The Brave New World of Programmatic Targeting

The Brave New World of Programmatic Targeting

Adam Latham

The Cowbell Agency

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital advertising, the ability to precisely target audiences has made digital and even television advertising far more efficient and effective. Programmatic Advertising has revolutionized this space, allowing advertisers to reach potential customers with unprecedented accuracy. This blog will explore the various ways we can leverage different types of data to optimize audience targeting in digital advertising campaigns.

First-Party Demographic Data

First-party data, collected directly from your audience, provides invaluable insights into who your customers are. This data includes age, gender, income, education level, and more. But that really only scratches the surface of the demographic data we can now leverage. There are more than a thousand different data points, from types of cars, roof type, size of garage, swimming pool, age of home, residency length, equity in homes, credit ratings, levels of expendable income, hobbies and interests, occupations, and job titles. By analyzing this information, advertisers can create highly personalized campaigns that resonate with specific demographic groups.

Third-Party Behavioral Data

Third-party data providers offer behavioral data that tracks users’ online activities, such as their browsing history, past purchases, and interests. This data enables advertisers to target users based on their demonstrated behaviors and interests. For instance, if a user frequently visits websites related to fitness and wellness, they can be targeted with ads for health supplements or gym memberships. But again, it goes much deeper than that. Let’s say you have an ecommerce site that sells sporting equipment. Instead of sending ads to everyone with an interest in sporting equipment, you could limit it to only those who have previously purchased sporting equipment online.

Geo-Fencing

Geo-fencing is a powerful tool that allows advertisers to target audiences based on their physical location. By setting up virtual boundaries around specific geographic areas, advertisers can deliver ads to users within those boundaries. This technique is particularly useful for local businesses or events. For example, a campaign could target users attending a music festival or a sporting event by setting up a geo-fence around the venue.

Keyword Contextual Data

Keyword contextual targeting involves displaying ads on web pages that contain specific keywords relevant to the advertiser’s product or service. This method ensures that the ads are shown to users who are likely interested in the content they are viewing. For example, an outdoor gear retailer could target ads on pages discussing hiking or camping.

Online Behavior

Analyzing online behavior, such as search queries, social media interactions, and website visits, allows advertisers to understand users’ interests and intent. This data can be used to create more relevant ad experiences. For example, if a user frequently searches for travel destinations, they could be targeted with ads for flights or hotel deals.

Case Study: The Cowbell Agency’s Campaign for the Orange County Drug Free Coalition

At The Cowbell Agency, we recently executed a highly targeted campaign in collaboration with We Are Kymera, an Orlando-based agency, for the Orange County Drug-Free Coalition. The goal of this campaign was to reach an at-risk audience of young adults with a strong, impactful message.

To achieve this, we employed a multi-layered targeting strategy that combined several advanced techniques:

Demographic Targeting: We focused on middle to high-income communities where young adults are present in the home, ensuring that our message reached the right demographic.
Geo-Fencing: We set up geo-fences around locations frequented by our target audience, such as concerts, nightclubs, and university campuses. Additionally, we employed a unique approach by geo-fencing specific urban areas and parks during late evening and early morning hours. Again, the goal here is two-fold: 1) find your audience, and 2) increase the cost-efficiency by eliminating waste. If we geo-fenced the downtown areas all day, we would put hundreds of thousands of individuals into the audience.

This comprehensive targeting strategy allowed us to deliver over a million ad impressions to the at-risk audience with minimal wasted exposure.

Multi-Channel Saturation

To maximize the reach and impact of our campaign, we utilized a multi-channel approach, saturating various platforms and devices with our message.

Although we didn’t use all platforms in this program yet, when we say “multi-channel saturation” we mean it. Our channels we can deliver Programmatic Advertising into include:

Connected Streaming Television (CTV)
Mobile Device Streaming Television (OTT)
Device Channels for Mobile Phones and Tablets
Website Pre-Roll Video Ads
In-App Video and Display Ads
In-Browser Display Ads

By leveraging an expansive advertising network, including but not limited to the Google Display Network, we ensured that our ads reach your target audience wherever they are active online.

Conclusion

These advanced targeting techniques utilized in this campaign can also be applied to a wide range of businesses looking to improve their brand awareness and exposure. By employing a well-rounded strategy that includes first-party demographic data, third-party behavioral data, geo-fencing, keyword contextual data, and online behavior analysis, businesses can effectively reach their desired audience with minimal wasted impressions. At The Cowbell Agency, we are committed to helping our clients achieve their advertising goals through innovative and data-driven strategies.

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Mastering the Art of Conquest Campaigns: A Powerful Marketing Strategy

Adam Latham

The Cowbell Agency

In the arena of business, it’s time to acknowledge a simple truth: it’s a war. And victory and survival hinges on outmaneuvering your competition or, at the very least, securing a slice of their market share.

As we’ve explored in recent posts delving into Programmatic Advertising, there are numerous methods to target potential customers today. However, one method that stands out for its simplicity and effectiveness is what we call a “conquest campaign.”

You’ve probably encountered this type of advertising, even if you weren’t aware of it. Imagine you visit a new car dealership, which we’ll call “dealer A.” Later that evening, while watching streaming television, you come across a commercial for one of their rivals, “dealer B.” You might think it’s a mere coincidence, but in reality, it’s no accident. Your phone was active, and you entered a “geo-fence” that categorized you into an audience receiving ads from “dealer B.”

These conquest campaigns, as mentioned earlier, are strategically straightforward and remarkably potent.

Now, let’s delve into the businesses that are prime candidates for this style of marketing. Suppose you’re launching a new nail salon. Sure, you could attempt to persuade individuals who infrequently get their nails done to give your salon a try. But is that more effective than sending a coupon to all existing customers of nail salons within a 10-mile radius of your new establishment?

Here’s the blueprint:

Craft Your Message: Start by formulating a compelling offer or claim that entices potential customers to try your nail salon.
Identify Your Competitors: Locate all your competitors and establish geo-fences around their locations.
Geo-fence Your Storefront: Define your own conversion “target zone.”

Once your campaign is live, individuals who visit your competitor’s nail salons will start seeing online display ads while browsing the internet over the following weeks. These ads may even pop up in the mobile apps they frequently use, with in-app advertisements being particularly effective for this campaign. For businesses with more substantial budgets and high conversion values, extending this strategy to streaming television can provide an even broader exposure. However, it’s crucial to assess the cost per thousand impressions (CPM) to determine if it aligns with your goals.

Every time someone who viewed your ad subsequently walks into your establishment, it’s considered a “conversion.” This approach undeniably stands out as one of the most potent ways to swiftly compete in a market primarily reliant on in-person, brick-and-mortar interactions.

A successful “conversion” necessitates three essential components:

Presence in a Competitor’s Establishment
Receipt of an Ad
Subsequent Entry into Your Business

If you’re eager to delve deeper into this cutting-edge marketing strategy, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Our team is here to guide you through the intricacies of conquest campaigns and help you attain the competitive edge your business deserves.