A GUIDE TO BETTER PERFORMANCE

DiPA® Digital Performance Analytics INTRODUCTION SEEING THROUGH THE TREES

Brands are allocating more media spend to digital Although enables brands to target Increasingly, marketers are looking to optimise channels in an attempt to improve their customer more cost efficiently, this is no guarantee of their media performance against their centricity, and a critical success factor is the delivering true optimal performance. communication objectives, and they can do so management, control and oversight of their digital because they have access to more customer data media communications. Programmatic has transformed the way media as well as their own performance history. is traded and reached, but whilst The opportunities offered by digital media targeting is progressively laser-like, issues still Brands are also discovering that measuring digital platforms and programmatic trading are persist around low quality inventory, non-viewable media as a simple commodity against market significant, yet they have also created greater and low engagement advertising. averages is a false economy. Organisations are complexity for brand marketers, which, in turn, now turning away from “audits” and instead present additional challenges: Recent brand safety issues have also highlighted turning towards “analytics”. the status of quality above cost, and are DATA / multiple data sources across multiple compelling brands to reconsider their digital digital platforms in varying formats creates a buying strategies. The complexity and data integration problem fragmentation of the media supply chain has been exploited at the clients’ expense all METRICS / KPIs are in abundance and are too often. evolving; yet measurement standards are variable and often incomplete This confirms the strategic imperative for objective evaluation of digital media SUPPLY CHAIN / gaining full disclosure of performance. Brands have realised their digital investment information across platforms, supply chain is potentially chaotic and toxic, and technology, data, and inventory are turning to independent organisations to remains challenging provide perspective, clarity and transparency. OVERCOMING 1. THE CHALLENGES SET THE RIGHT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

We believe the remit for digital performance The guide covers six areas which are 2. optimisation is to uncover and flag areas of risk critical for success: GET THE MOST and opportunity for brands, and this can only be FROM MEDIA done with access to appropriate data sources and PLANNING We also provide insights for marketers on how to forensic analysis. navigate the challenges they face. Complementing 3. the guide is a new service, ‘Digital Performance SEE INTO A new bar for digital performance measurement Analytics’ or DiPA®, which ensures all elements YOUR MEDIA is required, one which evaluates the full of the value chain are assessed and which enables SUPPLY CHAIN performance spectrum of KPI selection, advertisers to review data at scale across multiple Inventory Quality, Brand Safety, Media Neutrality, platforms. Transparency,­ Viewability and Optimisation.

By exploring all potential value levers, the DiPA® The real benefit of performance measurement is process identifies meaningful opportunities for 4. in explaining “cause and effect”; identifying the improving performance and value, and achieving MONITOR additional value which can be unlocked through dramatic efficiency gains, which are otherwise CAMPAIGN powerful data analytics processes. PERFORMANCE undetected by legacy pool-based audits. AND CONTROL 5. A new professional standard is also required for ACCEPT ONLY the collection, processing, structuring and analysis QUALITY, of digital data. BRAND SAFE ENVIRONMENTS

6. INSIST ON ACTIVE CAMPAIGN OPTIMISATION FAQs Have they been organised into relevant categories – i.e. cost, quality, S optimisation and AQ Does each KPI outcome? How do my KPIs F contribute positively compare to to my ROI, or are advertisers with some conflicting? similar objectives?

1.

Have we selected Have we set robust SET THE RIGHT GOALS the right media KPIs targets for the KPIs for our objectives? AND OBJECTIVES ? selected?

Choosing and working with clearly defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is essential and should be a focus for any planned activity. They must be measurable, objective-led, realistic and most importantly, relevant to the desired outcome of the campaign. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MARKETERS Created by Gerald Wildmoser from the Noun Project The blend of KPIs selected will heavily dictate planning investment decisions and optimisation / Start by categorising, mapping and / Check you have not inadvertently strategies, so securing the right combination is prioritising KPIs using data evidenced selected KPIs which might conflict or key to achieving desired outcomes. from previous campaigns. compromise optimal performance. Many campaigns are planned against / Only select KPIs that are relevant to / Ensure you understand how each irrelevant, conflicting or incomplete KPIs and campaign and business objectives. KPI is defined and the limitations therefore under perform at best and destroy Less is more. around the data. value at worst. More and more organisations are finding it / Be realistic and clear about what useful to organise KPIs into a framework of your buyers are optimising against ‘Delivery, Cost, Quality & Outcomes’. This helps so that the right tools, analytics and with prioritisation and briefings. negotiation skills are deployed. BUILDING A COMPREHENSIVE KPI FRAMEWORK DELIVERS OPTIMAL OPPORTUNITY

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KPI Geo Sales Clicks Views Brand SafetyFraud Free % ViewabilityVTR % Leads Downloads CPA Awareness Reach & FrequencyImpressions Engagements CPM, CPC,CPCV, CPL CPVICPE, CPUU Online Brand OnUplift TargetVideo % Completion Applications Conversions

DELIVERY COST QUALITY OUTCOMES FAQs How does media selection and inventory compare with similar What methods advertisers with and tools were used similar goals? Are the media to support the selected neutral, unbiased recommendation and disclosed? 2. process?

Has the agency Do I have visibility made strategic of 3rd and 1st party GET THE MOST FROM recommendations data usage across media, creative, and management MEDIA PLANNING data and technology? ? by the agency? It can be hard to assess the effectiveness and neutrality of a digital media plan given the vast array of choices. Yet it is critically important to understand the available options in order to challenge an agency’s strategic approach and the choices they have made across: TRADING / Selection of platform, trading RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MARKETERS Created by Gerald Wildmoser from the Noun Project strategy and inventory sources. / Ensure you understand why decisions / Look for new channel opportunities DATA / Assessment of data strategy, activation on media, creative, data and technology and set up tests or trials for new and selection of data partners. have been recommended. media formats. CREATIVE / Mix and prioritisation of media formats for specific campaign objectives. / Challenge the media plan if it lacks / Probe the rationale for spend evidence, logic or clarity. allocations, especially when buying COMPETITORS / Understanding what, where undisclosed or unmeasurable inventory. and how your competitors advertise can provide / Utilise campaign histories and valuable contextual insights. competitor analysis to ensure MEASUREMENT / Implementation and full discovery in your media planning application of data intelligence, verification process. and attribution technology. MAPPING YOUR MEDIA PLANNING AGAINST COMPETITORS YIELDS GREATER INSIGHT

Comparing spend levels, buy types and format selection across websites, platforms and channels to your competitive set usually yields valuable insights and deepens the level of debate around media planning decisions.

CREATIVE FORMAT YOUR BRAND COMPETITOR A COMPETITOR B COMPETITOR C COMPETITOR D COMPETITOR E

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MOBILE LARGE BANNER

MOBILE LEADERBOARD FAQs What % of my budget goes on working media and how does it compare to brands with Am I spending the similar objectives? Why am I spending so right amounts on much on my agency’s data, technology, private marketplace? 3. fees and media?

Do I have What is the full transparency of SEE INTO YOUR MEDIA rationale for this investment throughout investment level? the supply chain? SUPPLY CHAIN ? In 2018, 75% of all digital media will be traded programmatically. This is problematic, as the trading ecosystem is still a murky environment where value is easily eroded through low traffic, low quality placements and over-priced data and technology. Transparency should be a prerequisite, and all campaign plans should provide full visibility of investment on working media, talent, data and RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MARKETERS Created by Gerald Wildmoser technology costs. from the Noun Project / Track channel investment to understand / Identify where the value “leaks” are Developing an informed roadmap of budget the full breakdown of costs for working occurring through direct access to allocation means visible costs can be mapped media, talent, data and technology. your platform reports. out to indicate where spend can be more

productively deployed or diverted. / Benchmark working media investment / Challenge your agency’s investment Ensuring contractual direct access to ad-server, ratios against your peers. in platforms they own or part own. DSP & platform delivery reports is essential for improving transparency across the supply / Insist on full transparency of supply chain and for identifying where potential chain in your media services contract value leakage is occurring. and scope of work.

MOVING FROM UNDISCLOSED TO FULLY TRANSPARENT SUPPLY CHAIN IMPROVES ACCOUNTABILITY

Every brand is entitled to know how their TRADING MEASUREMENT DATA INVENTORY budgets are being spent, what data is been utilised and where their ads are appearing. 1st Party Data Moving from non-disclosed to fully disclosed Blacklist models is not for everyone, but does provide more security, accountability and insight. 2nd Party Data Real-Time Open Exchange Advertising Verification Ad-Exchange

3rd Party Data

Attribution

non-disclosed

disclosed

TRADING MEASUREMENT DATA INVENTORY

Whitelist 1st Party Data Direct Transparent Trading Desk Blacklist 2nd Party Data Programmatic Direct

Trade Desk Tech Fee Verification 3rd Party Data Ad-Exchange PMPs

Management Fee Attribution DSP Data Open Exchange FAQs Is my agency actively managing and optimising my performance? Where and when is How is each media my advertising platform performing actually appearing? against my core 4. KPIs?

Is my routine Have I been over-delivery MONITOR CAMPAIGN getting the results beneficial or a waste I planned? of money? PERFORMANCE AND ? CONTROL

Monitoring results over time and assessing performance delivery versus plan across multiple channels and data sets is a given. But day-to-day campaign management needs to be a very ‘hands-on’ process to ensure RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MARKETERS Created by Gerald Wildmoser campaigns are being delivered as effectively from the Noun Project as possible. / Insist on regular in-campaign reports / Regularly review post-campaign Even more important is analysing granular data of delivery versus plan against custom reporting content and processes to at scale to reveal insights. For example, an KPIs. ensure continuous improvement. over-delivery of impressions is wasteful if this has an adverse effect on quality or campaign / Ensure you understand the reasons / Re-forecast and re-plan activity optimisation. for shortfalls or over delivery of target. based on reallocating budget into higher performing inventory. The absence of tight control on flighting and / Gain full visibility of inventory, daypart scheduling can lead to poor perfor- creative, format and technology to mance - scheduling needs to be regularly ensure all relevant information is on revised and assessed. the table when evaluating campaign In digital, the devil is well and truly in the detail... performance.

USING CAMPAIGN ANALYTICS TO UNDERSTAND CONTROL ISSUES AND INCONSISTENCIES ANALYSIS

A simple daypart analysis reveals the level of control applied DAYTIME to ad scheduling. High proportions of impression delivery EVENING during night time flags up a failure in control and usually means wasted impressions through fraudulent activity. MORNING NIGHT

SITE TYPE WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5 WEEK 6 WEEK 7

SITE A

SITE B

SITE C FAQs What value is being lost through wasted impressions where media quality is not measured/verified? What steps are taken How can I when non-brand-safe eliminate the risk of inventory environments toxic placements? 5. are discovered? Is a media-safe How can I and viewability incentivise my agency ACCEPT ONLY QUALITY, environment report to protect me against provided? brand safety BRAND SAFE occurrences?’ ? ENVIRONMENTS

The industry is recovering from the damage caused by recent brand safety breaches. However, it will take time to de-risk ad inventory completely. Agency whitelists and blacklists provide reassurance but a 100% solution does RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MARKETERS Created by Gerald Wildmoser not exist. from the Noun Project Programmatic makes targeting easier but / Determine what level of quality / Review inventory against blacklist, without the right measures in place can lead to compliance your brand requires. quality and verification standards to safety and fraud concerns. Mobile is still poorly reduce non-compliant impressions. measured as a category. / Ensure appropriate brand safety Brands should determine what level of quality guidelines are in place and quality / Start to KPI your agency against compliance they need, and then should not impression KPIs are set in accordance compliant impressions – why pay for pay for impressions which fall below their with custom standards. anything else? compliance standard. / Insist on full disclosure of Only then can a digital impression carry the and inventory verification data, plus same weight and credibility as an equivalent In-view, Geo and Brand Safe analysis offline placement. by site, format and creative.

MEASURING AND PAYING FOR COMPLIANT IMPRESSIONS HELPS BRANDS IMPROVE CAMPAIGN QUALITY

Most campaign reports show delivered impressions, yet this includes a large number of impressions which are either unviewable or not measureable. DELIVERED IMPRESSIONS Once these and non-geo, fraudulent, unsafe and non-targeted impressions are removed, the level of truly compliant impressions can be relatively low.

VIEWABLE IMPRESSIONS

MEASURED VIEWABLE IMPRESSIONS

Fraud Brand Free Safe

On-Target In Geo Audience

COMPLIANT IMPRESSIONS FAQs Is there a process to identify missed opportunities? Have all optimisation How much better opportunities been could the campaign identified and have been? 6. actioned? How much Could I have interaction and achieved the same INSIST ON ACTIVE intervention occurred results with 20% when my campaign less spend? CAMPAIGN OPTIMISATION went live? ? Digital is a unique channel in signalling and transmitting consumer/audience behaviours. Optimisation is therefore a key attribute of digital media planning and execution. A core requirement for the media buyer is to identify opportunities to redistribute investment from worst- to best- performing media, rearranging RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MARKETERS Created by Gerald Wildmoser site placements, hours and dayparts, media from the Noun Project platform and creative execution – all combining / Understand what actions, tools, / Undertake attribution analysis as to optimise campaign performance. technology and data have been standard practice. utilised to optimise campaign cost The role of the agency is to actively improve per outcome. / Incentivise the agency to optimise performance over the campaign duration, rather then let the campaign run learning from prior outcomes to enhance / Carry out full optimisation analysis uninterrupted. future improvements. across all sites, formats and creative. If executed correctly, performance optimisation creates an upwards trend on delivery of quality / As part of the Post-Campaign custom KPIs whilst optimising cost efficiency, Analysis (PCA), ask your agency thus delivering the same performance for less to recommend how the next or better quality for the same. campaign can be better. ACTIVATING REAL-TIME ANALYTICS TO SHIFT RESOURCES INTO BETTER PERFORMING MEDIA

Buyers should strive to optimise campaigns as efficiently as possible. Taking learnings and moving spend from underperforming buy types into the better performing buy types will improve overall campaign performance and reduce inefficient media placements.

OPTIMISED CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE

WITHOUT OPTIMISING

PERFORMANCE WORST BEST

A D

C F B E

INVESTMENT SHIFT WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5 WEEK 6 WEEK 7 WEEK 8

BUY TYPE A BUY TYPE B BUY TYPE C BUY TYPE D BUY TYPE E BUY TYPE F THE RIGHT KPI SELECTION DiPA® DIGITAL PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS

MEDIA OPTIMISED NEUTRAL Legacy media auditing simply does not deliver CAMPAIGNS ® PLANNING for digital. DiPA provides a more consistent and effective measurement solution. Current media performance measurement practice is clearly inadequate for delivering the full range of checks and data insights that SUPERIOR brands require. The traditional practice of BRAND benchmarking, characterised by periodic audits, has little or no value for brands with customised PERFORMANCE goals and KPIs. Brands require a multi-layered, forensic and wide-ranging set of analytics from their advisors. For this reason, brands are moving from auditing to analytics. TRANSPARENT With an analytical approach, brands can: QUALITY OF MEDIA SUPPLY PLACEMENT • Achieve transparency across the media CHAIN supply chain • Drive more neutrality in selecting technology and inventory • Select KPIs which drive improved outcomes, FULL and minimise wasted effort RESULTS • review levels of media quality and improve REPORTING campaign performance.

DiPA® provides a comprehensive assessment of digital media performance, raises standards in digital media and delivers value beyond savings. DiPA® EVALUATIONS ARE STRUCTURED AROUND THE FRAMEWORK BELOW:

More opportunities for improving performance can be identified by exploring all the potential 1. GOALS & OBJECTIVES / Alignment of goals and targets value levers. With DiPA®, a more circumspective assessment­ of media buying strategy and Neutrality of media selections execution is undertaken, 2. PLANNING / unearthing dramatic efficiencies otherwise undetected by legacy pool-based audits.

Get a DiPA® understanding of 3. INVESTMENT / Transparency of costs within the supply chain your digital media performance.

4. DELIVERY / Management control and delivery against targets To find out more about the service, and how we’ve helped our clients with their digital media performance, please get in touch: 5. QUALITY / Quality controls to minimise non-compliant impressions [email protected] +44 (0)20 7307 1400

6. OPTIMISATION / Interventions made to optimise cost per outcome DiPA® Digital Performance Analytics