Month: November 2023

The ultimate goal for any advertiser and their ad budgets is to drive awareness of and growth for their brand. While that may be true, however, it’s easy to get caught up in the granularity of managing campaigns and their performance, losing sight of the bigger picture. However, taking a step back to assess the bigger picture, like how your brand stacks up in its category and industry, can reveal valuable insights that help keep marketing and advertising initiatives on track and drive results. 

The Importance of Brand Health and Measurement

Your brand’s share of search and voice is a way of measuring your brand’s health or foothold in its category. The greater your share of search the greater reach and popularity you have amongst your existing and potential customers, and a greater share of voice. 

Measuring your brand’s share of search, understanding the competitive landscape, and how customers find and engage with your brand is critical to your brand’s health and growth. With intelligence that speaks to these brand health elements, you can identify your brand’s strengths and weaknesses — and those of your competition — to unlock new opportunities. Furthermore, by measuring your brand health, you can better analyze the impact of your advertising campaigns on your brand over time. 

How Brand Health Tracking Can Help

Access to comprehensive data that illustrates the landscape of your brand category or industry isn’t always available — or easy to understand. However, Digilant’s Brand Health Tracking delivers digestible reporting on your brand’s health and how your brand stacks up by accessing more than:

• 800 million domains
• 25 billion keywords
• 142 geo databases
• 500 TB of raw website traffic from across the globe

While collecting, analyzing, and interpreting troves of data can demand extensive time and resources, it doesn’t have to. Brand Health Tracking simplifies the process by providing simple reporting that clearly highlights the insights and intelligence you need to back up your strategic media decisions and drive impact for your brand. 

Campaign Effectiveness

As mentioned, it can be easy to get lost in the day-to-day of running campaigns and driving performance. And while individual campaigns might successfully deliver on KPIs and even campaign objectives, it’s essential to periodically assess the efficacy of your campaigns on the overall brand and, most importantly, its impact on your desired audiences. Moreover, understanding the overall potential for business growth can reveal valuable opportunities for your brand. 

Improve your brand health today

Interested in learning more about Brand Health Tracking? Contact us to learn more about what Digilant’s Brand Health Tracking can do for you and your business. 

We’re nearing the end of 2023, which means advertisers are preparing and planning for 2024. But what should advertisers consider and keep in mind to ensure success ahead?

Our newest video series, 2024 Partner Predictions, explores what Digilant’s partners expect in the new year — areas of growth, challenges, evolving consumer habits, and more. To kick things off, we had a chat with Eric Davis, Head of Independent and Political Programmatic Demand at FreeWheel (a video SSP). Let’s see what he had to say. 

 

What does 2024 have in store for CTV?

As advertisers gear up for CTV ad campaigns in 2024, strategic allocation of their budget becomes a critical factor. Programmatic ad buying offers a streamlined and efficient means to deliver campaigns across internet-connected devices, utilizing real-time bidding (RTB), private marketplaces (PMPs), and guaranteed purchases.

While the share of programmatic ad views has seen an uptick compared to the previous year (FreeWheel has seen a 12% growth year-over-year), it’s worth noting that the bulk of CTV ad purchases are still carried out through manual processes; as Eric points out, only 35% of the FreeWheel premium inventory is purchased programmatically. The industry is actively tackling the pain points linked to programmatic CTV like frequency capping, fragmentation, and measurement, all of which will be pivotal topics in 2024.

 

FAST and viewer experiences in 2024

 

The rapid growth in FAST viewership can be attributed to the fact that these channels come at no cost to the consumer. “Because subscription fatigue is starting to set in, prices are constantly being raised for streaming services — there’s only so many services a household is willing to pay for,” says Eric. Viewers can access these linear-like channels on platforms such as Freevee, Pluto TV, Roku,  Xumo, Peacock — the list goes on. Not only does FAST resemble a linear experience, but the targeting and measurement capabilities produce more granular insights all while possibly reaching a new audience that wouldn’t be captured on streaming platforms or linear TV. 

And while there are several benefits to advertising on FAST channels, Eric outlines the many other opportunities that exist to further enhance and improve the viewer experience as FAST is still in its early stages. Currently, we see that programs have lengthy midroll breaks of up to 3 minutes, frequency cap limitations, and a portion of ad slots are not being filled. So, when consumers watch a program, they could be seeing the same ad multiple times throughout the break or possibly not see ads at all. And as Eric states, “we have to work together as an industry to solve these challenges.”

 

How is CTV targeting improving next year?

 

“The data is getting cleaner – custom data onboarding and targeting and [the use of] identity graphs is growing dramatically.” – Eric Davis, Head of Independent and Political Demand, FreeWheel

The holy-grail to effective advertising: data.

Consumers crave ads that are relevant to them. With more granular targeting techniques, advertisers will be able to provide an extra layer of personalization, reaching consumers at the right time and further moving them down the funnel. The use of identity graphs allow advertisers to obtain a single, unified view of a customer or prospect, opening up opportunities for more contextual and behavioral targeting. FreeWheel is expecting this emphasis on data to shape audience targeting campaigns, as they have already seen a 50% growth year over year. 

A big thank you to Eric Davis for taking the time to chat with us about 2024 expectations. Stay tuned for our next partner discussion!

In today’s hyper-competitive, crowded marketplace, what attracts consumers to choose one brand over another? Of course, consumers consider several factors before making a purchase, however, nearly all purchases — 95%, to be exact — have an emotional component. 

These emotional decisions are impacted by a customer’s perception of your services, a connection they feel to your values and messaging, reviews they’ve read online or heard from peers, or your general place in a market. In short, attributes that make up the backbone of  your “brand health.”

Brands who consistently track and analyze their brand health are setting themselves up for success, both present and future. As such, it’s an essential addition to other metrics your organization may already be tracking, such as revenue or growth. It safeguards your position in the marketplace, while also supporting the bottom line. 

In this blog, we’ll cover all the background information you need to know about brand health tracking, such as: 

• The definition of brand health and its key components
• The advantages of monitoring brand health
• The measurement solutions you can implement into your digital advertising toolkit.

What is Brand Health?

Brand health is a collection of customer metrics and insights that indicate how your brand is performing in the marketplace. This doesn’t entail “the numbers” (i.e., sales) but rather your company’s perception among consumers and how you stack up against competitors. 

While there isn’t one single meaning of brand health, all definitions are based on the customer experience associated with your brand and the emotional connection they have to your products and services. “Unhealthy” brands spark little emotional connection with their consumers; as such, they can’t distinguish them from competitors or other similar products. In contrast, “healthy” brands consistently deliver experiences that align directly with their brand promises and create positive experiences for customers, employees, and stakeholders.

How is Brand Health Calculated? 

Just like there’s no clear-cut definition for brand health, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to calculating brand health. Based on specific goals and objectives, brands will identify various factors that impact consumers’ perception of their goods, services, and reputation. Brands can utilize customer feedback portals, employee engagement, and survey and focus groups to obtain direct feedback on their health. Additionally, they can measure performance across metrics such as share of voice, share of search, category entry points, competitors (both direct and indirect), and brand strengths and weaknesses. 

The collection of this data tracked over time paints an ongoing picture of how a brand performs in the market, what consumers think of it, and how they use it. In short: brand health.

Advantages of Brand Health Tracking

Understanding the health of your brand apart from traditional success metrics gives you a more thorough picture of your organization’s performance and how you stack up against market competition. As advertisers know, the more information you can obtain, the better data-driven decisions you can make. Brand health is no different, as the data obtained in these studies provide many advantages for ongoing success, four of which are outlined below.

Identify company strengths and weakness 

Consumer priorities are constantly shifting and brands that can’t keep up with these changing priorities will be disadvantaged. Ongoing brand health tracking ensures you understand where you align with these needs and where you may fall short. Additionally, as you grow and diversify as a company, brand health calculates how these changes are performing in the marketplace and either supporting or detracting from overall ROI. 

Yields better understanding of the competitive landscape

Is your brand the top choice among consumers? Are consumers easily swayed to try a competitor product after purchasing from your brand? Why are consumers drawn to make continued purchases from one brand versus another? 

Identifying key competitors and understanding how your brand stacks up using metrics like customer loyalty and retention paints a clear picture of where you stand in the marketplace. From an advertising perspective, this helps identify any lapses in your strategy or areas you can improve to connect with, draw in, and retain consumers.

Create benchmarks to better track impact over time

By regularly tracking brand health, you can easily compare how consumers view your brand over time. This helps better inform the impact of specific campaigns, news, or new product announcements. Additionally, regularly tracking your brand makes it easier to spot patterns or correct underperforming areas.  

Leverage insights for future business and campaign planning

As mentioned, regularly benchmarking brand health data helps businesses identify critical patterns and opportunities. Advertisers can leverage these insights for data-backed strategies and campaigns.

For example, if consumers are most receptive to your brand during the summer, advertisers can heavy up on media during these months. Alternatively, if Advanced TV is a significant trigger in your market, advertisers can use more strategic ad messaging across this channel to speak to consumers at this stage in the buying journey. 

With a robust understanding of your brand health, brands are poised with an entirely new data set to make more informed business decisions. Ideally, this yields better results and a more substantial return on investment. 

In Summary

In short, brand health tracking helps companies better understand how to attract and retain customers, make the most impact in their advertising strategies, and best compete and succeed in the marketplace. Beyond the tangible takeaways, it pushes organizations to look beyond revenue as a measure of success. It enables data-driven decisions, a strategic imperative for businesses looking to thrive in the long run.

Are you ready to better understand where you fall in the marketplace and improve your brand health? Learn more about our comprehensive Brand Health Solution here.

Industry professionals, leaders, and innovators recently gathered in New York’s Penn District for Advertising Week New York 2023. Over four days, individuals across the advertising ecosystem shared valuable insight and dove into thoughtful discussions concerning the industry’s future. 

Otniel Calderon, Digilant Sales Engineer, attended the conference and noted a significant focus on advanced TV*. As advertisers work to connect with consumers across critical channels, he’s shared five key takeaways covering everything from platform improvements to redefining the value of this channel. Let’s dive in. 

 

1. “Premium Content” is Rebranding

Historically, premium content, and therefore premium ad buys, entailed getting your brand placed within the newest TV releases or blockbuster films. Recently, however, advertisers have noticed that these new and shiny releases don’t necessarily yield top-tier results. So, if “premium content” isn’t garnering premium results, what is premium? 

Premium content is now in the eye of the beholder: the consumer. Take a recent example from Netflix; the USA Network show Suits first premiered in 2011 but has recently skyrocketed in popularity, earning the top spot in TV streaming for 15 weeks straight as of November 2, 2023. While this program aired over ten years ago, based on viewership numbers, it warrants a premium ad buy. In the age of streaming, premium no longer excludes older content; instead, it welcomes it. 

With different streaming services, consumers have more control over the content they consume, providing more opportunities for advertisers to reach niche audiences. Programs related to specific topics or interests may not be commercially “premium.” However, the ability to target networks and programs directly tailored to your target audience is nothing short of a premium ad buy. 

In short, advertisers need to rethink and re-prioritize generic “premium” content in favor of content that their respective consumers classify as premium. 

 

2. FAST is Quickly Making an Impact

Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, Disney+, and the like have been the center of TV news for years. And while they all still warrant significant time and attention, there’s a new TV player in town that advertisers would be remiss to overlook. Enter: Free Ad-Supported TV, otherwise known as FAST. 

Coined “Cable 2.0,” FAST offers nearly 2,000 FAST free, ad-supported channels to consumers. Viewers are flocking to this linear-like viewing experience primarily because FAST is an economical choice. With 72% of U.S. consumers saying there are too many subscription services, subscription fatigue is on the rise, as households can only pay for so many plans. And, as it turns out, most consumers are not averse to relevant ads, especially if the ads are personally relevant and they enable access to additional content.

Regarding relevant ad buys, FAST is just the answer advertisers are looking for. As mentioned previously, there is a need for a “premium” rebrand as FAST is currently not perceived under the premium content umbrella. However, many FAST channels often represent a specific show or genre —- for example, channels dedicated to Ted Talks, Friends, holiday classics, or Bob Ross. Advertisers have an excellent opportunity to target hyper-niche groups that may be more difficult to reach through streaming services.

 

3. Data Clean Rooms Provide a Solution for Gaps in Cross-Platform Connectivity

As the consumer journey grows more dispersed across platforms and devices, advertisers call for better cross-channel connectivity to maximize performance, measurement and audience targeting. From an advanced TV perspective, this challenge lends to one of the most significant gaps in advertisers’ channel adoption. Many advertisers agree that measurement falls short, leading to data fragmentation. Admittedly, there is still work to be done to bridge the gaps between platforms and the linear world. However, experts are confident we’re near cross-media conversion as data clean rooms answer for cross-platform data communication. 

These clean rooms combine data from all services — including offline data — which is then anonymized and aggregated into user and demographic groups. The data remains encrypted, making it impossible for anyone to access personally identifiable information (a future-proof solution as we near the official depreciation of Google’s third-party cookies in late 2024). Approved advertisers can use this data across platforms for deterministic audience targeting, measurement, and engagement. 

For advanced TV specifically, this identity tracking not only makes it easier to track the user within the TV landscape but also pushes the results and analytics back into a clean room to use across and understand the customer journey better. 

 

4. You Guessed It – AI Makes Waves in TV Advertising 

What would a trends prediction roundup be without the mention of AI? While conversions tout AI implementation across many areas of advanced TV, the most common theme was using it to improve the user experience — for both consumers and advertisers. We’ve outlined two examples of these improvements below. 

1. In an ongoing effort to reframe premium experiences, AI is here to help. This technology and machine learning can more quickly and better identify viewer’s interests, behavior, and demographics. This will help advertisers uncover new audiences and create more curated and personalized ad creatives to speak directly to viewers. It is a win-win for all as better-targeted ads create more relevant ad experiences, causing less disruption during the viewer experience. 
2. Frequency capping will be a major priority in 2024, especially as more brands turn to FAST channels to run campaigns. Advertisers often need help effectively capping their ad frequency in the fragmented space. AI and machine learning will help determine the more precise frequency that resonates with audiences.

 

5. The Future of CTV is Shoppable 

Retail media and shoppable ads have grown tremendously as online shopping continues to dominate. This year saw 218.8 million online shoppers in the U.S., with projections climbing upwards of 230.6 million people by 2026. To stay in step with digital buyers, innovators in the retail space highlighted current and future shoppable content available to advertisers through advanced TV.

Amazon and YouTube used the 2023-2024 NFL season to test shoppable ads as they released interactive opportunities that allow consumers to shop directly within the ad creative. NBC will be the next platform to test the waters as they plan to release shoppable content within their streaming service, Peacock.

These interactive experiences will help increase consumer engagement, reaching them wherever their attention lies. 

 

At Digilant, we recognize the complexities that come with advertising on advanced TV channels. Learn how Digilant, and our advanced TV offerings, can help you achieve your campaign goals and objectives by contacting us here.

*At Digilant, we use advanced TV as an umbrella term to describe non-traditional, not over-the-air broadcast TV that enables advertisers to use data to distribute, target, and measure advertising campaigns, encompassing CTV, addressable TV, OTT, and more. To learn more about advanced TV, download our recent guide The Essential Guide to Advanced TV Advertising here.