The Marketer’s Performance Anxiety & How To Fight It
In this guest post, Path 51 managing director Simon Larcey (pictured below) looks at the issues facing performance media, from transparency to brand safety to the creative disconnect. But he still believes performance is the future, provided brands can get it right.
In today’s world of search and programmatic, it’s hard not to get a little performance anxiety. Programmatic in particular has gone from the favourite child to the black sheep. Google and Facebook have been getting flack, left, right and centre. Marketers are calling for transparency and accountability. Sounds like the dream is over and reality is kicking in.
But there is still plenty of value in performance media. The potential for measurable results and return on investment is still second-to-none. Marketers just need to start adopting new ways of thinking.
I’m performance-focused and have spent the best part of my career in business and product development. However, recently I’ve dedicated some time to learning about the operational side from a publisher’s perspective. And a simple shift in perspective can lead to an entirely different and better way of thinking about problems.
So, combining my old learnings with some of the new ones, I thought I would list my top five insights to driving better performance.
- Digital creative
It still amazes me that a common problem with digital creative is the file size. Digital creatives spend days, possibly weeks, creating amazing ads to drive business, yet in their enthusiasm they have manufactured something with a file size in comparison to a billboard poster.
Once uploaded, it affects the publisher site’s speed so badly, that the consumer is lucky to see the site, let alone the ad. And a slow-loading website is an audience killer.
According to Pratul Dublish, a product manager at Google, “25 per cent of users abandon a web page if its load time is more than four seconds, and 86 per cent of users delete an application after poor performance”.
To repeat: a four-second load loses you a quarter of the eyes that should see your ad!
Tip: Less is more! Keep the file size small, as the page will download fast and the ad will be seen.
- Brand safety
This is a very hot topic at the moment. No brand wants to be associated with or linked to bad or inappropriate content, but there’s plenty of that out there – as Google has been learning the hard way this year.
So, how do you ensure that your brand doesn’t end up associated with some neo-Nazi content?
One company that aims to help keep your brand where you want it is Grapeshot. Grapeshot Live creates word clouds and ensures that their clients do not appear on certain webpages where anything from the word clouds appear.
As the company puts it, “Grapeshot Live goes beyond URLs, analyzing the actual content on the page to determine its context, ensuring your brand is always seen in good company”.
Tip: First, have a brand safety policy so both you and your clients know where you stand. Then create or use third-party technology that ensures your advertising only appears around content inline with your policy.
- Ad blocking
I lobbed along to an IAB Ad Operations conference in Melbourne recently, where I was amazed to learn that one in four people use ad blocking technology.
It also stunned me to learn that, on average, 30 per cent of advertising on a publisher site is not seen.
It is therefore critical that advertisers have full transparency on campaign deliverables to ensure that the advertising they are paying for is being seen by the intended audience. There’s a big difference between an ad that gets served and one that actually gets seen.
Publishers like The Guardian have excelled in substantially reducing ad blocking across their site by reasoning with their audience – think those banners reading, “Since you’re here… we have a small favour to ask” – and only delivering well-targeted, non-invasive ad formats.
Tip: ad blocking is more than likely going to be an increasing issue, so you should aim to work with publishers who have addressed the issue so as to ensure full visibility and maximum performance.
- Artificial intelligence
During a great presentation from Google I attended, AI was described rather perfectly as “the science of making something smart”.
AI uses machine learning to identify patterns and predict the best possible outcomes. For the advertising world, it is a no brainer – with the amount of data now being accumulated around campaigns, this will become a major factor in all campaigns of the future.
Using algorithms, machines will evaluate campaign performance, optimise and re-deliver, improving performance and driving better outcomes.
And that’s without even touching on how it could become the new driver of creative – as AP indicated in their report The Future of Augmented Journalism, which was written by “two humans and multiple artificial intelligence systems”.
Tip: data is key! Develop a data strategy and use AI to maximise your campaign outcomes.
- Blockchain
This new technology is genuinely exciting for web safety.
While I’m no expert, the blockchain is a distributed ledger of transactions. Transaction requests are distributed across a network to millions of computers and confirmed by consensus. Once confirmed, it’s locked away and a new block is formed.
What this means is that to break the block, you need to hack all the previous blocks and the network of millions of computers simultaneously, which would be virtually impossible.
Currently, it’s primarily seen as a system for the banking and finance industry, but it has some wonderful applications for advertising. It could be a new way to trade programmatic advertising in a secure, transparent and accountable fashion, ensuring advertisers are getting exactly what they requested.
Tip: check out Adchain – “an open protocol on the public Ethereum blockchain that allows for the building of decentralized applications for the $175 billion digital advertising ecosystem” – for this technology’s introduction into the advertising world.
It’s a matter of when, not if, we bring this to our industry.
Please login with linkedin to comment
Designworks Path 51 performance anxiety performance media Simon LarceyLatest News
Sydney Comedy Festival: Taking The City & Social Media By Storm
Sydney Comedy Festival 2024 is live and ready to rumble, showing the best of international and homegrown talent at a host of venues around town. As usual, it’s hot on the heels of its big sister, the giant that is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, picking up some acts as they continue on their own […]
Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has announced the final epic lineup of local and global marketing powerhouses for RESET for Growth 2024. Lead image: Josh Faulks, chief executive officer, AANA Back in 2000, a woman with no business experience opened her first juice bar in Adelaide. The idea was brilliantly simple: make healthy […]
Is Meta’s New AI Chatbot Too Left-Wing?
Meta's chatbot accused of being left-wing after being caught wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt & listening to Billy Bragg.
TV Ratings (23/04/2024): Why Did No One Tell Angela That Farmer Wants A Wife Is Set On A Farm?
As wonderful as this headline is, let's face it, we all know an 'Angela', don't we?
PubMatic Unveils New AI Partnership To Turn Social Posts Into Ads For Any Digital Channel
Here's some nifty tech for turning social posts into ads. Assuming said posts aren't one-star character assassinations.
Intuit Mailchimp Makes A Splash With Its First Australian Brand Campaign
Ever laugh along at a gag you didn't get so as not to appear dumb? Get ready for more feigning with this new work.
GumGum’s Rob Hall: Advertisers Can No Longer “Rely On Binary Descriptions” Of Consumers
If anyone's got their finger on adtech's pulse, it's Rob Hall. He also avoids using the good paper in the office printer
Mastercard Nabs Florencia Aimo From Marriott International
Marriott International's Florencia Aimo jumps from the hotel business to the exploitative credit card one.
Bastion Agency Appoints Cheuk Chiang As New ANZ CEO
Cheuk Chiang takes the reins over at Bastion Agency. But not the rains down in Africa.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Major Sponsorship Wins After A Disappointing Week In Sport
B&T continuing our deep dive into local sport sponsorships & that's despite not a single offer of a free ticket as yet.
Macca’s Marketing Director, Samantha McLeod On Big Mac Chant: “What Was Once Old Is Now Cool Again”
Macca's using the power of nostalgia in latest Big Mac campaign. Well, only for those who've ever eaten one sober.
World Premiere Of Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line To Open Sydney Film Festival 2024
Oil's biopic to open Sydney Film Festival. Here's hoping Molly Meldrum will take his pants down at the premiere.
Entries Are Now Open For The 2024 Brandies, IntelligenceBank’s Annual Brand Marketing Awards
The Brandies are, of course, a prestigious marketing gong and not the mystery tipple favoured by nannas everywhere.
The Fred Hollows Foundation Appoints Ardent For PR
Yes, we all like to have a joke at PR's expense. But sometimes it does important work, like this.
AI, eCommerce & Marketing Specialists Are In Increased Demand By Businesses, New Data From Fiverr Shows
Has your philosophy & anthropology degree left you with nothing but a huge HECS debt? Here's what you should've studied.
Perth’s First 3D Anamorphic Billboard Arrives Courtesy Of oOh!media
Do you love a buzzword? Now you can add anamorphic to the list as it relates to billboards, not a colleague's ears.
MasterChef Australia & Crown Resorts Launch Unique Dining Experience With ALUMNI
A pop-up restaurant staffed by MasterChef contestants! That's fine dining prices for first-year apprentice chef cuisine!
Amanda Laing Announces Resignation From Foxtel Group
Foxtel's chief commercial & content officer heads for the exits. Read nice things the bosses said about her right here.
The Lost Letters From Our Diggers: News Corp Unveils ANZAC Day Special
It's nice when brands respectfully acknowledge ANZAC Day.
Howatson+Company Acquires Akkomplice
Large indie acquires a slightly smaller indie. Much like a shark eating a tuna, just with less thrashing and blood.
Google Delays Third-Party Cookie Deprecation Again
In good news for the sale of picture library biscuit photos, Google continues to tease over the end of cookies.
Education A Low Priority For Aussies More Concerned With Cost Of Living Forethought Study Reveals
Study finds Aussies cutting back on education due to cost of living. Booze & Uber Eats sales remain largely unaffected.
“I’m Still The Same Person That I Was”: Rikki Stern Says “Fucc It” To Cancer Stereotypes
B&T always happy to promote the anti-cancer cause. Even brands that massively overdo it with the hot pink.
The Unapproved Climate Certification Allegedly Causing Mass Greenwashing
Are you left flummoxed in the canned tuna & free range eggs aisle? Just wait till this green certification gets up.
TV Ratings (22/04/2024): Fans Mock “Over The Top” Reaction To New MasterChef Judges
MasterChef returns for its 2024 season. B&T stands by putting peppercorns in Gravox & no one will be any the wiser.
Dentsu Restructure: Muddle, Harvey & Johnston Take Leadership Baton As Bass & Yurisich Exit
A large broom has swept through Dentsu's local ops this morning, taking with it some big names & the air con's cobwebs.
Industry Shares Trends Shaping The Industry This International Creators Day
B&T's asking adland creators to reveal their top trends. And it's not good news for your Jenny Kee cardigan collection.
Mable Extends HOYTS Sensory Screenings Partnership
Mable has extended its HOYTS sensory screening partnership. Vigorously defends its two-star Oppenheimer review.
Orphan Launches ‘They Need Our Help. We Need Yours’ For Children’s Cancer Institute
Anything to do with childhood cancers has B&T's 110% support. That said, we do ignore the red meat & alcohol warnings.
Smile Team Orthodontics & Keep Left Collaborate On Smile-Inducing Campaign
As parents would attest, given the cost of orthodontics you'd expect this campaign to be a lavish production indeed.
Opinion: How Video Calls Neglect Learning Diversity
Need an excuse to duck out of a video call this arvo? Show this to your boss.
DoubleVerify Achieves First-Of-Its-Kind Responsible AI Certification From TrustArc
DoubleVerify receives responsible AI certification. However, not its robotic vacuum that's been seen menacing the cat.
Smile For A Good Cause: The Social Media Campaign Giving Back To The Community
Are you known as the office Austin Powers? More for you teeth than shagability? Get snappy new fangs with this news.
Elon Musk Mocks Albo After ESafety Wins Court Injunction Against X
Albo's 2024 from hell continues - Rabbitohs in crisis, down in the polls and now feuding with world's richest man.
Real Estate Developer In Hot Water Over “Sexually Exploitative” OOH Campaign
Real estate agents again tops in the 'least trusted profession' polls, nudging used car salesmen & ad creatives.
Epsilon’s Shane Hanby: Post-Cookie Era Relies On “Teamwork” Between Brands, Marketers & Tech
This pro predicts more "teamwork" in a post-cookie era. Which spells bad news for the uncooperative or plain stubborn.