DOCSLIB.ORG

OSI Affiliate Software | How to Start an Affiliate Program (0/2)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
OSI Affiliate Software | How to Start an Affiliate Program (0/2) How to Start an Affiliate Program by OSI Affiliate Software How to Start an Affiliate Program Everything You Need to Know About Creating an Affiliate Program If you're the owner of a successful ecommerce website you have probably already gone through the labyrinth of SEO, social media marketing and PPC marketing strategies. But there is one more advertising channel you have probably not explored: affiliate marketing. This ever-evolving channel continues to benefit entrepreneurs and businesses because it does not involve any risks. Affiliate marketing can become an incredibly useful sales channel for any online retailer, especially when done right. Nevertheless, a lot of your success will rely on the type of products you sell and how well you incentivize your affiliates. Running an ecommerce affiliate program can be a time-consuming and daunting task. The biggest problem is that most eCommerce owners get into affiliate marketing without understanding what exactly it is they should be doing. They are told that they need to create or expand an existing program, but just as they start getting some traction they hit a growth wall. In this guide we will take a closer look at affiliate marketing and how it applies to online stores, in which circumstances it should be set-up, how you can create a powerful network of promoters, and much more. Chapter 1 What is Affiliate Marketing? Connections are the heart of digital marketing. Affiliate marketing takes this concept to a new level by allowing people to sell their products online through websites and blogs. It is a performance-based model through which businesses reward their affiliates for the traffic and sales they bring to their online stores. Traditional affiliate marketing involves adding banners or contextual links to the eCommerce site. These leads are tracked with a unique affiliate ID and rewarded with a percentage of any sales originated from these leads. Webmasters who are looking for an easy way to monetize their sites, other than ads, can implement affiliate marketing. If you are a webmaster looking to get into affiliate marketing, you would sign up for affiliate programs and promote products that are within your niche. Once you find a product that you want to advertise, you will be given an affiliate link. Whenever a visitor clicks your affiliate link and completes a sale, you will receive a commission. As an owner of an online store your goal is to find affiliates that are ready and willing to promote your products on their website, thus expanding your online reach and increasing sales. At first glance, affiliate marketing sounds like the answer to any retailer’s dreams. However, there are some sticky issues that you need to take into account, like determining the ‘cut’ that you can afford to reward without negatively impacting your bottom line. Chapter 2 IS AFFILIATE MARKETING RIGHT FOR MY BUSINESS? To find out if affiliate marketing is the right choice for your eCommerce business you should first answer the following questions: 1. What products/services can I advertise on my affiliate program or affiliate network? 2. What potential affiliates could promote my products? 3. How much will my sales increase? 4. Should I join an existing affiliate network or create my own? All of these questions stem from a simple, yet extremely important, cost/benefit analysis. You should also check out relevant case-studies for online stores in your niche that have already used affiliate marketing. What were their typical conversion rates? What are the typical revenue shares that ad networks are taking? How did these companies incentivize their affiliate partners to promote their products? Here are a few case-studies that you should check out: Case Study #1: Ecommerce Sites Generates 6% more conversions with Affiliate Marketing Case Study #2: 11% Percent of Retailers Revenue Comes from Affiliate Marketing Case Study #3: Five Performance Marketing Case Studies from Brands - See how House of Fraser perfected its affiliate marketing campaign. Why would a store want to set up affiliate marketing? Despite the fact that affiliate marketing means that you will have to part with a percentage of your sales, it has innumerable benefits. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider setting up affiliate marketing for your eCommerce store: 1. Extend your Reach The greatest advantage of affiliate marketing is the fact that it enables companies to connect with more potential customers in relevant niches. Furthermore, affiliate marketing programs can significantly boost sales especially during times when they are experiencing slumps. For example, if your Sunday sales are weak, you can offer special coupons to your affiliates to improve your Sunday sales. Of course, this also means that you have to identify your top-selling products and have the margin for a discount that will actually drive sales. 2. Have a Competitive Presence Affiliate programs will enable you to be present at the actual point of purchase, where your competitors also are. This is a great thing, especially when prospects have to choose between one brand and another. 3. Pay Affiliates Based on Performance One of the best things about affiliate marketing is the fact that you compensate your affiliates based on number of sales. This will help you set realistic marketing expenses and attribute them directly to your revenues. With PPC you can never guarantee the success of a campaign and you might end up affecting your bottom line. 4. Easy Tracking Like most other internet marketing strategies (SMO, SEO, email marketing, etc.), affiliate marketing is also easy to track. As an online store owner you can check how many clicks generated from your platform, and how many purchases were made via affiliate links. 5. Focus on Late Purchase-Process Conversions As you are probably already aware, the buying process can occur over a longer period of time because many customers need an extra incentive to complete a transaction. Chapter 3 WHAT ARE THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN SETTING UP AFFILIATE MARKETING? 1. Understand the Costs Involved with Setting up Affiliate Marketing Cost-wise, there are three things you need to consider when it comes to affiliate marketing: Platform costs You will need to choose an affiliate marketing platform to run your operations. Management Costs You have the option to bring on an affiliate manager. If you use OSI Affiliate Software, you are not required to have an affiliate manager because we make it easy to setup and manage an affiliate program. However, some companies choose to have an affiliate manager. Design Costs Lastly, you will have to find someone who can design your promotional materials, create videos, and optimize landing pages. 2. Competition is Fierce Because affiliate marketing is extremely easy to set-up, many people try their luck with it. There are literally thousands of affiliates. This means that competition is very high. To make matters worse, some of your competitors are also skilled SEO experts, social media managers, and internet marketers. 3. You are Forced to Take Risks You have to pay affiliates whenever a sale is completed from a customer responsible for making the referral. For the customer this is great news, but this means that all the marketing costs and risks are placed on your shoulders. Even if your affiliates send massive levels of traffic to your site, this won’t help if people don’t buy. Also, if the product is bad, or your prices are too high, affiliate marketing won’t yield the expected results. 4. Determine the Cut that you can Afford You will have to do some serious math to figure out the percentage you can afford to give to your affiliates. Can you give up 5% of the revenue that comes from a referral sale? How about 15%? The higher you set the percentage, the higher the chances of attracting relevant affiliates. Chapter 4 HOW TO SET UP AN AFFILIATE MARKETING PROGRAM Affiliate Marketing Software or Affiliate Program Manager? The simplest and most effective method of starting an affiliate program is by establishing and running it yourself. This will give you more control over who you work with, as well as your commissions. However, if you're a small business, setting up your own affiliate program can prove extremely time consuming. You will have to manage each affiliate account, keep up with agreements, update affiliates about discounts or offers, and ensure that your promotions are not misinterpreted online. Another option would be to find an agency that can take care of the administrative tasks of an affiliate network. Because most networks specialise in specific sectors you will gain access to a wealth of affiliates. keeps in mind, however, that most networks charge around 30% commission for each sale, so you have to subtract this from your bottom line. This solution is generally recommended to high-volume eCommerce businesses. How to Set-up your Own Affiliate Program Your affiliates can become an incredible asset for your eCommerce business. Here are the basic steps to setting up your own affiliate program: Step #1 – Choose the Right Technology As previously mentioned, the first thing you need to do is to decide on the program that you will be using for your website's needs. What program or script will you be using to manage affiliates and process payments? There are several options, each with its pros and cons, so you have to choose wisely. Joining an affiliate network. The affiliate network will make it easier for you to get started because it automatically tracks and recruits affiliates for you. Keep in mind that the network will probably also charge a monthly fee or commission for utilizing the service.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Understanding Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
    Understanding Pay-Per-Click Advertising 5 Ways to Ensure a Successful Campaign WSI White Paper Prepared by: WSI Corporate Understanding Pay-Per-Click Advertising 5 Ways to Ensure a Successful Campaign Introduction Back in the 1870s, US department store pioneer, John Wanamaker, lamented, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half!” In today’s increasingly global market, this is no longer a problem. Every successful marketing agent knows that leveraging pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is the key to controlling costs. This unique form of marketing makes it easy to budget advertising dollars and track return on investment (ROI), while attracting traffic to your Web site and qualified leads and sales to your business. Compared with other traditional forms of advertising, paid search marketing, or PPC, is far and away the most cost effective. This report examines the role of PPC as a central component of a successful marketing strategy. It begins with an overview of PPC’s place in the digital market place and the reasons for its continuing worldwide popularity among business owners and entrepreneurs. It also provides tips to ensure your business is getting the most from its PPC campaign. i FIGURE 1. PPC PROCESS 1. Attract Visitors 2. Convert 4. Measure Visitors to and Optimize Customers 3. Retain and Grow Customers Source: Optimum Web Marketing Whitepaper: Understanding Pay-Per-Click Advertising Copyright ©2010 RAM. Each WSI franchise office is an independently owned and operated business. Page 2 of 19 Understanding Pay-Per-Click Advertising 5 Ways to Ensure a Successful Campaign 1.
    [Show full text]
  • How 12 Big Brands Chose Their Marketing Agency
    How 12 Big Brands Chose Their Marketing Agency Lessons from Hilton, Patrón, Office Depot, and 9 More No two brands look for the same things in an agency. These stories show how 12 brands chose agencies based on their goals, their product types, their company size, and the maturity of their marketing operations. Two common factors stood out—brands love agencies that can execute on marketing, and brands often chose agencies where they felt relationship chemistry. 1 Hilton Worldwide Got Their Conditions Straight Before they began the creative search process, Hilton Worldwide underwent a formal preparation period. The hospitality company defined what they needed in terms of confidentiality, fees, idea ownership, and non- compete clauses before they were ready to negotiate. Getting their legal issues clarified was their top priority. But they were also transparent about how their organization operated. They took the approach that their agency should act like an extension of their company, so trust levels needed to be high. “The way [brands] should think about this is that they're “Thepicking way a [brands] strategic should partner think that aboutwill be this an isextension that they're of their pickingteam for a thestrategic next several partner years.” that will be an extension of their teamNancy Deck, for VPthe of Multi-Brandnext several and Loyalty years.” Marketing at Hilton Worldwide* Nancy Deck, VP of Multi-Brand and Loyalty Marketing at Hilton Worldwide* *From http://www.inc.com/guides/201108/how-to-choose-an-advertising-agency. 2 Patrón Split Activities Across Multiple Agencies Patrón chose their lead agency from two top finalists.
    [Show full text]
  • Digital Marketing Strategies – from Brand Awareness to Engagement
    Digital Marketing Strategies – From Brand Awareness to Engagement Diana Isabel Leite de Almeida Internship Report Master’s Degree in Marketing Digital Porto – 2014 INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE CONTABILIDADE E ADMINISTRAÇÃO DO PORTO INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO DO PORTO Digital Marketing Strategies – From Brand Awareness to Engagement Diana Isabel Leite de Almeida Internship Report presented to Instituto de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto for the Master’s degree in Marketing Digital under the guidance of Dr. José Magalhães Author Note This internship was carried out under the Erasmus Program for college students and under the agreement between the sending institution, Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto and the host company, eRise, located in Budapest, Hungary, under the guidance of Vilmos Schwarz. Porto – 2014 INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE CONTABILIDADE E ADMINISTRAÇÃO DO PORTO INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO DO PORTO Acknowledgements To my parents, those mainly responsible for this step in my life, supporting me along the years and always pushing me to be better. Without them and all their work none of this would be possible, so to them I leave my biggest thank you. To my brother, my sister-in-law and my nephews, for being the best family anyone could ask for and for never letting me forget the child within myself, bringing up the best in me even on the cloudiest days. To my boyfriend, for always believing in me even when I doubted myself, for always knowing how to make everything easier and for being with me every step of the way, thank you. To my dearest and oldest friends, the ones that know all the parts of me and that for better and worst keep on being one of the most important parts of my life, for never needing words.
    [Show full text]
  • Digital Marketing Institute, Digital Marketing Course and Digital Marketing Training
    1 2 3 4 [LECTURER NOTES] You will have already had your lecture on SEO, which gives you a good idea of the context behind Search as a whole. You will have an in-depth lecture on Analytics later in this course, but this lecture will touch briefly on Analytics in the context of PPC. 5 6 [LECTURER NOTES] All eyeballs, or ‘impressions’ of your ad are free. However the goal of PPC is to drive traffic to your site – so it’s in your best interest to generate as many clicks as possible within your budget. This is why this revenue model works for search engines. 7 [LECTURER NOTES] This is Irish data – however this could be universally applicable. 8 [LECTURER NOTES] Irish research data. [RESOURCES] IAB/Amárach. 9 [LECTURER NOTES] What is the difference between SEM & SEO? SEO impacts the organic/ natural listings on the Search Engine Results Page. SEM (Search Engine Marketing/Paid Search/PPC) impacts the sponsored listing areas on the SERP. Both SEO & SEM are about getting more visibility on and traffic from the search engines. 10 [LECTURER NOTES] It is important to consider your Search Engine Marketing strategy in the context of the entire search engine – so both SEO and PPC. This will allow you to develop a more comprehensive search strategy and make decisions that result in the best outcome for your business. Which leads us to the strategic considerations – using PPC to fill in gaps where organic search is weak, increase (or double) your visibility across both paid and organic search for certain terms, or have immediate visibility while you wait for the results of your SEO work to come to fruition.
    [Show full text]
  • Digital Marketing– Elixir of Business
    IOSR Journal of Business and Management (IOSR-JBM) e-ISSN: 2278-487X, p-ISSN: 2319-7668 PP 10-12 www.iosrjournals.org Digital Marketing– Elixir of Business Dr.G.Venugopal, Assistant Professor, Department of Corporate Secretaryship and Professional Accounting, Kongu Arts and Science College, Erode. Abstract: The Internet era has thrown open a new pathway for today’s marketing. The Internet has made all traditional modes of business outdated and generated amazing new possibilities in business. Online marketing or internet marketing – a combination of marketing acumen and technology – uses the Internet as a medium to advertise and sell services and goods. Digital marketing includes affiliate marketing, search engine marketing including search engine optimization, article marketing, blog marketing, pay-per-click search engine advertising, and e-mail marketing. Digital marketing is one type of marketing being widely used to promote products or services and to reach consumers using digital channels. Digital marketing extends beyond internet marketing including channels that do not require the use of Internet. It includes mobile phones (both SMS and MMS), social media marketing, display advertising, search engine marketing and many other forms of digital media. In future, the scope of the digital-marketing is very wide and it’s going to be the life blood of business. Keywords: Digital Marketing, Promotion, Effectiveness, Customer Reach I. Introduction Digital or electronic marketing refers to the application of marketing principles and techniques via electronic media and more specifically the Internet. The terms Digital Marketing, Internet marketing and online marketing, are frequently interchanged, and can often be considered synonymous. Digital is the process of marketing a brand using the any form of electronic device with or without the Internet.
    [Show full text]
  • Internet Marketing As a Business Necessity
    Interdisciplinary Description of Complex Systems 16(2), 265-274, 2018 INTERNET MARKETING AS A BUSINESS NECESSITY Aleksandar Grubor and Olja Jakša* University of Novi Sad – Faculty of Economics in Subotica Subotica, Republic of Serbia DOI: 10.7906/indecs.16.2.6 Received: 27 November 2017. Regular article Accepted: 9 May 2018. ABSTRACT The pace at which marketing discipline evolves each year is challenging for both individual marketing experts and companies as systems, which are permanently competing for global consumers. With the development of the Internet as the main channel and best opportunity for the implementation of the optimal “one-to-one” marketing model, Internet marketing as a new area of marketing theory and practice has emerged and is constantly improving. On the other side, the power and attractiveness of online surrounding have also transformed the way consumers behave, creating new patterns and lifestyle that have to be taken into account when creating appropriate Internet marketing strategies, far different from the traditional ones. Thus, the aim of this article is to examine fundamentals of Internet-based marketing, and to analyse challenges and opportunities that should be addressed by modern companies in their Internet marketing strategies, together with possible limitations and risks that emerged in the electronic marketplace. The method used in the article is secondary research, and implies a detailed analysis of researches and studies in the given field. KEY WORDS internet marketing, digital marketing, online marketing, online consumer CLASSIFICATION JEL: L89, M31 * Corresponding author, : [email protected]; +381 69 130 1224; * Faculty of Economics in Subotica, Segedinski put 9-11, RS – 24 000 Subotica, Republic of Serbia A.
    [Show full text]
  • Direct Marketing with a Digital Twist Direct Mail Versus Email Marketing
    Direct Marketing with a Digital Twist Direct Mail Versus Email Marketing Multi-channel marketing is today’s standard, and it seems the debate continues to rage on over Direct marketing vs. Email Marketing. It is never easy to determine whether direct mail or email is the better delivery option for your offer. Both have pros and cons, so why choose. Marketing campaigns always perform better when using multiple channels, and these channels bring their owns strength's to the table. Mail is: Tangible and gives them something to hold. More responsive than digital channels. Trustworthy and legitimate. Email is: The best digital channel. Easy to create. Affordable, interactive and mobile When and How to Send Timing is everything. A well timed campaign can win loyal customers when done correctly, or damage your reputation if done incorrectly. So when is the right time. When: Once you have clearly defined the goal of your campaign, and all the creative is completed. How: Schedule out your approach. It all depends on the audience you’ve chosen to communicate your offer. If you’ve communicated to prospects, here is an example of a good campaign plan: Week 1: Initial Welcome emails (1-3 emails). Identify their need Week 2: Direct mail – Prospects needs and your solution Week 3: Email follow-up Week 4: Call USPS® Informed Delivery®: Mail with a Digital Twist Informed Delivery® , is a service used by consumers to view grayscale images of the envelopes that are delivered to their mailboxes. The service not only allows mail to be viewed online in a digital format, but it also allows the mailer to actively engage the consumer by serving up alternative creative.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Digital Marketing—Basics and Actions
    Understanding Digital Marketing—Basics and Actions Teresa Piñeiro-Otero and Xabier Martínez-Rolán Abstract This chapter provides a technical outline of the basics of online mar- keting. The outline includes an introduction to digital marketing and strategic planning and development. Our contribution offers theoretical and practical insights relative to this growing marketing area, with information on the main areas for which online marketing is particularly suited: (1) the E-commerce section explores different business models and what techniques are used for their development; (2) Web Search Marketing focuses on SEO and SEM, as well as in keyword selection for optimisation; (3) E-mail Marketing offers interesting content to develop a successful newsletter; and (4) Social Media Marketing addresses plan- ning and the most important tools used to maximise communication through social media. In a nutshell, this chapter offers an overview of digital marketing and its strategies for an active and effective Web presence. 1 Introduction In The Third Wave, Toffler [1] predicted the demarketisation of postindustrial societies. Three decades later, the end of marketing is still not in sight, even though, as Kotler [2] already suggested, marketing had to rethink its foundations to adapt to Third Wave societies and individuals. In 1999, Schutz and Holbrook [3] referred to the tragedy of the commons to stress the low efficiency of market strategies due to overuse and reiteration of strategies and tools. In the last decade of the twentieth century, organisations were T. Piñeiro-Otero (&) Faculty of Communication Sciencies, University of A Coruña, Campus de Elviña s/n, 15071 A Coruña, Spain e-mail: [email protected] X.
    [Show full text]
  • Strands and Standards Digital Marketing
    STRANDS AND STANDARDS DIGITAL MARKETING Course Description The Digital Marketing course is designed to give students a general background in digital marketing and an introduction to the rapidly growing and evolving career field. Students will be exposed to the fundamental concepts and principles of the digital experience, focus on the learning tools and skills necessary for solving business problems, and developing marketing opportunities. This course will provide practical experience in, but not limited to: eCommerce, media planning, branding, online advertising, display advertising, digital campaigns, social media marketing, and mobile media. Core Code 11-12 Concurrent Enrollment Core Code .5 Units of Credit 37.01.00.00.001 Intended Grade Level 37.01.00.13.001 Prerequisite None Skill Certification Test Number 412 Test Weight 0.5 License Type Secondary Education 6-12 Required Endorsement(s) Endorsement Business and Marketing Information Tech. " Learning that works for Utah ADA Compliant: July 2018 DIGITAL MARKETING STRAND 1 Students will be able to define Marketing and Digital Marketing and identify trends in the Digital Marketing Industry. Standard 1 Students will demonstrate a basic understanding of Marketing and Digital Marketing ● Define the marketing terms: • Marketing • Digital marketing • Marketing mix • Marketing concept • Advertising and promotion ● Explore current trends in Digital Marketing such as: • Artificial intelligence • Real-time marketing • (Cx) Customer experience • Marketing automation • Location based marketing • Cloud computing • Software as A Service (Saas) Standard 2 Students will demonstrate understanding of brand and brand positioning techniques and strategies. Why is branding important to a business and consumers? ● Explore branding as it relates to a business and its influence on consumers ● Explain the concept of brand equity, brand values, and experiential branding.
    [Show full text]
  • Transforming Direct Mail with Print Embellishments
    Transforming Direct Mail with Print Embellishments A white paper from the Foil and Specialty Effects Association The term embellishment has been around for a long time – associated with the creative ornamentations for bakery decorations, hobbyists, sewing and architectural fabrication. But now, it has taken on a new meaning in the graphics industry: Embellishments are a unique method for enhancing printed materials that transform the readers’ perception and assessment of what they are seeing. A previous FSEA white paper further defines print embellishments: “Today, processes that increase visibility, stimulate attraction, hold attention and convey an image of value are known as high-visibility enhancements. The list of high- visibility enhancements includes … foil stamping, embossing, specialty UV coatings and metallic finishes.” This white paper will define ‘embellishments’ as the process of enhancing a printed piece with tactile textures, scents, shapes and foils. It is strongly viewed that embellishments added to direct mail pieces increase visibility and captivate a reader’s attention to stimulate a call to action. DIRECT MAIL ENGAGES MORE THAN DIGITAL ADS Historically, one of the great attributes of printed pieces is the ability to engage the attention of those who receive them. Recently, that thought …tactile has been tested by the heavy use of digital marketing technologies. As marketers seek out alternative and less expensive digital media choices, embellishments direct mail has lost some of its popularity. However, a great deal
    [Show full text]
  • Digital Marketing Strategy & Plan
    DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY & PLAN Digital Marketing Strategy & Plan What matters the Digitization… Introduction Digital Strategy Funnel Digital Blueprint (Plan) Customer`s Reach Digital Accelerate (Act) Conversion Strategy (Convert) Engagement Lifecycle Digital Next? Introduction Through the download of Digital Marketing Plan document - Congratulate for taking a step ahead for digital marketing strategy that helps in improvising eBusiness. Lemonoids provides opportunities through different strategy and planning documents (as an advice) to boost online presence and internet based businesses. It’s a sample digital marketing strategy and plan to act on Research and Development, Website Quality Audits, Link Building Strategies, Paid Advertisements, Social Enhancements, Email & Affiliate Marketing. With recent research and digital survey, it’s been surprising and shocking that eBusinessess are executed digital marketing without a plan. (And it’s a big dumb for online presence) – Commonly it’s a big RISK. Our digitization process defined step-by-step is an agile or systematic approach to gain productivity, improve sales, generate leads and maximize ROI. With Lemonoids Digital Planning Framework (Digital Strategy Funnel, Digital Blueprint, Customers Reach, Digital Accelerate, Conversion Strategy, Engagement Lifecycle and Digital Next?) These digital segments quantify and qualify the case to reach “Next level of Marketing”. Digital Marketing Strategy & Plan Digital Marketing Strategy Funnel Digital Blueprint How do we want to grow our online business?
    [Show full text]
  • Competition in Digital Advertising Markets
    Competition in Digital Advertising Markets 1 Competition in digital advertising markets COMPETITION IN DIGITAL ADVERTISING MARKETS © OECD 2020 2 Please cite this publication as: OECD (2020), Competition in digital advertising markets, http://www.oecd.org/daf/competition/competition-in-digital-advertising-markets-2020.pdf This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the OECD or of the governments of its member countries or those of the European Union. This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city, or area. © OECD 2020 COMPETITION IN DIGITAL ADVERTISING MARKETS © OECD 2020 3 Foreword Digital advertising is now the leading form of advertising in most, if not all, OECD countries, and offers businesses the ability to reach individual consumers in ways that could only have been imagined previously. Increased Internet coverage and mobile phone penetration has fundamentally changed the ability of advertisers to reach a broad range of consumers at almost any time of the day and in any context through digital advertising. In addition, developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, coupled with the stores of personal data available online, have allowed for cost-effective targeted advertising at scale. Such advertising is traded electronically in real time across a complex supply chain involving numerous actors. Digital advertising is increasingly the business model of choice in the digital economy, with many businesses providing zero-priced services in exchange for access to consumer data to fuel the sale of targeted digital advertising.
    [Show full text]