Optimize marketing by utilizing self-service approaches

In today’s marketing landscape, many advertisers control data and strategy for all their campaigns through third-party demand-side platforms (DSPs).

Managing programmatic media flow matters even more in the current ecosystem since a recent PwC/ISBA report showed about 15% of marketing spend is unattributable. That lack of accountability is deadly because without knowing how many hands are in the till, buyers cannot tell clients who they are targeting.

As brands and agencies focus on fixing this problem, opting for self-service strategies gives them the hands-on-keyboard access they need to gain more control over ad buys, increase transparency around spending and performance, and make workflows more efficient.

Data, dollars and delivery

Offering better controls within the DSP, the self-service model allows for constant optimization of campaigns. Agencies that invest more in programmatic media can manage frequency more easily and understand where to find the right audiences at the most competitive rates. Because of this, nearly two-thirds of U.S. brands have insourced some or all programmatic advertising.

With access to this unique inventory and custom backend data, traders can buy media confidently through strategic partnerships. Everyone gets a 360-degree “surround sound” view of campaigns from planning to activation to measurement to optimization. Teams that manage all media in one DSP scale the tech stack while keeping track of budgets and ad reach.

Controlling data, dollars, and delivery through self-service is the key to success. Brands and agencies then work together more effectively while fine-tuning performance. These activities also improve communication, so everyone involved sees the whole picture.

An all-access pass

Self-service processes increase transparency, offering a bird’s-eye view of where the money went, down to the log. That lowers the cost of activations while allowing teams to spend more strategically and improve the performance of their custom-built messaging.

This process also gives clients more visibility because they know what ad scripts say, where the creative runs, and how it performs with different markets, publishers, channels, and beyond. Through this all-access pass, brands and agencies ensure media reaches the right people.

Learn by doing

Planning and activation groups strengthen internal processes when they join forces.

Buyers don’t always fully understand the audiences they are going after, but agency planning teams remove this disconnect. They no longer need to wait for outside partners to provide insights or clarify matters; they can identify trends right away, improve messaging across media channels, and learn by doing.

Many departments also tie the efficacy of their campaigns to real-world business outcomes like coupon downloads and sample sign-ups. That means internal workflows and strategies need to be even more efficient.

The more personnel can navigate the platform by themselves, the better the company’s bottom line will be. Teams create new growth opportunities by collaborating in a safe, controlled environment. As a bonus, the amount of unattributable ad spend goes down when everyone knows the score.

Calls to action will also get easier to track as data measurement becomes more sophisticated and platforms offer intuitive real-time results. Without such guardrails, funds sometimes flow to cheaper spoofed inventory on the open market. Working with a more specialized group of media buyers reduces risk, however.

A unified DSP further enables endemic publishers to streamline workflows while advertisers maximize real-time bidding (RTB) and ad inventory.

More programmatic media also translates into more direct buys on the platform, allowing teams to manage frequency and delivery against specific audience segments. Teams have more insightful interactions with their clients when they go in-house because they can see the real-time in-market performance.

Brands and agencies that collaborate with DSPs and utilize self-service, hands-on-keyboard approaches will strengthen campaigns immensely. With programmatic data at their fingertips, they run a much tighter ship while making transactions more transparent and efficient. By planning well and executing with precision, all parties will flourish in a post-pandemic world.

Jennifer Werther is the Chief Strategy Officer at DeepIntent, the leading healthcare marketing platform company purpose-built to influence positive health outcomes. Prior to DeepIntent, Werther was the Director of Digital Strategy at Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide where her and her team built data solutions for physicians. Werther has a longstanding history in strategic media planning, buying, research and analytics.