Omnichannel advertising and multi-ID approaches drive industry momentum

Mediaocean has released its 2024 H2 Market Report, marking the sixth edition of its bi-annual series. This report, based on insights from over 1,200 marketing professionals, highlights key trends and shifts in the advertising landscape as we move through the second half of the year. It underscores the rise of Connected TV (CTV) and the growing emphasis on performance-driven media amid evolving macroeconomic conditions.

1. Key Consumer Trends:

• Rise of CTV: CTV has emerged as the top consumer trend, surpassing AI. More households are moving away from traditional TV to affordable, ad-supported streaming options.
• Impact on Advertising: Increased opportunities for advertisers as viewers favor these streaming options.

2. Shift to Performance-Driven Media:

• Focus on Accountability: Advertisers are increasingly prioritizing channels that deliver measurable outcomes, reflecting a broader industry focus on return on investment.
• Investment Trends: Performance-driven media is now a central focus, with growing investments in channels that offer tangible business results.

3. AI and Automation in Ad Tech:

• Practical Applications: Marketers are moving beyond the hype of AI to implement practical solutions, including data analysis, copywriting, and image generation.
• Generative AI Use Cases: Data analysis remains the top use case, with increasing interest in AI-driven automation solutions.

4. Acceleration of First-Party Data Strategies:

• Privacy and Cookies: As consumer privacy concerns grow and third-party cookies phase out, brands are prioritizing first-party data strategies.
• Multi-ID Advertising: A significant increase in the use of multi-ID advertising reflects this shift.

5. Omnichannel Advertising:

• Increased Spending: Advertisers are expected to continue investing across multiple channels, with significant gains in paid social, search, and CTV.

6. Industry Sector Breakdown:

• Detailed Insights: The report includes sector-specific insights for Automotive, CPG, DTC, Education, Entertainment, Financial Services, QSR, Retail, Technology, Telecommunications, and Travel.

The Mediaocean 2024 H2 Market Report reveals transformative shifts in the advertising industry, driven by the rise of CTV, the focus on performance-driven media, and advancements in AI and automation. As brands adapt to these trends, understanding and leveraging these insights will be crucial for navigating the complex advertising landscape through the rest of 2024.

Upcoming Webinar

• Date: August 28, 2024
• Features: W Media analyst Karsten Weide and Deborah Wahl, Forbes CMO Hall of Fame member and Mediaocean Board member, will provide an in-depth analysis of the report findings.

Introducing native real-time agent and supervisor assist, coaching insights for quality management, and bring-your-own IVA framework

Rapid pace of innovation and AI-first approach drives strong customer demand for RingCX

RingCentral, a leading provider of AI-driven cloud communications, has unveiled significant updates to its RingCX™ contact center solution. These innovations include real-time AI-powered assistance for agents and supervisors, advanced AI-based coaching insights, and a new bring-your-own IVA framework. Designed to enhance customer experience, these features aim to provide more personalized, seamless, and high-quality service.

1. New AI-Powered Capabilities:

• RingCX AI Agent Assist: Provides real-time, in-call assistance for agents, offering contextual suggestions based on customer interactions. Integrates with existing company resources for improved resolution times.
• RingCX AI Supervisor Assist: Monitors interactions in real-time, alerting supervisors to potential issues and providing detailed transcripts and summaries for quick assessment and intervention.
• AI Coaching Insights: Automatically analyzes customer interactions to generate personalized coaching suggestions for agents, streamlining quality management workflows.

2. Bring-Your-Own IVA Framework:

• Overview: Allows customers to integrate their preferred Intelligent Virtual Agent (IVA) for self-service across voice and digital channels.
• Functionality: Open APIs enable seamless integration with various IVAs for tasks like password resets and order status checks.
• Pre-Built Integrations: Includes partnerships with providers such as Yellow.ai, Cognigy, and Google DialogFlow.

3. Impact and Adoption:

• Customer Adoption: Over 350 customers onboarded since November 2023, with more than 300 features added in the past quarter.
• AI Capabilities: Over 50% of RingCX customers have opted for paid AI features like call scoring and conversational analytics through RingSense AI Quality Management.

4. Industry Insights:

• Jim Dvorkin’s Statement: Highlights the transformative impact of AI on customer experience, agent empowerment, and business success.
• Sheila McGee-Smith’s Statement: Commends RingCentral’s focus on practical AI solutions for agents and supervisors, aligning with current contact center needs.

5. Upcoming Virtual Event:

• Event Details: “AI Innovations for Seamless Customer Experiences” on August 21, 2024, at 10:00 am PT.
• Features: Demonstrations of new technologies and insights from CX futurist Blake Morgan on customer-focused leadership.

RingCentral’s latest innovations for RingCX bring advanced AI capabilities that enhance agent and supervisor performance, improve customer self-service options, and streamline quality management. These updates are set to revolutionize customer service experiences as the company continues to drive innovation and adapt to industry needs.

Comscore’s ad measurement technology enhances campaigns activated through the Basis advertising automation platform

Basis Technologies, a leader in media automation and programmatic advertising solutions, has announced the integration of Comscore’s omnichannel ad measurement solution, Comscore Campaign Ratings (CCR), into its platform. This new integration allows Basis users to access comprehensive, person-level insights for campaign measurement, validation, and optimization, significantly improving the ability to measure and optimize cross-channel advertising efforts.

1. Addressing CTV Measurement Challenges:

• Complexity in Ad Measurement: Advertisers often struggle to measure the value of CTV advertising, particularly when comparing it to linear TV performance and integrating it with programmatic ad platforms.
• Integration Benefits: The new integration simplifies measuring incremental reach of CTV, OTT, and digital ads alongside linear TV campaigns, automating the process and improving accuracy.

2. Key Features of the Integration:

• Simplicity and Speed: Access to detailed campaign metrics directly within the Basis platform UI allows for real-time insights and decision-making during active campaigns.
• In-Flight Optimization: Real-time insights into campaign performance enable on-the-fly adjustments, enhancing overall campaign effectiveness.
• Granularity: Offers detailed person-level reporting, including demographics such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, and household income, providing a deep understanding of campaign reach and impact.

3. Industry Reactions:

• Political Advertising Insight: Zach Mandelblatt from Compete highlights the importance of understanding CTV's value compared to linear TV, particularly ahead of the 2024 General Election.
• Agency Perspective: Nicci Leichtman from SMZ emphasizes how the integration will refine creative strategies and media execution with real-time optimization capabilities.
• Enhanced Measurement: Sara Martin from Idea Peddler praises the integration for strengthening the ability to evaluate and optimize CTV investments, driving success for clients.

4. Partnership Impact:

• Comscore’s Role: Steve Bagdasarian from Comscore underscores the partnership’s impact on boosting programmatic media performance through actionable measurement data.
• Basis Technologies’ Vision: Tyler Kelly from Basis Technologies notes that the integration provides a holistic view of campaign reach and incrementality, illuminating optimization opportunities and enhancing ROI.

The integration of Comscore Campaign Ratings into Basis Technologies’ platform marks a significant advancement in programmatic advertising, offering enhanced measurement and optimization capabilities across CTV, OTT, and linear TV. This partnership equips advertisers with real-time insights and detailed reporting, driving more effective and impactful campaigns.

AdRoll, a leading marketing and advertising platform, has released its Q3 2024 State of Digital Marketing Report. This comprehensive analysis, based on insights from over 20,000 online businesses, provides a snapshot of current marketing trends and offers actionable strategies to improve return on investment (ROI) for digital marketers.

1. Advertising Costs Trends:

• Display CPM Increase: In Q2 2024, the cost per mille (CPM) for display advertising was 47% higher compared to the previous year, signaling a return to pre-budget cut levels observed in Q2 2023.
• Social Media CPM Stability: Average CPMs across Meta, TikTok, and Pinterest show varied trends. TikTok’s CPM remained lower and more stable, while Pinterest’s CPM increased by 30% on average. The CPM gap among these platforms has narrowed, suggesting a more balanced budget allocation by social media advertisers.

2. Outlook for the Digital Advertising Market:

• Uncertain Forecast: Factors such as economic conditions, interest rates, consumer sentiment, and upcoming elections may influence the ROI of digital advertising in the latter half of the year.
• Strategic Monitoring: Advertisers are advised to closely monitor campaign performance, especially in the lead-up to the holiday season and the election period, to adapt strategies and optimize ROI.

3. Data Strategies and Privacy:

• Shift from Third-Party Cookies: Andrew Pascoe, VP of Data Science Engineering at NextRoll (AdRoll’s parent company), emphasizes the need for advertisers to focus on first-party and zero-party data strategies due to Google’s updates on third-party cookies.
• Utilizing Collected Data: Advertisers should leverage their existing data to activate and engage customers effectively, as reliance solely on third-party cookies may lead to decreased audience targeting and campaign performance.

AdRoll’s Q3 2024 State of Digital Marketing Report highlights a significant rise in display CPM and varied trends in social media advertising costs. With the digital advertising landscape facing uncertainties, marketers are encouraged to enhance their first-party data strategies and remain vigilant as key economic and political events approach.

New Bundles Deliver Complete Email Security and Maximize Budget Savings

Fortra, a global leader in cybersecurity software and services, has launched new email security bundles designed to provide comprehensive protection against email threats. These bundles, categorized as Core, Advanced, and Elite, integrate various Fortra products and services to offer multi-layered defense throughout the email threat lifecycle.

1. Core Email Security Bundle:

• Cloud Email Protection: An AI-powered integrated cloud email security solution (ICES) that utilizes threat intelligence and automation to detect and mitigate advanced email threats.
• Terranova Security Awareness Training: A solution focused on cultivating positive security behaviors among employees, aiming to reduce human risk and enhance overall security posture.
• Suspicious Email Analysis: Provides expert triage and response for suspicious emails reported by users, ensuring timely remediation and user feedback.

2. Advanced Email Security Bundle:

• Inclusion of Core Solutions: Contains all features of the Core bundle.
• Agari DMARC Protection: Protects against email domain spoofing by streamlining the deployment and monitoring of DMARC policies, enhancing email domain security.

3. Elite Email Security Bundle:

• Inclusion of Advanced Solutions: Includes all features from the Advanced bundle.
• PhishLabs' Domain Monitoring: Adds proactive detection and suspension of look-alike domains used in phishing attacks, business email compromise (BEC), and other email threats.

Fortra’s new email security bundles provide organizations with a robust suite of tools to address the evolving landscape of email threats. By offering solutions that cover prevention, detection, and response, these bundles aim to strengthen defenses against sophisticated email attacks and enhance overall cybersecurity resilience.

Data Reveals the Largest Fan Allegiances Across America

Vivid Seats Inc. has released its 2024 NFL Fan Loyalty Report, providing insights into fan behavior and team loyalty for the upcoming NFL season. The report reveals which teams have seen significant increases in ticket prices, the fans who travel the farthest to support their teams, and the NFL teams with the most widespread fan bases.

1. Ready, Set, Hike: Price Spikes

• Houston Texans: The team has experienced a 132% increase in average ticket prices, the largest year-over-year spike.
• Atlanta Falcons: Prices up by 120%.
• Cleveland Browns: Saw an 82% increase.
• Tennessee Titans: Prices rose by 75%.
• Jacksonville Jaguars: Increased by 72%.

2. Going The Distance: Road Fan Support

• San Francisco 49ers: Fans make up 48% of the crowd at away games.
• Dallas Cowboys: Fans represent 45% of the away game crowd.
• Buffalo Bills: 41% of the crowd is made up of Bills fans.
• Philadelphia Eagles: 40% of the crowd are Eagles supporters.
• Pittsburgh Steelers: 39% of the away crowd.

3. Top Traveling Fanbases

• Las Vegas Raiders: Fans travel an average of 549 miles.
• San Francisco 49ers: Fans travel 468 miles on average.
• Miami Dolphins: Average travel distance is 464 miles.
• Seattle Seahawks: Fans travel 447 miles.
• Dallas Cowboys: Fans travel 435 miles.

4. Endzone to Endzone: Fan Loyalty by County

• Dallas Cowboys: Dominates with fan presence in 279 counties.
• Kansas City Chiefs: Have fans in 255 counties.
• Minnesota Vikings: Fans in 231 counties.
• Interactive Map: Fans can view detailed county-based fan distribution online.

5. Vivid Seats Rewards Program

• Benefits: Offers discounts, ticket upgrades, and exclusive experiences.
• Loyalty Perks: Includes a free 11th ticket after 10 purchases, surprise upgrades, birthday benefits, and more.

Vivid Seats' 2024 NFL Fan Loyalty Report showcases the passionate support of NFL fans, highlighting key trends in ticket pricing, travel distances, and geographic loyalty. The report underscores the importance of fan engagement and the value of the Vivid Seats Rewards program in enhancing the fan experience.

Bridgeline Digital, Inc. has announced a significant update to its HawkSearch platform with the introduction of the Multi-Site Management (MSM) feature. This new capability is designed to simplify the management of multiple websites while providing the flexibility needed for local customization. The MSM feature is particularly beneficial for organizations with extensive networks of sites, such as retail chains or franchises.

1. Centralized Control with Local Flexibility

• Purpose: MSM enables organizations to manage numerous websites from a single central point.
• Benefits: Allows for uniform updates and control across global operations while permitting local sites to adjust content based on regional needs.
• Use Case: Retail chains can promote new products universally while customizing promotions for individual locations based on local preferences or inventory.

2. Streamlined Distribution of Product Updates

• Powerful Indexing: MSM's indexing capability ensures efficient distribution of product updates and data feeds across all local indexes through a unified procedure.
• Efficiency: Reduces the complexity and time required for product updates across multiple sites.

3. Ideal for Large-Scale and Regional Campaigns

• Target Users: B2B distributors and franchise operations managing extensive networks of websites.
• Impact: Simplifies management processes, reduces operational costs, and enhances revenue by better addressing local market demands.

4. Statement from Leadership

• Ari Kahn, CEO of Bridgeline: Emphasized the MSM feature’s role in overcoming challenges faced by businesses managing numerous local websites. The feature streamlines operations, boosts revenue potential, and supports effective local market strategies.

Bridgeline Digital’s Multi-Site Management feature for HawkSearch represents a major advancement in managing extensive networks of websites. By combining centralized oversight with local adaptability, MSM supports both global and regional marketing strategies, offering significant benefits for large-scale organizations.

Rapid URL Indexer's new Zapier integration connects to 6,000+ apps, automating SEO indexing workflows.

Rapid URL Indexer, a leader in link indexing services, has announced a major advancement with its new integration with Zapier. This integration enables users to connect Rapid URL Indexer with over 6,000 applications, streamlining SEO workflows and significantly boosting productivity for digital marketers and SEO professionals.

1. Empowering SEO Professionals with Automation

• Purpose: Automate repetitive SEO tasks and improve efficiency.
• Benefits: Users can automate the submission of newly created content, product pages, and backlinks for indexing, ensuring quicker discoverability and better SEO results.
• Impact: Saves time and allows users to focus on more strategic aspects of SEO.

2. Key Benefits of the Zapier Integration

• Automated Content Indexing: Triggers for automatic submission of new blog posts, articles, or web pages for indexing as soon as they’re published.
• E-commerce Optimization: Instantly indexes new product pages from platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify, or Magento.
• Streamlined Link Building: Simplifies the process of managing and indexing backlinks and citations using Google Sheets.
• Enhanced Video SEO: Ensures new YouTube videos are indexed rapidly in Google Search.
• Time-Saving Automation: Reduces manual submission tasks, saving hours each week.

3. Practical Applications

• Content Marketing Teams: Set up a Zap to automatically submit new WordPress blog posts to Rapid URL Indexer.
• E-commerce Businesses: Create a Zap to ensure new Shopify product URLs are indexed promptly.
• SEO Agencies: Use Google Sheets to manage and submit client backlinks for indexing through Rapid URL Indexer.

4. Spokesperson’s Insight

• Statement: A Rapid URL Indexer spokesperson highlighted the transformative potential of the Zapier integration in creating sophisticated automated workflows that enhance SEO efforts and efficiency.

The new integration of Rapid URL Indexer with Zapier marks a significant improvement in SEO workflow automation. By connecting with over 6,000 applications, this integration offers digital marketers and SEO professionals a powerful tool to streamline indexing processes and focus on strategic activities.