Author: Sierra Ducey

Summer is a little over a month away and digital consumers are just a search, scroll, and click away from taking advantage of the flexibility that the season grants, as many take a break from their day-to-day and book the perfect getaway. As one of the largest industries, projected to reach $2.4 trillion in the next ten years, digital marketers need to ensure they are up-to-date on the latest trends and technologies, especially as consumers continue to utilize online booking capabilities. Nearly half of travelers begin trip planning with a search engine, 30% on social media and 23% watch videos, so utilizing the power of digital advertising and ensuring your brand is front-and-center in the planning process is key. It’s essential for marketers/media planners to understand the different types of travelers, how they are deciding where to go, when they’re booking and how to reach them in order to execute a winning programmatic campaign. So, Digilant has complied an infographic, based on industry research and insights, outlining the answers to all these questions.
Download the infographic here.

Part 3: The Impact of Social Media on Travel

Social media has completely changed the face of traveling. Visiting another place no longer means relaxation in the form of cutting ties with technology. Traveling is now synonymous with social media usage and it’s a hard fact to come to terms with. The pictures taken during vacations are beautiful, (the 97% of millennials who have posted content from their trips would agree,) but the pressure behind the process is immense. Society now thinks it’s unusual to travel and not post a photo or share a story about it on social media. Because of these new expectations, around 90% of travel agents now consider social media to be an integral part of the marketing plan. More people are traveling and embracing the digital space while doing so. To catch attention and increase profitability, advertisers will need to dominate the digital space before, during, and after the big summer travel season of 2019.

What Social Media Accounts are Being Used?
Facebook and Instagram are, by far, the most used social media accounts by today’s travelers. Whether scrolling through posts before, during, or after vacations, consumers are actively sharing and scrolling through travel-based posts from their mobile devices. Instagram is especially popular for 16 to 24 year olds, but Facebook is the number one go-to for older generations. Each of these apps are visually-driven, which explains why many choose colorful, exotic destinations to visit when taking time off. Summer travelers don’t want photos just for the memories – they want photos that’ll be sure to stick out across their digital feeds and timelines. Because of this intense “Instagrammability” pressure, 28% of travelers consider booking an attractive property a top task in the planning process. 20% will even style accommodations to look more expensive while others run amuck in search of content they can tag as #goals. The face of travel has completely changed. Whether for good or bad, this industry (which impacts most – if not all – industries) has become dependent upon social media usage.
What Does This Mean for Marketing?
With this in mind, advertisers and agencies need to hold on tight to digital identities. The physical world depends so heavily on the digital space now. Simply put: If your brand isn’t present online, it’s not present at all. To grab the attention of today’s travelers, you need to meet with them and communicate effectively with them via tech before reaching out in person. 62% of millennials will be more loyal to a company with an engaging, interactive presence on social media. Because millennials make up a big chunk of 2019 travelers, begin to craft ideas about how you can grasp their attention. Garnering likes is great, sure, but aim to get comments, reviews, and shares. These actions require users to think and put forth an extra ounce of energy. To obtain these metrics, craft giveaways, surveys, incentives, and programmatic posts that bring their personalities into the picture. Many companies are taking it a step further by offering shoppable posts that allow users to book and buy right on the spot. Streamlining via social media makes it simple to complete transactions without distractions or complications. Travel planning no longer means billions of tabs, millions of questions, and hundreds of hours. It’s just like buying a shirt you see your favorite influencer wearing in an Instagram post — way too simple.

Search engine marketing is not something to miss out on when it comes to advertising to today’s digitally-oriented consumers. These are people who find answers to their most pressing, personal questions through a search bar — and they aren’t interested in searching for very long. Patience is limited and annoyance is rampant as users travel to the second or third pages of Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs). To serve them best whilst simultaneously increasing site traffic, a brand must strive to be a leading, first page result. Search engine marketing, or SEM, is the solution that, when navigated correctly, can increase a brand’s awareness by 80%. And as little as $5 per day can get a company started when choosing to work with pay per click (PPC) advertisements. 
SEM is an effective, low-cost solution that marketers and media planners across industries are using to increase site traffic. By using Google Ads, (a popular SEM management platform,) any business has the ability to double their marketing investment. Users can customize ads by type, consumer segment, and geographic location to reach the most promising, profitable searchers possible. And when SEM is paired with programmatic, a brand not only turns up on the first page, but does so in a relevant, highly engaging way. The following information serves as an SEM refresher for any brand hoping to become a leading search engine competitor in 2019 and beyond. By understanding this information, your company can surely rise to the top of the page and to the top of a consumer’s mind:

What SEM Terms Should A Brand Become Familiar With?
The following concepts are essentials. By familiarizing yourself with these terms, marketers and media planners become better prepared for SEM implementation and management. How, when, and to what degree they’re used depends on the brand’s desired goals:

• SERPs, or Search Engine Results Pages: The pages chock full of ads and links that pop up when a consumer conducts an online search query.
• DAs, or Domain Authority: The strength of a domain that determines its placement on a SERP. This term was coined by Moz, an SEO software company, and compares the power of one domain to another, (allowing the stronger, more applicable site to show up first.)
• Paid Keywords: Paid keywords come into play when a company pays to have their website show up near the top of a SERP. This is the allocation of funds toward certain keywords or phrases that a target consumer would likely type into a search bar. By paying to be associated with certain words, your brand is able to increase reach and site visibility to target audiences.
• Organic Keywords: Organic keywords are unpaid words or phrases that trigger your website to show up in an SERP. These words lead to a natural ranking of websites based on search engine algorithms. To increase chances of being a top SERP link, a brand is encouraged to adjust their SEO practices as applicable, (i.e include popular search words in website links, titles, and descriptions).
• Long-Tail Keywords: Longer queries that are recorded in a website’s search bar. These keywords are longer than three words and are typically highly specific questions or requests.
• SEO vs. SEM: SEO, or search engine optimization, and SEM are used conjunctively to increase a brand’s visibility on a SERP. SEO is an unpaid tactic that falls under SEM and is all about researching, adjusting, and implementing certain tactics to make a brand’s content a top SERP result. SEM, or search engine marketing, involves both SEO and paid (possibly PPC) search ads or listings. It’s the larger umbrella term that accounts for any initiative made by a brand — paid or unpaid — to reach more people from a desired SERP placement.

What are the Common Search Ad Formats?

• Traditional PPC Text Ads: Text-based advertisements that can be found at the top, bottom, or side of organic SERP listings. These postings must display themselves as ads, (via icon or statement) and are only paid for when a consumer clicks on them. A brand chooses which keywords trigger these ads to appear and what circumstances to take into consideration, including timing, location, and demographics. These ads operate on a bidding system, so the higher a brand pays, the higher their website is displayed, post-inquiry.
• Google Shopping Ads: Search engine shopping ads are commonly used by e-commerce retailers. These ads pair photos with product details and are displayed on SERPs and Google’s Shopping tab. They pertain to certain keywords, (paid or organic) and compare prices to similar products posted by other merchants.
• Display Ads: Google’s Display Network can be used to promote display ads on Google’s search engine and alternate sites. These photo or video ads appear naturally as users peruse through hundreds of websites and apps. Brands can even choose to serve up retargeting PPC display ads to consumers who had already purchased from them or visited their site within a certain timeframe. It’s a strategy that reaches 90% of internet users globally, allowing companies to reach users off-site in an attempt to reign in interest at a low cost.
• Video Ads: Video ads have been increasing in popularity thanks to advancements in the form of faster speeds and higher-quality digital platforms. YouTube — purchased by Google in 2006 — is now the third most visited site on the web. More than 1 billion hours of YouTube videos are watched every single day. To hone in on this market, more advertisers are beginning to communicate with target audiences via video ads across video platforms. These PPC ads can be displayed in the form of banners, in-stream video ads and in-video overlay ads.

Why Pair SEM With Programmatic?
SEM initiatives are promising. But when SEM is paired with programmatic, expect even greater results. The data gathered from consumers through programmatic campaigns is extremely insightful. Having this information on-hand can help marketers gain an understanding about the audiences they’re hoping to target with SEM. Knowing how, when, and why someone searches can assist advertisers in writing ad copy, choosing keywords, and reaching the right people on the right sites. Simply put: programmatic is the roadmap that tells you exactly what a consumer is searching for. And our team at Digilant can assist in combining the two together to reach the strongest results possible. For more information, learn about our Search Engine+ Solution here, which unlocks quality URLs and relevant ad placements for brands across industries.

Retail brands are beginning to outfit themselves head-to-toe in programmatic. The fashion industry is evolving quickly for small boutiques, large wholesale chains, and everything in between, and consumer shopping habits are changing. Technological advancements have made shopping digitally simple, (and, for the most part, preferred) but ample consumers still find joy in shopping at brick-and-mortar locations. So how can programmatic be used both online and offline to effectively reach today’s active, digitally-minded consumers? This year, more than 95% of retailers are planning to increase their online media spending significantly. And as more people shop for clothes —  something that will never go out of style — the more pertinent programmatic becomes. As a media planner or marketer working in fashion, consider the following information as you begin to allocate your attention to the digital space:

Why Now? What’s Been Holding the Fashion Industry Back?

The apparel industry isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. People find joy in buying and creating outfits, but shopping habits have become confusing. Today’s consumers are especially mixed when it comes to how and where they buy their newest attire. That being said, data has become an essential competitive advantage among retailers of any size. It unlocks information about past shopping habits, item preferences, geographic locations, and so on. But many fashion brands don’t know where to begin when it comes to using, (and finding) data to personalize offers and enhance retail experiences. Other industries are soaring ahead when it comes to using programmatic as those in fashion are held back, hesitant and confused. This hasn’t been a voluntary choice for many. Ample retailers are constrained by fast fashion’s rapidly changing discounts and product assortments. SKU numbers are complex and competition for ad space is intense. What’s worse, ⅓ of fashion brands currently lack the expertise necessary to realize the full potential, power, and profitability of digital marketing. Simply put: the fashion industry has been missing out on digital because it’s a field that hasn’t been prioritized. Through data enforcement and the creation of new, in-house tech teams, retailers have the power to leap ahead of age-old industry roadblocks. And by implementing programmatic, (or the buying and selling of ads in-real-time) communication can be established with consumers in seconds. It’s the digital tool retailers have been hoping for that keeps up with the industry’s speed while simultaneously increasing brand awareness.

What are the Pros of Programmatic?

The consumers of today are practically feeding their personal information into the digital space. The phones in their hands, the receipts at the bottom of their bags — the data readily available to fashion brands is alarming. Programmatic makes this data mean something. And its benefits, highlighted below, can reap major rewards for those hoping to dominate the retail space in 2019 and beyond:

• It stresses personalization: Less than 10% of fashion brands are personalizing communications via email, paid social, and display advertisements. But with programmatic, a tool that uses data to individually reach people at the right place and time, past marketing behavior becomes revolutionized. What’s most interesting about this lack of digital personalization is the fact that retail is known for forming personalized, mutually beneficial relationships with consumers. Thankfully, with programmatic, the same can be done in the digital space. It’s a tool that allows a brand to greet, understand, and recognize consumers again in a luxurious and intimate way.

• It expands reach: Programmatic strengthens relationships with current consumers. It can also help retailers reach future consumers who are likely to be attracted to their brand’s offerings. In an industry that is always expanding and growing, this ability to target lookalikes with catered products and services has become increasingly important.

• It creates an impressive data portfolio: Data gathered from programmatic initiatives can be altered at any time. Messaging can be amplified, designs can be changed — It streamlines creative with numbers to paint a picture of total campaign effectiveness. Programmatic’s data builds a single view of every single consumer a company comes into contact with. It records how they react to ads and, most importantly, what actions they take after seeing them. From there, a brand has the power to use what was learned in the past to create a stronger future.

More and more consumers are beginning to expect personalized treatment from brands across industries. In fashion, retailers that plan to use technology, especially in the form of programmatic, to better understand the past, present, and future behavior of consumers will rise ahead. They’ll obtain optimal market share, awareness, and satisfaction from consumers. And as the landscape of retail changes daily across touchpoints, they’ll be the digital, confident, well dressed stores left standing.

After decades of reaching consumers behind clear displays of beautiful diamonds, rings, and necklaces, jewelry brands are beginning to notice changes in consumer behavior. In just a few short years, the physical and virtual paths to purchase have converged. Partly because of the adoption of mobile devices and social networks, but also because of how jewelry brands are starting to market their products. Once rooted in traditional modes of advertising and customer service, the jewelry category is starting to shift more and more of their attention to digital advertising channels to keep glimmering in the eyes of consumers.

Think for a moment about how your customers are experiencing your brand today. Where do they learn about new products and collections? Which channels or devices do they use to interact with your brand? Do they look to social media channels to find information about your brand? At what point does a customer make a purchase? Where do they make that purchase? Online? In-store?

These are all questions jewelry brand marketers should ask themselves. The answers to these questions are not straight forward and are indicative of a new customer journey – a journey that is more maze-like than it is linear, especially when we consider millennial and gen z audiences.

With digital advertising, companies have the power to share engaging stories and make product introductions directly with consumers via programmatic, search, social, native, influencer ads and beyond. These virtual touchpoints are lower cost than traditional ad placements like print and OOH and accelerate the path to purchase whether consumers make purchases right from their mobile device or desktop or in-store at their local retailer.

To keep up with the rapidly changing jewelry category landscape, brands need to take an integrated approach to market and advertising – one that embraces the efficiencies that digital advertising brings and focuses on a seamless customer journey that includes the online brand experience. To give you a leg up, we’ve laid out four things to consider for developing your digital advertising strategy.

1. Audience targeting in digital can be surgical. Stop wasting budget and impressions on more traditional channels like OOH, TV, and radio where the ability to reach your target audience is limited. Be sure to leverage data like household income, geo-location, and even shopping history to find consumers more likely to buy from your brand.
2. Online advertising results in in-store purchases. Make sure you have a framework in place to measure the effectiveness of your digital marketing spend.
3. Make sure your co-op program and national programs complement each other. These two budgets should be working together to reach and convert your target audience.
4. Your brand is one of your most important assets. Be sure to have a plan to ensure your creative is showing up on premium publishers alongside content that elevates your brand.

Interested in learning more about the benefits of incorporating programmatic advertising to your brand’s advertising efforts? Contact us here.

On Monday, March 25th the cord cutting trend was celebrated in Cupertino, California. Apple streamed their event which featured exuberant introductions to the company’s new credit card, Apple News Plus app, and Apple Arcade outlet. The announcement regarding Apple TV updates – primarily the introduction to Apple TV Plus – was dramatically saved for last. High-energy clips of the company’s upcoming original content were plastered across the big screen. Well known actors, actresses, and directors (including Big Bird from Sesame Street) strolled onto the stage. The world of Hollywood and the realm of tech combined seamlessly as crowds erupted in applause. But what does this match mean for the future of cord cutting? And how does this new option stand out in today’s crowded streaming arena? Society’s preconceived notion of television is quickly changing pace and consumers are unsure how to keep up. There are millions of routes to follow when it comes to watching desirable content. Apple TV Plus, though exciting, will only contribute to this confusion after launching later in the year.

Apple TV Updates: What’s Happening Here?

Apple is known for insane technology that challenges the old and puts users first. As this predominantly product-oriented company dips into the world of entertainment, the same principles ring true. The following is a recap of the new television-based updates that Apple users can expect to come into contact with over the course of 2019:

• Apple TV Channels: A new section of the Apple TV app that will act as a house for all of a consumer’s favorite entertainment outlets. It’s a safe haven – a place where a user can easily access their third-party cable and streaming subscriptions, sans Netflix. Consumers will only pay for the services they desire and no advertising will be involved. Starz, Showtime, Cinemax, Hulu, HBO, Comedy Central, etc. have already agreed to participate, making it seem like a viable option to cable users who are bombarded with tons of channels at once. This new outlet is expected to launch on Apple TV in May and across Mac devices in the fall.
  
• Apple TV Plus: This is where the brand’s original content comes into play. This is the platform chock full of shows, movies, and documentaries that Apple hopes will propel them above the ranks of Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu. It is an ad-free streaming service, accessed on and off Apple TV devices (think Smart TVs, Roku, Amazon devices) that will offer curated, one-of-a-kind entertainment to viewers. New shows will become available each month and episodes featuring the likes of Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Oprah, and Reese Witherspoon are already in the works. Pricing for access has not been released, but the quality of Apple’s original programming, (worth $2 billion) may call for a premium rate. Compare that spend to the $13 billion Netflix reserved for original content in 2018. Little about the platform has been revealed, but the stakes are high and the competition is on.

What Does This Mean for the Future of Television?

Consumers now have multiple OTT (over-the-top) television options when it comes to replacing cable services with streaming subscriptions once and for all. The typical streamer pays for three services and 60% of young professionals consider these services to be the best way to watch television. ⅔ of US households are still holding onto cable TV, however, due to its familiarity, ease, and access to hundreds of channels. Apple TV+ and Apple TV Channels challenge these areas by aligning the different types of entertainment into one hyper-organized platform. And because Apple has access to 1.4 billion Apple device users, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and cable companies need to be on the lookout. If everything – phones, watches, computers, and now, televisions – can be combined under one proactive, reputable brand, why wouldn’t a consumer be interested? That’s Apple’s competitive advantage, but users are unpredictable. Loyalties and perceptions are all over the grid. To assume that everyone will drop competitors for that shiny Apple logo is a strong statement to make. But cord-cutting – or the act of leaving linear TV behind – is a trend that keeps on growing. The number of OTT video service viewers is expected to rise to 188.3 million by 2020 and there are now more subscriptions to streaming platforms than there are subscriptions to cable and satellite providers. The addition of Apple TV Plus will add to these numbers significantly. At the end of 2019, expect to feel the pressure of leaving linear behind for good. And if you’re already a cord cutter, expect to be faced with even more services and payment options as Apple TV + runs onto the digital playing field.