Target smarter so your ads work harder

As users become wiser to data collection it’s clear they'll no longer be settling for generic ‘one size fits all’ targeting that leads to irrelevant ad experiences. So, how should brands be adapting their targeting strategies?

What’s all the context buzz?

Context targeting can be split into two buckets:

• Contextual targeting, which serves ads that are contextually relevant to the content of the website and page they are displayed on.
  
• Advertising contexts, which focuses on the publishers of the article that the ad is displayed within.

Take it from us as the in-feed advertising specialists: Displaying ads in the right context is paramount to driving attention and creating better ad experiences for consumers. And, if you’re still not convinced, a recent study by IAS also found that ads placed within high-quality editorial content attracted up to three times more attention compared to regular digital ads.²

Relevant environments are also key for increasing consumer engagement. Not only because consumers are more likely to be in the right frame of mind to acknowledge an ad, but also because there’s a logical link between the subject of the article and ad content.

So context is king right? Well, no, not without its queen and band of loyal subjects anyway. Successful targeting requires a combined approach.

The power of combined targeting

Just as consumer buying habits are varied and complex – targeting approaches also need to be multidimensional. No one method of targeting will deliver the best ad experience as no one method covers all bases. While contextual targeting focuses on relevancy of the environment an ad is displayed in, behavioural/user targeting focuses on user behaviours and user journeys. Each method provides part of the targeting picture but neither gives the whole picture in isolation.

So, what is the best targeting method for driving effective campaigns?

Well, we hate to brag, but we’ve pretty much cracked it. A multi-level targeting approach of combined contextual and user targeting takes the best of both to deliver a better ad experience, one that’s not just relevant to the content within which it's displayed but relevant to the consumer themselves. By following this approach advertisers can work to soothe consumer frustrations and drive better campaign results.

At Invibes, our combined approach ensures that we’re reaching the right people, with the right creatives, in the right environment, at the right time in the most efficient way (...and breath). The results speak for themselves with our ads delivering an up to 80% completion rate for Universal Pictures’ House of Gucci campaign, four times the time spent on our ads compared to standard banners, and two and a half times more actions taken for Toyota and +101% positive ad perception and +77% purchase consideration for Saupiquet.

But why stop there? Why not take things a step further?

Targeting just got smarter

Cue, Smart Scenarios. This new Invibes innovation boosts targeting intelligence and enhances the quality of campaign targeting by allowing more segmentation variety for clients.

So, how do Smart Scenarios work?

Smart Scenarios use Invibes’ Data Cloud seven main datasets spanning user profiles, interests and behaviours, etc. and smartly combines them with deterministic data (data known to be true and accurate as it’s typically provided by the user, e.g. usernames, email addresses and customer IDs) and probabilistic data (data based on relational patterns and likelihoods drawn from known data) for more intelligently targeted experiences.

This level of Smart targeting, opens up a whole new world of opportunities for advertisers to deliver attention grabbing ads. Take a food and beverage brand for example, with Smart Scenarios they could use the weather filter to display different creatives to consumers depending on the weather in their area – cosy menus featuring hot drinks in colder conditions, or lighter bites and iced drinks where it’s warm. Or, a car manufacturer could run an ad campaign using the geo filter to show users a map with the closest dealership to them, and so much more.

But, let’s not forget; with greater targeting, comes greater responsibility to protect consumer privacy. Which is why brands need to invest in companies like Invibes, that can offer effective targeting whilst still adhering to GDPR data storage guidelines and formats compliant with The Coalition for Better Ads Standards.³

While of course brands are naturally apprehensive about targeting campaigns too narrowly, being smarter with targeting has proven to increase not just the quantity of impressions, views, attention and clicks but more importantly the quality of the ad experience for consumers. And given the ever-changing nature of the advertising landscape, there’s never been a more important time for advertisers to be proactive in upgrading their targeting strategies and get their ads in front of the right people, naturally and efficiently.

Ready to upgrade your ad targeting? Get In touch.

References:
1. https://edaa.eu/wp-content/uploads/YOV_external-report_27.06.pdf
2. https://go.integralads.com/rs/469-VBI-606/images/IAS_TheContextEffect_Final.pdf?mkt_tok=NDY5LVZCSS02MDYAAAGHA7xJQnq3b51llrl0FvM5JO3_XFhR22dOzP_jMJ0MXCvlL0YVqSV9-ENq3rdOuL7KDWEv3WDib4COY8MBGXeH-FE58STy3VPRNM2IuM65j8fw9MI
3. https://www.betterads.org/standards/