Opinion - Generation Media

The world is Digital - let’s connect it!

This month, Jonathan looks at how brands can ensure they are using all the tools at their disposal to connect the dots between different media channels and maximise the effectiveness of their ad campaigns.

Such is the volume of different coloured blocks meticulously placed on excel grids, you may be forgiven for mistaking 2023 marketing plans for a Lego construction manual. In the age of Digital and the search to replace the coverage once offered by the relative simplicity of Linear TV, there is a temptation to keep on stacking media channels one on top of the other to bridge the gap. However, this process of effective media stacking isn’t a simple exercise – think of it more like an instruction manual for a Technic set rather than Duplo.

We are no longer in the formative stages of the Digital world, and one-dimensional thinking no longer cuts it. Interconnectivity between media channels open up a world of possibilities to advertisers that have previously been overlooked; ensuring that different media channels not only complement each other, but also actively enhance the effectiveness of one another. The key to extracting the most from hard fought marketing budgets in the future is going to be the connectivity of all your marketing efforts, be that paid, owned or earned.

Take Out of Home (OOH) for example. For many years it has been overlooked given the high levels of wastage associated with the channel. Advancements in how we use data means this is no longer the case. Using location data from mobile providers such as Three, we can identify parents based on their interests (through analysing the web content they interact with), and track which OOH sites they most commonly pass on a daily/ weekly basis. As a result, we can select sites that have a greater affinity with the audiences we are seeking, rather than relying on postcode data in relation to sites we think will resonate best. This has a significant impact on the effectiveness of advertising too, with ad recall increasing by +35% in such “hotspot” locations. The advent of Digital OOH (DOOH) also means that executing such campaigns is quicker and easier than

ever, providing greater opportunity for adapting messaging based on factors such as proximity to a key retailer, time of day and even weather conditions.

Connecting DOOH with online data to make better decisions is one thing, but the modern market allows for even greater connectivity. Parents who have been in proximity to an ad (again thanks to mobile location data) can then be retargeted on their mobile to reinforce the messaging, increasing frequency and engagement. And why stop there when our target audience is out and about?

Cinema in 2023 once again offers family audiences a huge selection, on the back of some already significant numbers. According to DCM, 88% of main shoppers with children are cinemagoers, averaging four visits per year with an average group size of 2.8 per visit (meaning they make up an impressive 34% of all admissions). With The Little Mermaid, Barbie, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse all expected to generate big numbers at the box office (not to mention the success already achieved by The Super Mario Bros. Movie), expect 2023 to maintain if not surpass these statistics. Again, mobile location data can be used to identify parents who have been in cinemas at the same time your selected film is showing, offering further retargeting if, for example, you choose to run in-reel advertising in Cinema.

Connectivity can be achieved everywhere in 2023, and the proliferation of Smart TVs means the living room remains a central hub for advertising efforts. The implications of this may be obvious in terms of targeting, particularly when it comes to the likes of Sky AdSmart or the plethora of Connected TV channels that have emerged in recent years. Parents, however, aren’t restricting their attention to the TV screen. We’re all very aware that mobile and other device usage is rife when viewing content on a Smart TV screen, so why not take advantage of this in an equally smart way. Solutions such as Samba TV and Sky Advance now allow us to monitor what someone is watching, and then serve Digital ads on their devices based on viewing habits. This retargeting of viewers who may have seen your TV ad can increase frequency and move them further along the purchase pathway from Awareness through Consideration to Conversion. Conversely, and perhaps more appropriately in the age of light TV viewing, this process could also be reversed. The technology could instead be used to target viewers who haven’t been exposed to your ad, affording brands more opportunity to bridge the gap and raise further awareness.

Digital ads on their devices based on viewing habits. This retargeting of viewers who may have seen your TV ad can increase frequency and move them further along the purchase pathway from Awareness through Consideration to Conversion. Conversely, and perhaps more appropriately in the age of light TV viewing, this process could also be reversed. The technology could instead be used to target viewers who haven’t been exposed to your ad, affording brands more opportunity to bridge the gap and raise further awareness.

Of course, the elephant in the room is that connectivity requires data, and at this level it doesn’t exist for children’s audiences (owing to COPPA and GDPR-K compliancy). Parents and gifters, not to mention Kidults, are such an important part of the targeting mix that increasingly larger proportions of advertising budgets should be diverted towards them, given the purchasing power they have. If they do form a part of your marketing strategy in 2023, make sure you are using all the tools at your disposal to connect the dots wherever possible to maximise your effectiveness.

If you’d like to find out how to do this for your brands, get in touch today.

Jonathan Chambers - Director of AV Investment, Generation Media. Jonathan.Chambers@generationmedia.co.uk