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Preparing to go cookieless, prioritising connections over clicks, and the creativity that has caught my eye are all on the agenda this month as I don my agony-aunt hat once more. For those of you that missed the last installment of this column, I’m Joy - IAB UK’s chief digital cheerleader - and I’m on a one-bear mission to help advertisers rediscover the joy of digital.
That means making a lot of well-deserved noise about ingenious creativity (no surprise that I’m very good at this) but it also means hearing about your challenges. Because mastering digital advertising isn’t always a walk in the park. It can feel more like navigating a forest, something I know all about. So what’s been on marketers’ minds this month?
Q. We’ve been hearing about the “cookie-pocalypse” for a while and I know my business should have sorted out a post-cookie strategy but the truth is – we haven’t. Deadline year is here and I’m trying not to descend into panic. Is it too late to start testing now?
The short answer is no, it’s not too late. In your longer message, you explain that you work for a medium-sized brand that hasn’t yet thrown itself into testing alternative strategies. You won’t be alone in this, but your business has to change its approach and quickly.
As a big Gwyneth fan, I’m christening this advertisers’ Sliding Doors moment - an idea that James Chandler, the IAB’s CMO has shamelessly pinched for his session at LEAD. To put it simply, advertisers have a choice between two paths.
Path number one: lean into the support and advice available from the IAB, agencies and developers; educate yourself about alternative solutions; and get testing. By trialing different strategies, you can work out what’s right for your objectives and take control of your brand’s trajectory in a post-cookie era. No one can do that for you and it’s the only way to make sure you’re ready once third-party cookies become obsolete. You probably don’t need me to point out that this is the path to take.
The second option is to do nothing. In the short-term, this requires much less resource and might be tempting, given how much else you have to do. But don’t expect a happy ending from burying your head in the sand. Getting prepared is no longer about looking to the future but taking action today.
Q. I’ve been reading a lot in the press about brands that are successfully using digital channels to drive long-term results, yet I still get hung up on performance metrics like clicks. Am I out of touch?
By recognising that your fixation with clicks is out of step with other marketers, you’ve already taken a really important step. For the past five years, the IAB has called out Clickheads and it sounds like you probably fall into this bracket. The great news is that you want to change. Clicks serve a limited purpose - they tell a small part of the story for advertising on specific digital channels, and the depreciation of third-party cookies is going to further degrade the usefulness of CTRs. In short, the time is ripe to broaden your measurement horizons and prioritise genuine connections over clicks.
Start by reviewing your objectives and finding out how different measurement strategies can deliver (cue a shameless plug for the IAB’s Measurement Toolkit). Build on this by prioritising quality environments, considered creative, relevant targeting and focused messaging. All factors that matter just as much online as they do offline and are proven to positively impact how people respond to digital ads. Most importantly, indulge in the joy of brilliant storytelling that connects with people at a fundamentally human level. Because, whether it’s a banner ad, social video or a podcast spot, digital advertising is primed to bring your brand to life in ways that extend far beyond what is captured in a click.
Q. I could do with some inspiration - what ads are bringing you joy this month?
Slack’s musical number had me tapping my paws, IKEA is knocking it out of the (retail) park on TikTok and Lucky Saint’s DOOH-driven campaign is spot on for Dry January. However, The Current Account Switch Service is my favourite campaign at the moment. I know what you’re thinking, finance doesn’t sound very fun - but look! Not only does it star a fish with attitude, it uses digital channels smartly to resonate with its target audience. “Learn to Switch on Twitch” is inspired. A very worthy recipient of January's Joy of Digital Award.