Predictions 2024 LinkedIn Live: Take Control of Your Media
Welcome to the final event of the Rise 2024 Predictions Series! Before we open the doors and recap our LinkedIn Live, Rise Predictions is an 8-part video series. It features insights gathered from industry giants Google, Meta, The Trade Desk, and impact.com, along with perspectives from our CEO, Larry Fisher, and our talented teams at Rise across our three verticals: healthcare, eCommerce, and lead gen.
Now, let's take a behind-the-scenes look at the Predictions 2024 series. Check out the Predictions 2024 trailer below then dive into each of the blogs and videos to learn the full story!
PREDICTIONS SERIES TRAILER
Below, you'll find the recording of our LinkedIn Live where Rise experts Mina Salami, Director of Partnerships; Josh Tan, Senior Director of Media Strategy; and Amanda Barker, Director of Rise's Client Services team broke the event into two parts:
- Rise Predictions Recap
- How to Take Control of Your Media in 2024
PREDICTIONS LINKEDIN LIVE
PART 1: RISE PREDICTIONS RECAP
Mina, Josh, and Amanda reviewed all 19 of our predictions across industries and channels and narrowed them down into three key themes:
- AI & Automation
- Unlimited Content
- Advanced Measurement
At Rise, we know first hand how difficult it can be for marketers to feel in control of their media and outcomes, now more than ever. With continuous evolutions in technology, constant consumer behavior shifts, and the overwhelming influx of data, it is challenging for brands to navigate their strategies effectively. To help clear a path for brands to succeed this year, we focused the second part of our LI Live on how to gain control and turned those key themes into:
- Take Control of AI & Automation
- Control Your Story with Unlimited Content
- Retain Control with Advanced Measurement
PART 2: HOW TO CONTROL YOUR MEDIA IN 2024
Theme 1: Take Control of AI & Automation
Mina began the discussion by addressing the AI elephant in the room…many aspects of campaign management can now be automated with AI. Everything from bidding, creating ads and messaging, and even targeting. The question now becomes, what is left for brands to do?
To start, Josh outlined Rise’s perspective on AI, categorized into two main categories:
1. Predictive AI
Predictive AI has actually been around for quite some time now with features like bid strategies, campaign budget optimization, and dynamic product ads. Initially, when automated bid strategies were introduced, there was a common reaction of apprehension among users, fearing a loss of control. However, at Rise, we navigated through this by focusing on leveraging input-ready data. Recognizing that AI's effectiveness is contingent on the quality of inputs, we utilized predictive modeling for lifetime value, enhancing signals and tying them back to the business.
Stanley Steemer: A Blueprint for AI-Enhanced Campaign Management
Amanda provided a practical example illustrating the success of this approach as seen in our work with Stanley Steemer, a prominent national cleaning company with over 275 locations. Facing the challenge of managing a complex paid search plan involving thousands of keywords and designated budgets for each location (a mix of corporate and franchise), we recognized the need to embrace technology. Starting with campaign-level solutions, we progressed through budget bid strategies, adopted SA360, and launched native in Google Ads. Our journey culminated in breaking into Performance Max, a more enclosed ecosystem, resulting in significant growth for Stanley Steemer.
2. Generative AI
Generative AI is still relatively new and top-of-mind, sparking a considerable level of concern among people. This form of AI involves utilizing technology to autonomously create assets, encompassing everything from ad copy to images. These assets can either be generated based on user inputs or extracted from sources like websites.
Mina highlighted that numerous tools in the market, including Google’s AI-powered Visual Creative Solutions, are introducing or have already implemented generative AI solutions. For instance, Google's solution facilitates agencies and brands in automatically generating voiceovers or adapting long-form videos into short formats for platforms such as YouTube Shorts. Meta, too, is set to release a product-level video feature in Advantage+ catalog ads. This creative automation allows dynamic serving of video or static content based on what is likely to drive conversions. The question arises: How should brands embark on this transformative journey with generative AI?
Josh broke this down into 2 key steps:
Step 1:
Brands must identify what is non-negotiable, pinpointing aspects they are unwilling to relinquish control. Whether it's maintaining a distinct brand voice, specific lifestyle imagery, or adhering to brand design guidelines, this step aids in determining the most suitable AI providers to collaborate with.
Step 2:
Brands need to be open to letting AI assist them in adapting to new placements, fostering flexibility and responsiveness as they navigate evolving market dynamics and consumer preferences.
Breaking the Mold: Generative AI, Luxury Brands, and the Evolution of Creativity
Amanda shared another example, a luxury brand client, which strictly adhered to rules ensuring all images exuded polish and featured effortlessly glamorous models. Despite the brand guidelines banning lo-fi creative, the evolving landscape witnessed an influx of deliberately unpolished yet influencer-like, high-quality content.
Over the past few years, with shifts in consumer behavior and content experiences adopting a more influencer-like approach, we encouraged the client to reconsider this steadfast rule. Leveraging automation, we paired existing creative with AI to generate multiple options, significantly reducing the creative building workload. This approach allowed the client to review and select content that resonated best with consumers while still aligning with their brand guidelines. Essentially, the goal is always to facilitate testing and evaluation - all while striking a balance between innovation and brand consistency.
Theme 2: Control Your Story with Unlimited Content
Transitioning to our second topic, let's delve into the realm of Unlimited Content, as Rise CEO Larry Fisher predicts that 2024 will bring forth a content revolution. The digital landscape presents an ever-expanding array of platforms and formats for content consumption, including Reels, YouTube Shorts, Snapchat, and TikTok. Crafting content that resonates with both the brand identity and the target audience is crucial, taking into account where the audience exists within their user journey. Mina asked: How do brands navigate the selection of creative types and determine the most suitable platform for deployment?
Amanda shed light on this dilemma by emphasizing a return to the campaign's core - the audience. Working closely with clients, she delves into understanding the target customers: Who are they, and where do they consume media? Consider a consumer products brand catering to three distinct customer segments - Double Income No Kids (DINKs), Empty Nesters, and Elderly Couples. Elderly Couples may lean towards nightly TV viewership, Empty Nesters prefer streaming, and DINKs engage in scrolling. The creative and messaging tailored for each of these segments are markedly different, aligning with their unique habits and preferences.
Taking the strategic approach one step further, Josh introduced the concept of Sequenced Messaging, emphasizing the importance of not only the creative and its placement but also the timing of messaging in the user journey. This involves guiding the audience seamlessly from awareness to conversion. Rise’s CX team constantly underscores the significance of tailoring creative for each placement by adhering to platform-specific and ad unit best practices while including messaging that matches the user’s intent at that moment.
Snapchat Spotlight: A Case Study in Targeted Telecom Expansion
Amanda continued the discussion by presenting another illustrative example involving our national telecom client that aimed to expand its customer base but had exhausted opportunities with existing cross-channel ad placements. Rise presented a strategic proposal highlighting a unique audience on Snapchat, distinct from Meta, leading to a resource reallocation for testing on the platform. Despite initial skepticism about Snapchat's suitability for selling internet services, Rise's proposal instilled confidence in trying something new. Ongoing audience segmentation with a focus on analyzing user behavior demonstrated successful outreach to new, high-intent audiences.
Recognizing the need for platform-specific creative to communicate differently based on the sales funnel stage, Rise implemented a tailored strategy, testing new video content and brand messaging on Snapchat. This aimed to boost brand awareness, followed by price-based messaging to drive on-site conversions while optimizing content creation to resonate with Snapchat's quick-engagement audience.
The client's agility in adapting strategies based on performance analysis, integration with other channels, and compliance with platform guidelines were critical. The result was a successful diversification of the audience-first approach, showcasing adaptability and a commitment to data-driven optimization.
Rise’s Audience Targeting Chart - Strategic Cookieless Targeting
Rise has a can’t-miss audience targeting chart that you use like a BINGO card - find the user-intent group, find the paid media channel, and voila - effectively target them in a cookie-free world.
Known Audiences: Best customer-to-brand relationship. Zero-party and first-party.
Semi-Known Audiences: Showed signs of consideration. Second-party and third-party.
Anonymous Audiences: At the beginning of their purchase journey. Party free.
Global Sneaker Brand’s Privacy-First eCommerce Approach
Amanda shared an example of an eCommerce brand that took a unique approach to being privacy-first and used the chart to its maximum potential. This global sneaker company removed remarketing pixels from its website back when iOS 14 first dropped. Rise crafted a phased strategy to future-proof the brand’s cross-channel audience targeting. Rise focused on input-ready data, implementing an audience prioritization framework, and executed an effective strategy even without relying on remarketing pixels.
To diversify the brand’s approach, creative tests were conducted, videos were added so in-platform remarketing of video viewers could be leveraged, new platforms were launched, and SMS ads were utilized for zero-party data signups. To top it off, the integration of automated CRM list uploads enabled real-time updates, facilitating a waterfall audience exclusion strategy that mimicked traditional 1P remarketing.
By placing emphasis on high-value tactics and harnessing cross-channel signals, the client successfully averted any data loss concerns. They emerged with a rejuvenated customer and refreshed engagement approach.
Theme 3: Retain Control with Advanced Measurement
In navigating the landscape of AI technology and maintaining control, the emphasis has been on focusing on the inputs and implementing strategic approaches to unlimited content. Now, the question becomes: How do we validate these strategies through measurement?
Josh explained that Rise has transformed, shifting from a conversion-oriented, immediate ROI focus to investing in different parts of the user journey. This strategic shift ensures a continuous flow of people through the funnel, serving as the foundation for our measurement philosophy.
At the core of Rise’s measurement approach is Connex®, our proprietary platform that exemplifies the synergy between our team and technology. Offering cross-channel, real-time capabilities, Connex serves as a centralized source of truth, providing a comprehensive view with features like pacing, alerts, and insights. Whether analyzing search conversions, programmatic impressions, or creative, Connex enables a holistic view of different channels, all in one place.
Taking it one step further, for long-term measurement goals and insights, Rise recommends that brands implement various modeling strategies to best determine where to spend your next dollar. Here are a few examples:
- Correlation Analysis: Defining the combined impact of running tactics concurrently is crucial for comprehending the holistic influence of different strategies.
- Incrementality: Recognizing economies of scale and identifying areas of opportunity are pivotal for optimizing future spending and maximizing returns.
- Connections Planning: Understanding customer demographics and preferences is vital for reaching them where they are and delivering content that resonates with their interests.
In essence, these measurement strategies not only provide valuable insights into the impact of current spend but also empower us to retain control, ensuring that our efforts align with business goals and deliver optimal results over time.
Driving Growth in 2024
2024 might be a year of change, but it’s also a year of opportunity. Let's embrace the challenge, master the art of storytelling, control the narrative, and ride the waves of trends with a data-driven approach. Here's to growth, innovation, and taking control in the exciting journey ahead. Contact us today to get started!