Drop off rates from zero-rated platforms is now a thing of the past by Vodacom

Online shopping is only the tip of the iceberg. DStv has made its DStv Now app available to people who are not customers, and news services such as CNN and other popular programming are now streaming through this platform. I have no doubt that initiatives like this, across many industries, will create irreversible change in customer behaviour that will be sustained beyond Covid-19. New behaviours and connections are made in a new crisis, and the adoption of digital tools and channels will accelerate. The implication for brands is that customer experience becomes a core competency and an expression of brand utility. Chief marketing officers must evolve to become chief customer experience officers. There has never been a better time to be part of the brand function. Organisations are looking to build trust as customers hold them accountable now more than ever before. Purpose gives brand professionals an opportunity to dig into the gut of a business and play an active role in how the business plans and executes what it does. This allows it to be honest with what is said in its communication. Digital transformation has now accelerated to the mainstream, giving brand professionals another opportunity to drive an essential commercial delivery platform. Abey Mokgwatsane is the managing executive of brand, communication and sponsorship at Vodacom. Vodacom is the proud joint headline partner of the Future of Media 2020 conference, which is brought to you by Arena Events.

The big take-out:

The anchor for any brand should be its organisational purpose.

DROP-OFF RATES FROM ZERO-RATED PLATFORMS NOW A THING OF THE PAST

BY VODACOM

With 96% of internet users accessing the web via mobile, and the digitisation of almost every sphere of life, it’s only natural that the demand for data has escalated.

The question advertisers are asking is how to reach consumers who have limited access to data. Previously, their audience was only reached via push messaging or display banners. But when the audience was reached through display banners, they dropped off sharply when clicking via the content to the advertiser’s landing page URL. This is because, as Vodacom, we were able to zero-rate the banner in our in-house ad-server, but not on the advertiser’s website/landing page. This will no longer be the case. We are delighted to announce Vodacom’s Zero-Rated Google Ad partnership. All of Vodacom’s media industry alliances are created specifically to add value to the end user. Anything that adds value to the end user will certainly add value to the advertiser, and Vodacom’s ZeroRated Google Ad partnership is no exception. Vodacom Business has introduced zero-rating on advertiser links attached to display advertising banners on its channels. The destination URL is also zero-rated for the first click on the banner, giving the user a free view of any landing page. This immediately opens up an abundance of advertising opportunities for companies to reach a completely new audience who don’t have unlimited data. The possibilities are endless as, with a little creativity, an advertiser could complete the entirety of a consumer journey without the target market using any of their own data. As the zero-rated solution works for display ad formats, this audience now can be engaged via both display and video. This not only closes the gap between advertisers and their audience, but also creates an enhanced user experience. A distinct benefit for both end-users and advertisers. As with any other innovative technology, zero-rated ads must be rolled out in a measured, and measurable, manner. In the test run, the stats showed a significant rise in the clickthrough rate from the industry standard of 0.67% to 1.13%. That’s a 68.11% increase. This is a great result and an exciting world first for advertisers and audiences, thanks to Vodacom Business and Google which, together, are bringing advertisers the opportunity to grow the ever-evolving digital publishing industry. Take advantage of zero-rated Google links in your display banners and advertise your business to a wider audience by contacting salesdigitaladvertising@vodacom.co.za today.