effectiveness & ROI

What’s Next: The State of Ad Measurement Identifiers

• Posted: June 20, 2023

Kevin Whitcher (DISQO) provided an overview of current identifier availability and their use in measuring ad outcomes.

The industry has witnessed the ongoing extinction of 3P identifiers since 2016 with the passage of GDPR. While the means to measure digital ad exposure are disappearing, the need is not. Eighty-five percent of buyers and sellers are concerned about the effect of privacy changes on their ad buys and overall business, according to DISQO research. Publishers have data to measure digital ad exposure, but only in their own siloed platforms. However, measuring ad effectiveness on one platform is not an effective solution since neither people nor media plans are media-monogamous. Additionally, IP addresses are not a viable alternative to identity lifelines.

Growing ROI with YouTube ABCDs Creative Effectiveness Guidelines

• Posted: June 15, 2023

Creative is the dominant ROI driver across all media platforms according to Nielsen Catalina Solutions: creative 49%, media 36%, and brand 15%. However, creative is challenging to measure. The speakers provided an ABCD insights framework for building effective ads on YouTube based on the key creative elements that drive sales as proven by Google’s partner, Nielsen.

• Attention: Hook viewers and sustain attention with an immersive story.
• Branding: Brand early, often, and richly.
• Connection: Help consumers think or feel something.
• Direction: Ask consumers to take action. Call-to-action has a disproportionate impact.

Measuring Campaign Incrementality Using Both First Party And Third-Party Identifiers

• Posted: June 5, 2023

Hong Zou of Adobe talked about how they measure campaign incrementality and ROI using both first-party and third-party identifiers. Their method was born in 2020, out of the need to refocus from lower funnel marketing campaign performance to upper funnel performance. Adobe matches one group of people exposed to the campaign with a look-alike group who were not exposed. Since all other attributes are the same, any differences can be attributed to the campaign itself.

Navigating Through Uncertainty with Next-Gen Marketing Mix

• Posted: June 5, 2023

Greg Dolan (Keen Decision Systems) and Mark Bennet (Johnsonville Milwaukee) examined how to navigate in uncertain and volatile times in the current marketplace using next-generation marketing mix solutions. In the opening, Greg explored the progression of marketing from the late 90s, through what he dubbed “The Roaring 20s.” He noted that we went from a minimally complex, slower-paced “top-down” approach in the 1990s to a very fast-paced, complex environment with a shift to Retail Media and a unified approach where we apply next-generation predictive analytics in the 2020s. Greg discussed the intricacies of their approach of combining historical data with predictive/prescriptive plans to address drastic changes in the current environment, leveraging ML. He provided a case study that demonstrated the successful application of the next-generation marketing mix. In addition, Mark gave a client perspective on how they are handling market uncertainty.

Harnessing the Full Potential of Marketing Mix Models: How Attention, Creative and Audience Personalization can Drive ROI

• Posted: June 5, 2023

Sameer Kothari (PepsiCo) and Todd Kirk (Middlegame Marketing Sciences) examined the application of a transformed rendition of marketing mix modeling created through the development of a proprietary system called the “ROI Engine.” Sameer indicated the desire to harness the “true potential of marketing mix models even beyond measuring past campaigns and using it for strategic planning looking forward.” Sameer discussed this system as having a more “predictive ROI outcome-based approach” by “leveraging an ecosystem of leading indicators for before and during a campaign flight.”

Audi Switzerland Integrates Attention Metrics & AI into Programmatic Bidding to Drive Business Outcomes

• Posted: June 5, 2023

Zach Kubin of Adelaide began the session by explaining how reach has become increasingly fragmented. Digital, viewability and ACR tell an incomplete story, which makes it difficult to assess the quality of the media brands are buying. Adelaide combines all the available metrics into their own algorithm, which they call the Attention Metric (AU). Filip Pujic of Audi gave details from the car company’s use case, where it integrated AU using Adelaide’s algorithm into programmatic bidding, driving positive business outcomes. Audi will conduct a follow-up study to validate the results they have received.

Panel Discussion

• Posted: June 5, 2023

In this session, Elea McDonnell Feit (Drexel University) led a panel discussion with the day’s speakers on innovations in experiments in marketing and referred to these experiments as a “mature part of the measurement system.” In this discussion panel members brought up ideas and examples of how to effectively employ randomized controlled trials (RCT) and the benefits of using experiments for attribution. They examined the lack of patterns stemming from advertising incrementality and credited this to the changing nature of the consumer journey and unique factors in strategy, the business life cycle and the product being sold. The panel also explored processes to ensure the deployment of a successful and effective experiment. In addition, geo-based tests were also considered. Other topics discussed were the cost-effectiveness of running experiments and the value of failed experiments.

Measurement with Large-Scale Experiments: Lessons Learned

• Posted: June 5, 2023

In this session, Ross Link (Marketing Attribution) and Jeff Doud (Ocean Spray Cranberries) examined a large-scale experiment conducted with Ocean Spray. They applied randomized controlled trials (RCT) to approximately 10 million households (30 – 40 million people) in which ads were consumed by their participants via a variety of devices. Jeff explained that the experiment was done to measure the impact of when certain ads were suppressed for some of their participants. Additionally, they examined an MTA (multi-touch attribution) logit model that was subsequently applied, which yielded KPIs such as ROI. Information from this MTA-RCT experiment supplied refreshed results monthly. Daily ROI results from the campaign were collected from the MTA-applied modeling. Outcomes from this experiment revolved around retargeting and recent and lagged buyers. In addition, the study also explored creative treatments and platform effectiveness.

How to Cut Waste and Fuel Growth with Incrementality-Based Attribution

• Posted: June 5, 2023

With Trevor Testwuide (Measured) providing context and Ian Yung (Tonal) guiding the case studies from Pinterest and Google, the two presenters tested whether ads/channels were working and how far marketers can scale them. Trevor compared last-touch attribution to incremental ROAS, showing the significant discrepancies between platform-reported and media-driven incremental conversions. The incrementality experiment methodologies used in the case studies were cohort based first-party audience split testing and geo-matched market incrementality testing, which Trevor noted were must-haves in determining where to cut waste and where to scale. Results from the case studies measuring holdout cohorts showed overinvestment in Pinterest based on organic conversions, and a 13% increase in ROAS on Google Shopping from under-reporting of incrementality.

MRC’s Outcomes and Data Quality Standard

• Posted: June 5, 2023

The MRC’s Ron Pinelli outlined the scope of the Outcomes and Data Quality Standard, recently completed in September 2022. Part of MRC’s mission is setting standards for high quality media and advertising measurement, and Ron walked through the phased approach and iterative process that included the ANA, the 4A’s and other industry authorities.