Technological advances and the resultant changes in the way that media is consumed have meant that the advertising and marketing landscapes have changed significantly as well. In the not too distant past, media buyers spent the bulk of their marketing budget on print and television campaigns. Radio, outdoor and activations got a slice of the pie as well. Digital was non-existent. But the last two decades have seen the digital move to the forefront as the preferred medium for advertisers and media buyers. But why is this? Why is digital so popular and what does it offer that other media cannot. Here is a brief explanation that unpacks its success.
Everything is measurable
With digital everything can be measured. There is nothing that is unclear or assumed in the figures and statistics. In the world of the Digital Marketing Company, the measurability of digital is the clear way to show what type of returns advertisers are getting on their investment. In short, every ad that is served is tracked, clicked throughs can be counted, interactions noted. Unlike in the old world of print where it was never known for sure quite how many people read a publication or how thoroughly they read it; or in television if the sound was on or off during the commercial breaks or if the viewers were still watching or if they were making tea; in digital everything can be verified and reported on and using paraphrasing tools.
Everything is trackable
With old-school media, advertising was very much a carpet bomb approach. You tried to fathom what type of audience watched which types of shows and then you booked your advert in the most relevant place. In other words, you wouldn’t place an advert for sanitary towels during the halftime break of a football game because you would assume that the bulk of the viewers at that time would not be in the market for the product. Digital allows for the tracking of users. It gathers information on users and then relays this to ad exchanges, meaning that no matter where you browse, you will be targeted to receive adverts that are relevant to your interests.
Pricing
In years gone by there was always limited advertising space in a publication. And there were only a limited number of prime advertising positions available (think bank over or inside cover of glossy magazines). With digital, not only are the number of pages and placements unlimited, but pricing is also done through live, interactive exchanges. In short, a publisher is an able to set a floor price for their advertising inventory, below which they will not drop. Brands, in turn, have a budget and a target audience that they want to hit. The exchanges then help marry the two together, achieving the best price for the brand at the most competitive prices as dictated by the publishers. It is an open exchange and it is a very effective way of cutting down on the old administrative processes while at the same time creating the most competitive marketplace possible. The technology behind these ad-servers is mind-boggling and it all happens in real-time.
