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Using data to create experiences in the world of advertising is nothing new, but the avenues we have to explore within content, are continuously shifting. This is exciting, but it is also one of the areas where I see exactly the strategic and creative tension.
The problem stems from a lack of comprehension of use of information and consequently a reticence to use it since it’s just not that simple. It has been a massive driver behind the recent adoption of ad-blocking which is presently one of the biggest problems our industry faces.
Comprehension and information can be successful in creating experiences that are meaningful , irrespective of station, but as an industry we’ve just not made the most from this chance. We’ve let down customers with bad experiences, and they are voting installing red buttons in their browsers and not looking back.
Ad blocking is a big deal — adoption over the past year has increased by 82% in the UK — and now with both Android and iOS building in service, it’s no longer only an issue for desktop.
So why are folks using ad blockers? Research suggeststhe two most prevalent factors are wanting to protect personal information and a rise. I would argue that although these are crucial issues on people’s minds, they are more a consequence of an earlier issue — the industry losing consumer confidence with the ad tech industry’s explosion. Publishers, manufacturers, media and creative agencies searching for billings and conversion rather than stopping to think if there’s a way we could actually make our articles and adventures useful.The IAB’s acknowledgement of this last year was actually on stage; we have sacrificed user experience for automation and scale.
Whilst the rise in advertising blockers is understandableunderstandable is that the panic that has struck publishers. Are customers even conscious of their effects, although the argument that blockers are basically a type of piracy is intriguing? Wired’s take on this is to humanise the entire affair, gently reminding people who have blockers installed that ads help “keep the lights on” and asking you to consider whitelisting them if you value their content.
Bigger publishers be more wary about conducting formats and will invest in higher quality encounters that are native, however smaller publishers that do not have resources to purchase these will probably be hard-hit. The industry collectively must accommodate and alter it’s mentality, publishers may individually convince folks to whitelist them if their content is powerful, but the issue is that if a user installs a blocker, it is a hugely uphill battle to get them back to the ad-ecosystem.
New startups have emerged trying to attack the issue. People.io, by way of instance, lets consumers permit and control their own information which is given to marketers (and looks to supply them with more tailored encounters in yield). But concepts such as this are just useful (for both consumers and publishers) should they scale nicely, which at this stage I’m personally sceptical of.
Ultimately the problem is that whilst we live in an age where it is now simple to hyper-target content to your audience through segmentation, and also have the ability to serve content that is relevant by context, time, location and any number of different facets, It is something we simply haven’t been doing.
So what exactly can we do? The ad-tech industry Is seeking to unite publishers and the media industry through initiatives, such LEAN, and newest studies show that native advertising will increase 2.6x accounting for over 50 percent of display advertising pay by 2020.
From a creative point of view, we will need to learn from past mistakes and ensure that we concentrate on using data to provide genuinely personalised experiences. By focusing on the three areas below, we can Attain this:
- Creativity meeting data: Great content is important, but we must make sure we are using data and insight to build much better experiences. You need to have a creative thought and not only ensure that it functions across multiple stations, but you are also able to tailor your message by apparatus, circumstance and personas.
- Integrate your tech and information stack: Absolutely crucial, if as a new or service you’re going to dedicate to personalized content experiences, you need to keep, integrate and optimise your data. For specialist agencies it is tricky if you do not have access or control over data sets for your client, but if you’ve got incorporated clients and look after a lot of their stations, you should be looking to add value by continuously growing audience information and using this to deploy personalsied adventures wherever possible.
- Collaboration is vital: This is one of the most complicated areas, one which sounds easy on the surface, but in reality could be quite a nightmare to put to actions. Often providers and agencies produce gardens, not discussing data or insight which creates siloed activations, without thinking about the effect on a client view that is wider, with each bureau seeking to optimise their activity. For personaliation to genuinely succeed, you need all your stakeholders to collaborate and work towards a more powerful strategy.
“Adblockalypse” is a very real difficulty, but it is one which we as a business have established, and yet one that we now must work together to overcome. It is a case of taking a step back, placing emphasis and rebuilding trust.
If formats targeting and lack of personalisation are leading the consumer exodus towards ad-blocking, let us tackle this head on through built articles encounters.
