choices. Our report provides a foundation for app marketers and uncovers some of the unknowns. However, not all apps are the same and different trends, seasonality or socioeconomic situations at different points in time may have a different impact. After putting a lot of effort into optimising your app, don’t just sit back and hope to see perfect results. Throughout the campaign you should be analysing your marketing performance and asking the right questions. Did the new texts and creatives bring you more users and conversions? Or was it your paid UA traffic that led to an increase or decrease?

It’s a game of asking the right questions and ongoing testing of different keywords, colors and designs.

What impact can optimizing an app's icon have on user acquisition according to SplitMetrics' research?

Our ASO report found that app marketers who optimise their app icons can land up to 25% more users. At the same time, some may also experience even more dramatic Tap-Through Rate (TTR) growth. Across all categories app icons with a clear and simple icon background tend to fare better, experiencing a conversion rate increase of over 26%.

MarTech Edge Q&A with Adam Rossow, Group RFZ

marketing 6 Sep 2024

Can you explain how brand lift studies work and what metrics are typically measured?

Brand lift studies are a form of market research that involves measuring how a campaign impacts how an audience thinks, feels and intends to act as it relates to a product or brand. To measure brand lift, we gather online survey feedback from two groups – an exposed group and a control group.

When it comes to influencer marketing, the exposed group is comprised of people who have seen the campaign content – whether it was a TikTok video, reel, YouTube short or another kind of creative – either naturally or through a custom-designed digital feed. The control group is a lookalike audience that did not see the content and is as similar as possible to the exposed group in terms of their demographics, specific attitudes, category use, awareness levels and other traits.

Both groups are asked to take the exact same online survey, which is designed according to the objectives of the influencer program’s objectives. The results, which are typically expressed as a percentage lift, are derived by comparing the differences in the survey responses between the two groups. Since the exposure to the influencer content is the only meaningful dissimilarity between the two groups, any lift between the groups can be attributed to the influencer campaign or program. For instance, if the survey finds that 20% of the control group is likely to purchase the product in question in the next month and 40% of the exposed group said they’re likely to purchase it, the campaign resulted in a 20-point increase in purchase intent.

When it comes to metrics, we evaluate the top of the funnel down to the mid-funnel, including purchase intent, likelihood to consider, favorability, brand love, recall, awareness and brand attributes.

In what areas does AI most effectively enhance influencer marketing, and where might it fall short?

AI is transforming businesses in all different ways, and influencer marketing is no exception. That said, it’s not necessarily being used by influencers as much as one might guess. That’s because leaning on AI tools such as ChatGPT minimizes an influencer’s pride in their creative content and it also detracts from the one quality that makes them successful: authenticity. Relationships between influencers and their followers is built almost solely on authenticity and the vast majority won’t risk sounding remotely synthetic just to save a little time and creative energy.

Brands have many more opportunities to tap into the power of AI. For example, AI is making it exceedingly more efficient to find the exact right influencers to collaborate with. It used to be that marketers would have to scour databases using only basic filters such as industry, follower count and location. Now, with AI at play, it’s possible to search with much greater precision and pinpoint influencers that perfectly align with your values, audience and campaign goals. AI can also help brands analyze their campaigns at a much deeper level and glean more insights to inform future campaigns, as well as help brainstorming on their creative briefs that they supply to influencers.

AI is bound to make influencer marketing more streamlined, approachable and measurable, but it won’t be an easy button.

How could a potential TikTok ban disrupt the current digital marketing landscape?

TikTok could be banned in the US as soon as January because of the social media company’s ties to China, and that has the world stirring. A ban could have implications for influencer marketing, particularly for brands selling to Gen Z and other audiences that are hard to find through traditional channels.

That said, I don’t anticipate the ban – if it is implemented – to turn influencer marketing on its head. The repercussions will really be dependent on where you sit in the influencer ecosystem. Influencers who have hitched themselves just to TikTok will have the biggest hurdles to overcome because it’ll mean essentially starting from the ground up, and building follower relationships and developing new content that’s tailored for other social channels.

For influencer agencies and brands, I see it as more of a bump in the road. Influencer marketing was a proven strategy before TikTok appeared and became the “it” platform, and I don’t believe a ban will slow it down because it simply works too well. It will, however, force brands and agencies to ensure they’re not too dependent on a single channel or outlet. The good news there is that there are plenty of strong channels such as YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, as well as emerging alternatives such as Clapper and Triller that can fill the gap.

In the near term, marketers should be preparing by executing more broadly and on multiple platforms, as well as doing a lot of testing on other platforms. Our take is that perpetual testing is always a good idea anyway.

Once the burning question of “Where will 150 million U.S. TikTok users go?” is answered, marketers will shift back to more focused plans rather than being quite as broad.

What are the risks of AI influencers compromising authenticity in brand campaigns?

The risk in my opinion is significant. Authenticity, believability and trust are cornerstones of influencer marketing and, in large part, the reason it’s so impactful. There are always outliers, but most of influencer marketing revolves around creators who aren’t household names. They have grown their following organically, post what’s meaningful or interesting, and partner with brands they know, use and often align with on values. They are their authentic selves, complete with all the flaws, issues and idiosyncrasies that make them relatable. That is why people follow them and listen to their recommendations.

AI is artificial, both in name and reality. And while AI influencers present certain distinct advantages in terms of cost, message control and scalability, they can torpedo the good will and trust that so many influencers have worked tirelessly to build and maintain.

The main issue stems from the fact that they are, of course, not real. This means their backstories are carefully manufactured, their messaging points scripted, and their likeness often shaped to adhere to some expectation or stereotype. They haven’t had any life experiences to draw from, nor any real interactions or connections that have made an impact. Does any of that sound authentic to you?

All that said, not being real is only part of the problem. The bigger issue is that too many people think they are real. Most people don’t know about all the latest tech and goings-on in the social and influencer space. They are unaware that virtual influencers even exist. The tech has gotten to a point where, if the creator of a virtual influencer wants them to be unrecognizable as AI to most, they can be. It’s one thing to know something is inauthentic because it’s AI and fake. You can take that at face value and make your own decision. However, not knowing makes it more than just inauthentic, it makes it duplicitous.

How do brand lift studies help companies like Amazon, Verizon and Kraft optimize their marketing strategies?

Brand lift studies in the influencer space have come a long way. If they are designed and implemented correctly, they can tell you not just if a campaign succeeded, but exactly what aspects moved the needle and where to focus and invest going forward. Just understanding awareness, favorability and intent is table stakes. These days, it’s possible to get deeper and understand the drivers and perceptions that frame everything. From how the campaign impacted brand trust, to relevance, to value, to other key attributes – brand lift can unearth all of these.

Moreover, brand lift studies can get very granular and break out results by almost any campaign ingredient. For example, a brand lift study can reveal if certain messages were stickier on TikTok or Instagram, if micro-influencers increased purchase intent more than a celebrity influencer or if humorous content was more impactful than educational content. If designed correctly upfront, brand lift studies can provide invaluable information around audiences, creative, channels and the influencers themselves. And, all that information is mapped back to a program or series of programs, so the attribution for any movement is clear, not an amalgamation of other marketing activities and factors.

In all, brand lift studies are more than just a way for brands to prove success against their goals. They are a way to test and learn, correct course and invest in the right ingredients to maximize impact and ROI. In influencer marketing there is always a new channel, a new trend to hop on and an internal dialogue about which influencers will have the most impact. The question of what’s next can be a daunting one, but brand lift brings real insight and clarity to that decision-making process.

Interview with Dan Anderson, Managing Director of Technology at VShift

marketing 21 Aug 2024

1. Can you share some of the key strategies you have implemented to grow world-class technology organizations over your 25+ year career?

A few key principles critical to highly successful technology organizations include:

• An unwavering focus on technology as a means for solving real-world business problems.
• Understanding that people and processes matter more than technology. Technology solutions must work for people and make their experience better, easier, and more efficient; allowing them to focus on their work rather than the technology. A technically brilliant solution will otherwise fail.
• Ensuring flexibility with the ability to constantly evolve and bring new and different technologies into the fold – paired with a constant eye on and a measured, thoughtful approach to emerging technology.
• Constant, ongoing development of technology assets and capabilities that can be leveraged to make future efforts faster and more efficient ¬– modular, capabilities, components and systems that can be reused and recombined.
• Speed to market is critical. Get something into market that solves a core problem or provides a key benefit quickly, then iterate and refine.

Two core strategies that VShift employs to help clients break through their go-to-market issues, which arise directly from these principles, are:

a. Decoupling: Clients typically struggle to get digital experiences launched quickly – or at all. Companies are commonly organized in diverse functional groups, while their legacy technology is monolithic, often provided by a single third-party vendor that is aligned to the needs of only one of those groups – typically the IT team. Decoupling the user experience layer from “as-a-service” platform components has been effective at providing product, marketing, and customer-facing digital team members with autonomy over the creating and managing the experience. These experiences can be launched and updated with minimal dependencies on shared services groups while still adhering to the needs and guidelines of IT and compliance groups, all without the vendor “lock-in” that is typical of monolithic technologies.

b. Accelerator Kits: Composable, modular solutions can be difficult to understand, can seem complex or unapproachable, and are difficult for non-technical, often skeptical, stakeholders to envision. VShift has leveraged our extensive experience to develop and utilize pre-built digital experience accelerators comprised of fully implemented frameworks, technologies, and components. These accelerators provide a means for aligning all the diverse team members and allow full feature digital products to be delivered in a third or less of the time and effort of a more traditional, “legacy” approach.

2. How does the VShift AEM Digital Experience Accelerator expedite website project timelines compared to traditional methods?

Teams looking to utilize AEM headless capabilities to realize the advantages of a decoupled, composable architecture are often overwhelmed by their expectation of the required effort and investment. They assume that the adoption of a headless AEM digital experience will take the same amount of time (or more) than it took to originally implement the Adobe stack.
The Accelerator shifts control to the business stakeholder and away from the vendor or systems integrator allowing the business to progressively adopt the new model without having to wait for upgrades, new software purchases or lengthy engagements. Once the scope is set, the Accelerator allows projects to progress far more quickly via a ready-to-deploy composable solution stack with prebuilt components, workflow, and integrations, ready at kick-off. The Accelerator gives teams a massive “head start” placing them far closer to the finish line by the time they complete the first or second sprint.

3. Can you explain the historical development of the AEM Digital Experience Accelerator and its integration with Adobe’s Universal Editor?

AEM has historically been called out by “MACH-native,” composable technology providers as a prime example of a monolithic, rigid technology stack that requires a significant, ongoing investment in specialized vendor certified consultants. This situation, in our view, is changing as Adobe continues to focus on expanding and enhancing headless capabilities. The AEM Digital Experience Accelerator was born out of our experience leveraging these growing capabilities in a way that maximizes the benefits while reducing vendor “lock-in” and bringing best of breed technologies, frameworks, and solution components into the mix.
The AEM Universal Editor is a good example Adobe’s focus on headless and the growing suite of supporting capabilities. The Universal Editor provides an efficient, intuitive interface for managing content while at the same time allowing for reduced vendor “lock-in” via flexible content integration capabilities. VShift is continually evolving and enhancing the Accelerator to take advantage of these capabilities as they become available.

4. Why might organizations choose to use a visual content editor interface, and what benefits does it offer?

Organizations tend to choose a visual content editor “add-on” to a composable content management system based on the experiences and preferences of their product owners and content management teams. If they have historically used an advanced WYSIWYG CMS interface, they will want to retain comparable features that a visual editor can provide including drag and drop content creation and live editing and previewing. A visual editor paired with a well-structured content model offers the best of both worlds – users focused on layout and page construction will typically prefer the visual editor whereas those focused on content creation and management, especially for multi-platform, multi-channel use, will often prefer the more structured, streamlined content editing interface.

5. How does the AEM Digital Experience Accelerator ensure compliance and security in highly regulated environments such as financial services and healthcare?

Companies in financial services, healthcare and other regulated industry sectors have historically purchased and implemented Adobe technologies. We have developed the Accelerator with an understanding and focus on the type of security and compliance requirements common in these sectors. The Accelerator, implemented with connectivity to legacy content sources, allows for enhanced capabilities for content versioning, workflow, and business rules. As part of any engagement, we work closely with clients to ensure a thorough understanding of their compliance and security needs.

6. What advice would you give to organizations looking to adopt emerging technologies to stay competitive in their industry?

My advice is to start and end with a business sponsor and the organization’s business goals. Far too often, emerging technology programs are relegated to a lab or to an IT team not well aligned to what the market is looking for. It is critical to focus initially on projects that can be delivered to market quickly with meaningful impact to demonstrate viability and real-world benefits, and to build support and consensus. Having a program sponsor, a budget, and the right type of project with measurable objectives, in our experience, is the best ways of ensuring success.

marketing