This is the devastating result of two key factors, the first being the migration of audiences to digital platforms. The number of people watching linear (live broadcasts) on TV has been in decline for many years now, as you will know from thinking about your own viewing habits. People have become used to controlling when and how they watch content on their own terms, with the ability to view anywhere on a phone or laptop computer, the emergence of the streaming platforms like Netflix, and the proliferation of Smart TV’s, all meaning less people, particularly young people, tuning in to linear TV broadcasts. Then, of course, there is the impact of the global tech companies, including Google and Facebook, who have been using local news content in their social channels without regulation or compensation to the local platforms – we have become used to turning to our phones for news and less reliant on seeking news on TV.
The other contributing factor is the recessionary economy, which has hit the TV advertising market particularly hard – ASA figures have recently revealed that 2023 was down $74 million in TV advertising in New Zealand, which is the biggest year-on-year drop (-14.3%) since the Global Financial Crisis in 2008/2009. TV advertising has become somewhat of a luxury in an environment of reduced marketing budgets, with brands trading down to less expensive, arguably less effective, mass awareness advertising channels.
Come 6th July 2024 we will have markedly different TV programming on air in New Zealand. On TVNZ1 Fair Go, Sunday, plus Midday news and Tonight news bulletins, will have ended in mid-May. Over on Three, Newshub’s 6pm news bulletin, The AM Show, and local 7pm current affairs (The Project having been cancelled in December) will all have ceased broadcast. Shortland Street is at risk on TVNZ2, and Warner Bros. Discovery have advised that production cutbacks will also affect many other popular local shows, including The Traitors NZ, The Block NZ and Married At First Sight NZ; exactly what that means is to be confirmed, but the upshot of all this is that there will be a lot less local content on our screens.
What this will mean for audiences is that live sport and what little local news, local current affairs & local reality/entertainment shows that remain will still deliver a substantial number of linear TV viewers. However, people are unlikely to watch as much linear TV as they do currently, as there will be significantly less of these options available for them.
For advertisers, TV will remain important due to its brand building potential (vs Social or YouTube) – ads on TV being more likely to be remembered for longer, commanding more attention, and being a safe space for brands due to premium content alignment and viewing occurring on large TV screens vs smaller mobile phone or laptop screens.* It will, however, increase the importance of taking a broader screens approach in planning video campaigns to combat the further fragmentation of viewing – linear TV will need to be supported by Broadcast Video On Demand (TVNZ+ and ThreeNow) and Digital Video across YouTube and other platforms in order to reach mass audiences cost effectively.
Live sport also becomes increasingly important to reach TV audiences, and local broadcasters will be hoping for regulatory changes to our rule prohibiting TV advertising on Sunday mornings, whilst those restrictions don’t apply online. This currently impacts their ability to bid for and win broadcast rights to major sporting events, such as the last Rugby World Cup where games fell on a Sunday morning New Zealand time, as they are unable to fully commercialise them with advertising.
Another implication for advertisers will be the reduced environments for integration into content. An effective TV sponsorship, which will work hard to increase awareness and favourability of your brand with viewers, involves so much more than a “Brought to you by…” badge in the opening and closing credits. With less local content being produced, there will be fewer partnership opportunities for brands to integrate their products or services and key messages into shows, so these are likely to be in high demand due to their effectiveness.
Here at Contagion, we will continue to monitor the developments to the media landscape and approach our media planning in an agile manner, whilst continuing to support our local publishers and broadcasters who provide such an important voice for New Zealanders.
*Source: Professor Karen Nelson-Field Benchmark Series Nov 2021
First and foremost, companies work best when everyone is aligned on where the brand is going. Everyone is motivated because they have a song to sing and a banner to stand behind. Great brands are not built solely by marketing, but by the whole organisation coming together. What we think we are selling is never solely what customers are buying, and solving consumers' emotional needs is the most fertile ground for brands to grow.
To get the best results, those key to developing and communicating the brand need to feel involved in its creation, becoming its best advocates.
This is where a Brand Key can help.
A Brand Key is a comprehensive framework that serves as a cultural bonding exercise within a company. It is developed together, as a unified team, and provides a clear compass and an engaging blueprint for all involved, guiding them on the brand's essence, purpose, and behaviour to foster long-lasting connections with consumers. We all want success, and sharing in the vision of how to get there is the social glue that great companies are built upon.
The Brand Key is also a framework that can be built on, and brought to life through, various audiences as required; it can act as an input to other work such as strategy development, product creation, and the end-to-end consumer experience. This creates a clear, engaging, consumer-focused and motivating brand blueprint for all stakeholders to fervently buy into, giving anybody who touches the brand a clear direction on who we are, why we exist, and how we should behave.
The brief for any exercise like this is to bring clarity, relevance, and inspiration to how the company articulates itself as a brand. We call this the consumer-facing proposition. We need to build a compelling and cohesive brand story that answers, in the audience’s head, ‘why’ your company is the only experience of its kind and ‘why’ they should try you / remain loyal.
The vision must clearly set out why consumers should care, and what need it is solving in their lives.
In order to unlock these answers, we work closely with you to pinpoint the most important need state to address. What is the key differentiator above all else we are chosen for? What are our most appealing personality traits they will consistently buy into? What is the most compelling and competitive reason we should be chosen?
Most importantly, what is the simplest distillation of our brand into a core idea or promise that will resonate with consumers?
This proven tool has allowed us to help clients articulate their vision and values for consumer-facing brands for over 10 years. The process is designed to differentiate companies within their perceived competitor landscape, articulate what the brand stands for, and provide recommendations on how to create relationships with target audiences by building an emotional connection, ensuring they return again and again.
We always want our clients’ products to be part of the mix that defines their customers as good people, who make the right choices.
The Brand Keys we’ve created over the years have provided our clients with a rock-solid foundation for their brand. It has worked time and time again as a successful tool to help inform brand development and provide the all-important judgement criteria needed to express their brand consistently.
So, what would happen if each member of your team passionately embodied your brand's core values? How might this shape the future of your organisation? We're confident that the results will be nothing short of remarkable.
Successful companies possess a profound belief in themselves. Driven by a unified vision, that’s shared both by leadership teams and employees, they have a clear north star which guides their efforts. This shared purpose not only helps to motivate employees, but transforms them into enthusiastic advocates for the brand, effectively becoming an unstoppable force in driving sales and fostering positive interactions with customers. Moreover, such companies experience a more positive internal culture, higher staff retention, and greater ease in recruitment.
While traditional marketing focuses on customers, it is in fact your employees who wield the greatest influence in persuading them to buy. Your brand is only as good as someone’s last interaction with you, and often the interaction that occurs the moment before a purchase decision is made will be with a member of your staff. Internal marketing, therefore, emerges as the linchpin for fostering powerful emotional connections between employees and your own brand. Without this connection, employees risk diluting the promises made in advertising, undermining the brand's integrity.
Engaging employees is paramount to internal brand alignment. By fostering a deep emotional connection with the products and services offered, employees become energised and unified, driven by a shared sense of purpose and identity. Particularly in service-oriented businesses, employees must exude unwavering confidence in delivering the brand's promise every day.
Involving staff early in research is invaluable. A company's culture shapes its brand reality, transcending rational elements like strategy and policies to encompass shared beliefs, traditions, and feelings. Asking employees key questions about the company's future direction and marketing effectiveness not only provides valuable insights but also empowers them, making them feel valued and heard.
Asking your staff the following questions will give you a new perspective on what the reality of your brand is for them:
The truth is that staff are overjoyed when you ask their opinion. They also have a wonderfully unfiltered view that is of immense value when crafting your long-term brand story. The most rewarding aspect of this approach is that, upon finalising your efforts and crafting the pivotal advertising campaign, employees will not only feel integral to the idea but will wholeheartedly embrace it. This sense of ownership is paramount, as it fosters a deep connection and commitment to the brand, ultimately driving its success. We highly advocate for conducting research that involves both staff and customers. It's strikingly evident how frequently their perspectives and aspirations for the brand closely align.
In order to see real results, leadership must wholeheartedly embrace the company's new direction, embodying it in their actions and decisions. Ownership is crucial; therefore, involving leadership in a well-orchestrated workshop, supported by evidence from both employee and customer research, ensures alignment with the brand's appeal rather than personal preferences.
Ultimately, the magic of a compelling brand story lies in the convergence of employee inspiration, consumer excitement, and strategic alignment. By fostering a culture of ownership and engagement from the outset, companies can cultivate a brand that resonates authentically with both employees and customers alike.
In a recent client meeting, the stark reality of soaring production costs was underscored by a marketing manager's candid remark: "Production is so damn expensive now."
This sentiment resonates widely among marketing professionals who grapple with the dilemma of maintaining high production values within budget constraints.
And with Christmas coming up, and filled with festive generosity, we thought we’d offer NZ marketing managers a few suggestions, and hopefully a bit of hope.
The first step in addressing this challenge is acknowledging your budget. Whatever the figure may be, the production budget is fixed (and approved by the CFO), and a crucial aspect is avoiding ambitious ideas that exceed that budget. Crafting a realistic idea within budgetary constraints ensures a successful outcome. It may seem obvious, but If you have $50k, don’t write a $60k idea. The only way to achieve it is by cutting corners. The secret is to write a $30k idea and then make it well.
So how do you make your budget go as far as it can? Well, there’s no one answer.
At Contagion we do a lot of the production in-house because 1) we can, and 2) we’ve got the necessary skills and equipment to back it up. By writing, directing, shooting, editing and in some cases, animating, in-house, we can control costs, maximise budgets, and make your money go as far as possible.
The key to this is planning every shot carefully. This avoids mucking around on shoot day trying to work out what works best. Strategic planning saves costs, so plan your shoots meticulously, ensuring you capture all necessary visuals in one go. Efficient use of time leads to minimised expenses and reduces the need for extensive post-production work.
Another smart but obvious trick is to opt for locations that are easily accessible and don't require expensive permits. Unless you truly need to shoot in Tahiti, consider shooting in-house or at a location that offers free access for your team. My house has been used for a couple of shoots. Why? Because not charging for a location fee was the difference between the shoot going ahead or not. Anything to help. Ask me nicely and I’ll consider it again.
Of course, we don’t, and can’t, do everything ourselves. If and when a job is beyond our scope, we look outside: production companies, freelance photographers, videographers, sound recordists, and editors.
These good folk all need to make a living, and it’s not in our interests to drive their fees down to the point where they can’t make that living, but we can still negotiate to some extent. Most if not all will give clients a discount on multiple productions; this is because it takes less time to produce a series of videos rather than producing a series of multiple adhoc videos over time. Production houses can retain economies of scale in bulk production and pass on the savings – this is because pre-production tasks, filming and post-production tasks can be executed over a shorter period.
A skilled editor is worth their weight in gold. They can transform raw footage into visually stunning content, save an average shoot, and even breathe new life into your existing content. Skilful recutting and reframing here and there allows you to repurpose old content, ensuring you get the most out of your investment (Just check you’ve squared away any talent fees first).
Talking of talent fees, you get what you pay for. If your shoot is dependent on Sam Neill, then you need to pay what Sam Neill charges. If you can’t afford that – and you probably can’t – start again. There are many wonderful actors out there who will enhance your script, but negotiate the usage up front. If your video is licenced for online use only and you decide you also want to stick it on TV, be aware that the talent now has the upper hand, so expect a whopping fee for the additional usage.
What happens if you can’t afford an actor, let alone Sam Neill? Look around the office. If you have a charismatic co-worker who is extremely comfortable in front of a camera, consider using them for the video shoot. We’ve done many shoots with staff, their children, spouses and even pets dogs, but you have to be aware of their limitations. Avoid anything with the subtle nuances actors can deliver. If your co-workers say they can’t laugh or cry on demand, don’t ask them to act out a script that requires them to do so. You’ll end up crying instead. Ask them to do things they can do naturally. Like walking a dog through a park, eating a bacon sandwich, or pretending to do some work.
If you want to avoid talent fees altogether – or any production costs at all – look at stock libraries. There are many to choose from, and they offer a vast array of high-quality visuals at reasonable prices. With proper selection and customisation, stock content can be tailored to reflect your brand's uniqueness. All you need is a good idea and a skilled editor. Here at Contagion we’re pretty confident we can make any piece of footage seem relevant. It’s all in the writing and editing.
User-generated content is still alive and well, and shoots don’t come much cheaper than that, so encourage your customers to contribute. UGC not only strengthens your brand-community relationship but also provides authentic visuals. Turning customers into brand ambassadors is the holy grail of marketing, but the quality of the content is out of your hands. It may be good. It may be appalling. It’s a roll of the dice, so be cautious.
And finally, there’s AI. You’re already using it to write your presentations. Why not use it to create your visuals? There are many platforms out there to choose from (we like Midjourney), and while the results aren’t perfect every time, who really is? AI-generated visuals allow you to create any scene you imagine, with any fictional character you desire. So no talent fees again. The downside is that any image you create is non-copyrightable, so your competitors could, if they so wished, steal your image outright.
In conclusion, the complexity of rising production costs necessitates a multi-faceted approach. By adopting the right strategies, Marketers can achieve exceptional visual content within budget constraints. Having a knowledgeable partner, such as Contagion, can further streamline the end-to-end production process. By combining technical expertise with experience, Contagion helps clients navigate the challenges and achieve cost-effective, high-quality video content.
And we do it all with a smile.
The marketing landscape has undergone a seismic shift in recent years, and one of the most profound catalysts for change has been the integration of artificial intelligence (AI).
AI is not just another buzzword in the marketing world; it's a game-changer that is redefining the way businesses connect with their audience. In this blog, we'll explore how AI is revolutionising the marketing industry.
AI enables marketers to tap into vast amounts of data like never before. With the power of machine learning algorithms, businesses can analyse consumer behaviour, preferences, and engagement patterns to gain actionable insights. This data-driven approach allows for better decision-making, as marketers can create highly targeted and personalised campaigns that are more likely to resonate with their audience. For example, AI can identify trends, predict customer behaviour, and recommend the best times and channels for communication.
Personalisation has become a cornerstone of effective marketing, and AI is the linchpin that makes personalisation at scale possible. AI-powered systems can tailor marketing messages, product recommendations, and content to individual consumers in real-time. This not only improves customer satisfaction but also leads to higher conversion rates and customer loyalty. From personalised email marketing to recommendations on e-commerce platforms, AI is the driving force behind creating uniquely relevant experiences for each customer.
Automation is another key area where AI shines. Marketing tasks that were once labour-intensive and time-consuming can now be streamlined, saving businesses both time and money. Chatbots, for instance, can handle customer inquiries 24/7, and AI can optimise digital advertising campaigns by adjusting bidding strategies in real-time to maximize ROI. Marketing automation platforms can nurture leads, score prospects, and send targeted messages without human intervention. This not only increases efficiency but also ensures a consistent and timely response to consumer interactions.
Predictive analytics, powered by AI, allows marketers to foresee trends and customer behaviour before they happen. This insight can be a game-changer in planning marketing campaigns. By understanding what customers are likely to do in the future, businesses can proactively address their needs and preferences. For example, predictive analytics can forecast which products are likely to be popular in the coming season, enabling businesses to stock inventory accordingly and tailor their marketing strategies.
AI has also made its mark in content marketing. It can help create and optimise content for search engines, ensuring that businesses' online presence is more discoverable. Natural language processing (NLP) technology assists in generating human-like text, and AI can suggest the most effective headlines, keywords, and content structures. This not only saves time but also enhances the quality and visibility of content, leading to improved SEO rankings and better engagement.
By harnessing the power of AI for data analysis, personalisation, automation, predictive analytics, and content optimisation, businesses are staying ahead of the curve and delivering more value to their customers. As the technology continues to evolve, we can only expect AI to further revolutionise the way we approach marketing. To remain competitive, businesses must embrace the AI revolution and adapt their strategies accordingly.
Whether you are starting a business now or weathering the current recessionary storm, a slowdown can feel scary; but being on the front foot with your marketing can make sure the revenue keeps coming in.
I started my business in 2010, when the great recession of 2008 was still very much with us. Was it a good time to start? My reasoning was that it might be tough, but things were going to get better and optimism is a key part of any success. What I did realise straightaway was that a reliable sales & marketing machine would be key, as less customers would be around and I wanted to stand out from the ones that were there.
Running a business is beyond exhilarating, frightening and crazy, often all in the same moment. There are so many things to work through. At the start, you cannot imagine getting into a rhythm of staff, sales and actually looking around with a satisfied smile, marvelling at what you have created. To see your first employees and trade happening daily is truly one of life’s great experiences. Adapting to changing times is the key to longevity; knowing when to allocate resources to capture extra revenue is tough to get right, but crucial for success.
Recession makes you that bit more careful and conservative with your growth projections. This can be hugely beneficial because underestimating targets is a significant problem to have. However, you must double your efforts on sales and marketing; the revenue is harder to get, but it is out there for those who have built a trustworthy brand.
How do you go beyond securing today and tomorrow, and really start securing future demand in a systemised way that can be relied upon to deliver? The reality of any business is that unless you have a reliable pipeline of new business, you don’t have a business. If you can solve this pipeline in these trying times you will see phenomenal success as we climb out of recession.
What we are really talking about here is systemising your business identity and marketing so that potential customers know what you stand for, why they should buy from you, and for you to be where your customers are when they are considering buying your particular product or service.
Human behavior, if analysed, is wonderfully predictable; with this predictability comes the ability for businesses to make informed choices in how to set up their ‘marketing identity’. The biggest, single factor in getting potential customers to buy from you is trust. They must trust you in the first interaction with your ‘brand’ or it is a lost opportunity/sale. The biggest factor in trust is consistency, so you need a system to make sure your brand is consistently compelling wherever people are interacting with it.
Think about your business as a person you have created, that you want people to really buy into; it is a brand, just like you. This person needs to have a great way of speaking, they must look right, be charming, know their stuff and be able to close the sale. To get your brand to this level you need to work out the detail: What is your brand built upon? What is its competitive edge? On your best day, why do people love you? How should you sound, look and feel? By thoroughly documenting this, and making sure it is compelling, you can create the best representation of you and what your business stands for 24/7, 365 days a year – it is the salesperson that never sleeps.
It doesn’t matter how strong the economy is, you will always need to be seen and to be appealing to customers, especially in a downturn. Now is the time to take the best representation of your brand to reach customers beyond the geographical confines of the physical operation. We are, of course, talking about a top-notch website that makes you irresistible to buy, or in other words your new ‘store front’. People visit your site, find it easy to navigate and get to know you, think you know your stuff and are likeable, and they want to either proceed to check out online or pick up the phone to do business. While this is an extremely simple representation of the user journey online, the mechanics remain sound. As your store matures, refining the information and journey becomes key to ensure you’re ahead of your competitors, and what you offer is a true reflection of what your customers want. There are only two roles for a website: creating revenue and ongoing loyalty. Done right, a website will be the best investment you ever make.
When you have created such a good website, it makes sense to get it in front of as many people as possible; this is where digital media and a performance strategy are your new best friends. In recessionary times it is even more important to get this right, because you want to be where the customers are; there may be less of them, but they are still spending. You want to make sure that when people are searching for products in your category, or even your competitor’s product, that you come up first. You are front and centre whenever anybody is in the market to secure the sale. We can do this through a mixture of digital ads, social media and SEO, which is simply making sure you are at the top of the Google search results.
The key to an effective performance strategy is ongoing refinement. Dashboarding of results provides real-time access to performance, and the ability to isolate the effectiveness of individual advertising platforms, different target audience segments and different creative messages. A test-and-learn mentality is crucial – a testing framework should be developed to test different platforms, audience or messaging variables, with clear hypotheses, and clear benchmarks for measuring what success looks like in order to learn effectively. This should also be continued on your website, ensuring that the user journey online is constantly being improved and optimising the rate at which we convert site visitors to purchasers. There are many levers we can pull, and it’s all about developing the knowledge of how these will assist sales and then applying them to drive sales and revenue growth.
AUCKLAND, Today: Integrated media & creative agency Contagion has launched a new campaign – Inchstones – for the Neurological Foundation.
The startling fact is that one in three of us will suffer the debilitating affects of a neurological condition; this means it could be someone we love or even ourselves.
The work aims to let the public know that their donation is going to Kiwi scientists making world-leading breakthroughs so there is real hope; this is a future that their donation can change for the better.
Contagion ECD Oliver Maisey said: “The startling fact is that one in three of us will suffer the debilitating affects of a neurological condition; this means it could be someone we love or even ourselves.
“There’s no quick fix for a neurological condition. Progress is slow and painstaking.”
“The thinking behind the creative work is that there’s no quick fix for a neurological condition. Progress is slow and painstaking, for both the patients living with the problem, and the scientists looking for solutions to them.
“The Inchstones campaign is about celebrating the small but significant wins along the way.”
Neurological Foundation head of client service Victoria O’Neill said: “The work has been a real passion project for our team."
“The researchers they support have the ability to make a real difference to the lives of so many New Zealanders with the amazing work they do – work only made possible from the donations of everyday Kiwis.”
Contagion Media GM Rebecca Lloyd said: “Contagion Media has planned and booked the national campaign.
We’re very proud to have played our part in getting this valuable campaign live across radio & digital audio, display, social & search, and hoping for a great outcome in achieving support for the Neurological Foundation."
CREDITS
Client: Neurological Foundation
Creative: Contagion
Media: Contagion Media
AUCKLAND, Tuesday: Gregg’s Sauce has launched a new brand campaign for their tomato sauce with integrated media and creative from Ponsonby indie Contagion.
Contagion ECD Oliver Maisey said: “In a time when many of us are feeling a bit of a squeeze, Contagion has put together a fun video showcasing how irresistibly delicious Gregg’s Sauce is, while delivering incredible value – it only tastes expensive.”
“It only tastes expensive!”
“This is part of a wider marketing push from Gregg’s Sauces, with refreshed packaging and innovative new products & flavours to market.
“Like a quick squirt of Gregg’s tomato sauce to your meal, we brought together a 15” that injects a bit of fun and flavour to your every day and shows that food is much more fun with Gregg’s sauces.”
CREDITS
Client: Walter & Wild / Gregg’s Sauce
Creative: Contagion
Media: Contagion Media
Production: Fratelli Media
What was the best commercial website you visited lately? We can all name our favourite websites; the ones we steal a moment to look at during work, the ones that make us smile, laugh and even feel more connected to people.
But what about company websites? This gets a bit trickier.
If we think about it, digital is at odds with being human. Digital loves efficiency, infinite capacity, and scalability. However, it’s not great, on its own, at being memorable, empathetic, and intuitive – this is what we humans crave in any experience. So, in many ways, digital is at odds with what we want from a satisfying experience.
To this end, it is up to us to make sure our website design is inherently rewarding and motivational. Making any brand touchpoint an enjoyable experience leads to brand likeability and loyalty, and your website is no different.
Think of it like a simple equation:
Better Digital Experiences = Better Customer Outcomes = Better Business Outcomes.
We can further use the following two considerations when crafting a digital experience:
I want to finish this blog with a simple checklist to remember when you are being a good ‘digital human’ and thinking through your website.
Increased online privacy, control of user data and walled gardens are common topics of discussions among digital marketers and will continue to make headlines with Google’s recent announcement to delay the removal of its third-party cookies yet again.
Post Apple’s iOS 14.5 update in April of last year, which introduced a new App Tracking Transparency (ATT) protocol, Google announced that they would remove third-party cookies on Chrome by the end of 2022. The move, which has been on the cards since 2020 came as no surprise as Chrome and other web browsers have been tightening their cookie policies and look-back windows for years, long before Apple made the update.
More recently, and to some marketer’s delight, it was announced that Google will delay the removal of third-party cookies at the end of 2023. Despite the delay, many marketers are already underway with plans and strategies to live in a cookie-less world as marketers have seen it coming for some time now. The rise of 1st party data, the incorporation of said data and the increased reliance on machine learning all within the privacy constraints has become common place, but there still lies a few additional factors marketers should be taking into consideration to ensure the transition has the least amount of impact on their businesses.
Cookie-based targeting is engrained in most digital marketing plans, but it was the rise of programmatic advertising that really enabled this now common practice to be so effective. Cookies have been a powerful tool for marketers and digital brands to reach the right audience, with the right message, at the right time, and sums up perfectly the synergy between cookies (the audience), creative (message) and programmatic (time). As start-ups and some digital brands across the world have boomed, they have become more reliant on digital marketing to grow their business and forgoing essential brand marketing. This poses a significant challenge ahead as the removal of third-party cookies may mean an estimated 30% decline in Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS), as the ability to target ads based on rich user-based profiles comes to an end.
The removal of third-party cookies is ultimately for the better in an aim at giving consumers more control over their privacy and information online, however there is no doubt that it won’t have a huge impact on online earnings, with Google, in a recent study, disabling third-party cookies publisher revenue, estimating that brands might be at the risk of losing circa 50% of their revenue when they can no longer tap into cookies. Put simply, the removal of third-party cookies will mean:
[1] source: Gartner Consumer Community (2020) Survey n=325
AI is on its way to becoming well established and machine learning itself is merely a subset of AI. But what role will AI play as cookies no longer become available? No matter how sophisticated a company’s first-party data infrastructure is, it’s unlikely to match cookies in terms of the availability, volume, and depth. And despite cookies no longer being available, the task for marketers remains the same, to match the right message, with the right audience, at the right time to ultimately encourage an action. Success relies on learning what works from the data available and success itself is relatively easy to measure, ‘did the customer take the desired action, or not?’.
Building out dedicated machine learning models with dedicated teams isn’t realistic for most companies. No company builds their own CRM system, they simply plug into one that already exists. It’s then how, when and if you choose to use it that delivers value. The same can be said for machine learning in digital marketing.
Integrated tech giants like Google, Facebook and Amazon have the capabilities to analyse post marketing data to learn how to best allocate digital marketing spend and through AI, micro-audiences of users can be identified. Perhaps woman aged 35-41 that like travel respond more favourably when a couple is placed more prominently in an ad for a hotel? Other audiences might engage when a special offer is more prominent. AI learns these variables and builds personalised campaigns that optimise results while functioning within today’s privacy constructs.
First Party Data
Gather a deeper understanding of your customers
Focus on brand and creative messaging
Walled Garden Mentality
Be ready to welcome AI
