Behavioral Targeting from the Trenches:Reflections of an Agency Analyst

Dane Hulquist, SVP, Director of Ad ServicesUniversal McCann San Francisco

July 20, 2011OMMA Behavioral, San Francisco

Definitions and Context

For this presentation, "Behavioral Targeting" is… – Buying custom audiences via ad exchanges using a variety of leading

3rd party data providers – Buying pre-packaged audience segments directly with networks

It does not include…– Retargeting (unless noted)

The cases and generalizations are from campaigns with a broad media mix and $100k+/month (digital).

Silver Bullet or Wild Card?

Fluid data quality variables can make performance hard to predict.

Campaign Av-erage

Behavorial Targeting

Cost per Engagement

Campaign Av-erage

Behavorial Targeting

Cost per Engagement

Campaign Av-erage

Behavorial Targeting

Cost per Engagement

Consumer Tech Engagement CampaignsOct 10 – Mar 11

Typical Challenge: Scaling Success

Endemic

Behavorial

Q2 Consumer Service Acquisition Campaign

Conversions

Cost

per

Con

vers

ion

(Size= Spend)

Scaling with Audience Discovery

Do the best data segments align with the target definition?

Upfront Target Requirements:• $150k per year• High-level business execs

Discovered Audience: Administrative Assistants

Audience Skew by Most Significant Visitors

Premium Travel Customer Acquisition Campaign

Considering ‘Targeted Engagement’

Superior targeting not reflected in standard engagement metrics.

Target

All other

Landing Site Comp

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Hypothetical Cost per Targeted Engagement

H1 Executive Decision Maker Engagement Campaign

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The Sting of AttributionDoes BT suffer the biasing effects of last-ad more than endemic?

Network A Network B Network C

Consumer Acquisition CampaignNetwork vs. Ad Server Conversion

CountsJan 2011

Network Ad Server

FacebookSearch EngineSearch Engine

SiteEndemic Network

Contextual SearchSiteSite

Endemic NetworkSite

Endemic NetworkEndemic Network

SiteSite

BT Custom Audience

-50.0% 0.0% 50.0% 100.0% 150.0% 200.0%

B2B Engagement Campaign% Change Last Ad to Weighted Con-

versions(Top 15 Properties)

Oct 2010 - Mar 2011

Low edit relevance = suppressed clicks High comp = increase latent response

BT Microcosm of Attribution Headaches

Predictive Targetinggets robbed by…

Behavioral Targetinggets robbed by…

Retargeting

Unlocking Brand Ad Budgets

When does BT's superior targeting outweigh it's lack of contextual relevance in driving attitudinal results efficiently? 

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eCPM

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Imp

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Microsoft Online Online

You TubePlatform A US

Adzinia Media

eBay

Yahoo Inc.

Gaw ker Media

Collective Media

Interclick

ESPN

Cadreon

Google

2010 Consumer Brand Favorability CampaignBrand Recall Efficiency (Nielsen IAG)

(Size= Imps)

An Analyst’s BT Lists

WishesNetwork-side optimization based on in-unit interaction

High-fidelity attitudinal measurement

Cross-platform segments (and tracking)

WorriesFuzzy ad delivery chain

Lack of standard segment definitions

Death of the cookie

Thank You!