The consumer journey is not linear and consumers don’t act within the confines of a media channel. Digital planning therefore needs to be consumer first. One of the main challenges to integrated consumer centric execution is the fragmentation of audience buying across digital channels. Without a data management platform (DMP), each channel must rely on the audience targeting capabilities of their specific buying platform.
Both demand side platforms and social buying platforms allow advanced third party audience targeting through partners like Bluekai and Datalogix, as well as first party data integration through products like Facebook custom audiences and Twitter tailored audiences. With search, other than Google demographic segments or Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA), there have been limited opportunities for third or first party data integration.
So, what is changing?
Google have launched Google Analytics (GA) and RLSA integration in the UK. This allows advertisers to layer GA segments on top of keyword targeting in search. There are some limitations, Google demographic (age, gender, interests) or technology (language, location, operating system, browser and device) segments will not be eligible for use. While in practice this integration provides limited opportunities to enhance third party audience targeting, it will significantly improve first party data activation within search.
What does this mean for brands?
There are several new targeting prospects that brands can leverage. To achieve growth, there are now more opportunities to expand keywords effectively by only targeting audiences likely to perform. Efficiencies can also be driven by personalising messaging and bids to audiences based on their respective value.
Below are specific opportunities to explore:
Adapt strategy based on onsite behaviour
With RLSA, it was previously possible to adapt strategy based on users who’d previously visited a webpage, or combination of pages. Not all visitors have the same value though. Some bounce straight off while others visit several times and spend a long time onsite. These users should receive a different bid strategy based on their inferred value to the brand. Strategy should be adjusted based on number of sessions, days since last session, number of transactions and session duration.
Recency can also feed strategy. A user who visited some time ago or between specific dates when an offer was running may need a different message to reengage with the brand than a user who visited more recently. Recent visitors may have higher brand recall and be more likely to take action onsite; therefore bids should be raised for these users.
Reengage users who have interacted with another channel
Being able to identify users who have engaged with a specific channel will enable cross-channel sequential messaging in search. This will drive consumers through the purchase funnel.
For instance, if a user previously visited from a voucher affiliate, it makes sense to assume the consumer is price conscious and hence show them an offer message. In addition, if the lifetime value of a consumer who purchases a certain product is high, you may look at previous search history for that product (paid and organic) and bid more aggressively when these users search again.
It may also be possible to use campaigns running across other channels to bring more third party data to search. If a display or social campaign is targeting a specific demographic or in-market segment using third party data, bids and messaging can be adapted in search for users who previously visited from these campaigns.
Personalise based on first party data and life time value
With Google Universal Analytics it is possible to integrate CRM and first party ecommerce data into GA. Utilising this capability, users can be retargeted in search based on products, categories or brands purchased as well as the revenue each user historically generated. Any CRM information (customer loyalty ratings or lifetime value) can also be used for targeting. This diminishes audience fragmentation across channels. The same CRM segments used in social buying through Custom Audiences or Tailored Audiences can be used in search to ensure a consistent, personalised user experience across channels.
Finally, by having a wealth of first party data at your fingertips, new opportunities for cross-selling products can be identified.
While this doesn’t completely align audience buying across channels, it is a step in the right direction, providing opportunities for brands to prioritise users with higher lifetime value. A DMP still represents a much more advanced and seamless way to reach the right consumer, at the right time, in the right place with the right message, but this integration will enhance audience buying within search and ultimately increase performance for businesses.
By Suzie Rafla, Head of Performance at Havas Media Group.
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