As unrelated and abstract as it may seem, a juggling act is the perfect visual representation for programmatic advertising today. Programmatic advertising has become a mainstay and a necessity in the digital media industry – but it’s not without its confusion or difficulties.

We know, we know. You’ve heard it all before. The current digital landscape isn’t a surprise to those of us steeped in the day-to-day complexities. We should be asking the tough questions though: How can businesses grow without adding more fuel to the chaotic fire? How can digital media professionals remain competitive in a fluid and ever-evolving industry? What solutions and tools are available that will boost performance, make the most of the data, and offer the most value?

Given Centro’s focus on helping to minimize the industry’s chaos, we decided to get the lay of the land and the state of the (programmatic) state. And we went straight to the source: the digital labor force. We talked to advertisers and marketers who are tasked with making sense of it all every day.

By partnering with research firm Advertiser Perceptions to survey more than 150 digital media professionals, we were able to uncover pain points, expectations, and wish lists for programmatic advertising in 2018.

Most of the optimism lies with programmatic advertising: Nearly 40% of digital media ad spenders that we surveyed project PMP spending growth, and 30% project growth on open RTB. What’s also clear from the results is growth in programmatic doesn’t eliminate the need for direct buying – 62% of respondents said they will maintain their direct/IO-based buying in 2018.

With both media buying models intact and securing a piece of the digital media pie, it’s become increasingly important for digital professionals to find ways to mix the two in order to differentiate their offering.

But the tools needed to do just that have become unmanageable. Today, agencies and marketers divvy up their programmatic capabilities between external vendors and various internal teams. Our survey revealed that, on average, advertisers work with 4-5 programmatic vendors across the different ad tech categories  – ‘DSPs,’ ‘data provider and management tools,’ and ‘other.’ Among business management tools, advertisers employ multiple business and campaign management tools, with ad servers deemed the most important among respondents.

The line between investment and performance is more blurred than ever before, and we lack insight into what’s working and what’s not – leading to increased costs and less control. It takes a village to make programmatic and digital buying work in tandem effectively for your unique business goals.

And, interestingly enough, our survey revealed there’s increasing desire for efficiency and control in the digital workplace. In the next 12 months, 90% of agencies predict they will handle some parts or all of programmatic buying in-house. When asked why they planned to bring programmatic capabilities in-house, respondents ranked control as the biggest deciding factor.

Which begs the question: Why outsource when you could dive into programmatic advertising on your own and begin to take back control?

In this survey, we also took an in-depth look the state of media buyers and planners – specifically the way media teams are being constructed to manage programmatic today, how programmatic management will evolve, and insights into the factors driving programmatic in-house adoption.

To get a comprehensive look at programmatic advertising expectations in 2018, download the full report here.

 

Making a resolution this year? You’re not alone. When the calendar flips to January 1 every year, it’s the perfect opportunity to wipe the slate clean, set your intentions for the next 365 days, and start fresh. Like most people, you’ve probably already made your personal resolutions for 2018. By this point, they’re in full swing and maybe you’ve already had a chance to break them – at the very least you’re probably regretting the decision to put the Christmas cookies down and use your gym membership. (I know I am.)

But, have you thought about your resolutions for your business, your teams, and your campaigns? We have. Our recommendation for digital media agencies in 2018: Resolve to get organized. Lack of organization is the biggest road block to success and performance, and creating organization at every level of your business has the power to free up valuable time in your day, create operational excellence, and put you back in control this year.

Have you ever been house hunting and walked through a professionally staged home? Every element inside is perfectly curated and organized, and you’re able to see how each item in every room works together and flows seamlessly into the next – contributing and enhancing the overall value of the entire space.

As unrelated as it may seem, the digital media industry feels a lot like a house that hasn’t been staged. The digital landscape is cluttered and complex, and agencies haven’t found a controlled and effective way to do digital. And, combined with the different and disconnected systems we use in our everyday jobs, it’s nearly impossible to find time to step back, figure out what works, what doesn’t – and what should have been thrown out 10 years ago.

Chances are, your digital media operations ‘house’ is out of order and it’s time to take back control. And with a new year approaching, what better time to take a fresh look under the hood of your digital media ops?

You can’t expect different results if you haven’t made any changes. So, what do you need to change to get organized and reap the performance payoff in 2018? Here’s a list of what’s in and what’s out in digital media this year:

An organized business is a high-performing business, so let’s make 2018 the year you keep your resolutions. For more information on how Basis can be your go-to platform for organization and put you back in control in 2018, reach out to [email protected] or request a demo.

At Centro, we believe we can make the world a better place. It’s a pillar of our corporate manifesto: Each individual is responsible for his/her own improvement, the improvement of the company, and the improvement of those around them.

This belief is best exemplified with Centro’s Giving Tree program. This philanthropic initiative encourages employees, with the help of regional liaisons in each office, to commit their time and fundraising efforts to various associations, charities, and organizations. In return, Centro matches a portion of some of the funds raised.

Below is a recap of some of the Giving Tree initiatives across the offices so far this year:

• The Giving Tree Los Angeles team held a Valentine’s Day bake sale and raised $313 in support of a fellow Centron's fundraising efforts for the Gay Men’s Chorus of LA. Eleven bakers prepared sweet treats like Rice Krispies treats, chocolate-covered strawberries, and heart-shaped cookies for pre-sale and day-of sales.
• In July, the Toronto office participated in a Habitat for Humanity build day at Pinery Trail.

• Across all offices to date, Centro’s Giving Tree program has matched $9,430.77 total donations to 74 unique organizations. That doesn’t include donations of time, supplies, and services.
• The Boston office participated in a charity spin ride benefiting the Boston Children’s Hospital.

• The Chicago office is once again participating in the Chicago Sun-Times’ Letters to Santa program to fulfill the holiday wish lists of 203 local students. The program works with schools, social service agencies, and shelters in poverty-stricken neighborhoods to identify children who are in need of assistance and gifts this holiday season.

• Los Angeles held their first-ever Oktoberfest charity event and raised $351 worth of donations to Wags & Walks, a local animal rescue. This fundraising event included activities such as a blind beer tasting, a stein-holding competition, and an obstacle course!
• The team in Dallas packed 200 lunch bags for homeless children over the summer, and they also served 150 lunches and meals to homeless citizens at a local shelter.
• We sent 13 Centrons to Nicaragua with our volunteer travel partner, Unearth the World, for a service trip. Team members worked with the La Mariposa school and an eco-hotel in Masaya, Nicaragua. Participants volunteered at different local sites that La Mariposa manages. They learned about environmental sustainability, improved their Spanish speaking skills, and assisted the community in their organic farming and conservation efforts.

• Our Dallas office hosted a happy hour that raised over $750 for a local animal shelter, and they also adopted three families from a women’s shelter over the holidays to help them with holiday gifts and essentials.
• Boston peeps raked leaves for the elderly through Ethos, a local organization that assists the elderly and disabled who live at home with high-quality services and support.

• For the third year in a row, we sent 5 Centrons to a ping pong tournament benefitting the Jackson Chance Foundation, an organization that provides transportation and parking to families with babies in the NICU at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
• LA held two trivia nights: One in April to benefit AIDS/Lifecycle. The event raised $555, and it marked a milestone donation amount for a Giving Tree LA trivia night. The event was such a success that they had to do it twice! In September, the team raised $400 in support of Operation USA’s response to the hurricanes and earthquakes that devastated North and Central America.
• For the 5^th year in a row, Boston joined 4,200 other Bostonians and participated in the Light the Night Walk benefitting the Leukemia & Lymphoma society – and raised over $1,600 for the event.

• For “Change the World” week in Chicago, there were a number of activities planned. The week resulted in Chicago peeps creating 150 activity kits for Lurie’s Children’s Hospital and Aspire Chicago, 35 blankets for PAWS & the Anti-Cruelty Society, preparing 35 lunches for the Lincoln Park Community Shelter, raising more than $300 for the Scleroderma Foundation, and packing 40 bags for Together We Rise. 
• And for LA’s “Change the World Day” in June, five Centrons spent their morning at the Westside Food Bank in Santa Monica sorting through donated produce that was provided to community members in need. And, for the third year in a row, the LA office held a canned food donation drive in support of Westside Food Bank.
• As a first for Giving Tree LA, nine high school students and three aides visited Centro’s office to learn about the digital ad industry, Centro’s business, and the team members' personal journeys. After an office tour and presentation, Centrons sat down and had a pizza lunch with the students and their chaperones.
• For the second year in a row, the Boston team worked with Action for Boston Community Development to “Adopt a Family for Christmas” and provide holiday gifts for a local family.
• The Chicago office raised money to purchase school supplies for local CPS students heading back to school this summer. Enough money was raised to purchase a long, exhaustive list of supplies to keep the kids happy and well-stocked this school season – enough that the receipt was 15 feet long!

At Centro, we know that keeping up with the trade pubs and latest trends can be tough and time consuming. To make that easier, we’ve compiled all the articles, reports, and other bits of awesomeness you may have missed, but should definitely read. Enjoy our latest list below!

Trials and Tribulations For Brands In-Housing Their Programmatic Advertising
More and more advertisers are bringing programmatic in-house, and when you combine that with a brand team’s ability to manage their own first-party data, there’s promise of more efficiencies and transparency. Some of the challenges these teams face range from hiring and training, vetting new partners, and retooling how they’re working with existing, longstanding partners.

Forrester Report: Predictions 2018, A Year of Reckoning
As the economy grows and signs of the marketplace as a whole changing, Forrester’s 2018 predictions describe how companies looking to evolve into modern marketers will need to take aggressive action with regards to customer experience and new technologies. Or else marketers will be faced with a year of reckoning as advertising budgets remain flat.

The Duopoly Will Capture Almost All Advertising Growth In 2018
The latest report out of Magna Global puts 84% of current share of global digital ad investment with the big two: Google and Facebook. If that seems like an incredible data point, Zenith also released their latest numbers and claim both platforms accounted for 96% of growth in global digital ad spend in 2017. Could next year be the year that Amazon steps up in a big way to be the challenger? It won’t be from new dollars coming from CPG, auto, telecom, or retail sectors, because each will continue to cut or keep their overall ad spend flat in 2018, while advertisers will look to shift investment into programmatic buys.

LUMA’s State of Digital Marketing at DMS West 17
Take a look at Luma Partners’ yearly report, which contains market updates with continued consolidation via M&A activity, ad tech ecosystem considerations regarding the opportunity beyond the duopoly, and industry trends (and demands) towards more integrated tech platforms.

Publishers See a Slow Shift, Not Rush, To First-Price Programmatic Ad Auctions
Programmatic media is seeing a shift from second-priced auctions to first-priced auctions as buyers look to gain a better understanding of the true value of an impression, and publishers are able to offer more transparency – and often better win rates.

5 Ways to Protect Against the Ad Fraud Surge in Q4
Ad fraud levels will reach their peak during the holiday season, and White Ops has some good ideas on how to ensure that additional investment does not get stolen. Tips range from increased transparency and accountability to making sure targeting parameters are set up to deliver human, non-bot traffic.

Mobile Ad Trends: Ad Fraud Tops Transparency Concerns
For a channel that is seen as more complicated that desktop, marketers identified ad fraud as their top concern within mobile programmatic, followed closely by viewability, and targeting.

15 Things You Should Know About Location Based Advertising
Fifteen members of the Forbes Agency Council offered key considerations all brands should know about location-based advertising before they get started, including some tips you probably already know (it can be highly personalized and measurable) and some to start thinking about (consider context and intent).

Apple’s New Operating System Will Kill the Cookie
Apple's latest software, iOS 11, features "intelligent tracking prevention," or ITP for short. ITP blocks the use of third-party data after 24 hours, changing the way advertisers can use cookies. What does this mean for consumers and, more importantly, for marketers and technology providers?

5 Key Questions to Ask an ACR Wielding Vendor
Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) data from smart TVs can be confusing for many advertisers and marketers, as they’re not quite sure where the data comes from, how reliable it is, how it’s gathered or how representative it is of the viewing audience. What are the key questions to ask (and get answered) before working with the dozens of companies selling products that make use of ACR?

December’s DIAL is also available as a PDF. Download it here.

We post great content to our blog every week, but between hectic days (or weeks, or months) at work, trying to keep up with trade publications and industry news, or forgetting about all the stories you bookmarked to read later, sometimes it can be hard to keep up.

So, in case you missed any of our blog posts, below are the most popular from the past month:

• How to Use Programmatic in Higher Education: If you’re a higher education marketer or institution, we put together some tips and tricks for approaching programmatic ad buying.
• Dreamforce Recap: A few of us went to Salesforce’s annual Dreamforce conference, and we gathered our favorite highlights and takeaways from the massive event.
• DIAL (November): The latest Digital Innovations Awesome List, a round-up of articles and industry reports from the trade pubs.
• Programmatic 101/Conversion Tracking: Tracking conversions is crucial to digital campaign success. Here’s a primer on how conversion tracking works, why it’s helpful for campaign optimization decision-making, and what types of conversions can be tracked in DSPs.
• 3T Wrap-Up: After 12 months, 10 webinars, almost 6,000 registrants, and 2,400 attendees, 3Ton30 has concluded for the year. We rounded up the presentations, slides, and extra 3T content from each webinar into one blog for easy viewing.

Happy reading!

We received a lot of questions during our November 3Ton30 webinar. Because we like to keep these bite-sized presentations under 45 minutes, we weren’t able to answer all of them, so we’ve enlisted our fearless speaker, Ryan Manchee, to share some additional digital marketing insights and answer questions on our blog:

Does Centro support podcast advertising? If so, what results have you seen from this? Do you have any major takeaways?

Centro has worked on a number of digital marketing campaigns with podcasts as an advertising channel, all with fairly good success. It’s important to keep in mind that there is no direct click or interactive engagement that can happen during a podcast. So, it’s best to use this as an awareness effort, or to provide a specific referral code (ideally with a discount) to measure performance.

From a targeting perspective, there are several podcast platforms like Panopoly, Gimlet, and Midroll, each with varying levels of demographic or geographic targeting. For now, I think most podcasts are ideal for brands with a national presence, though there are some podcasts with a heavier subscription/listener base in specific markets.

Here’s a link to the NPR/Edison Smart Audio Report I referenced during the webinar Q&A. This report does a great job of highlighting podcast opportunities – in particular the potential with smart speakers/assistants.

Learn more about audio advertising with Centro.

How does your team at Centro talk about the effects of client website user experience in relation to campaign performance?

For digital marketing campaigns where it makes sense and we are able, Centro analyzes a combination of post-click and post-view activity, which helps provide an understanding of the effectiveness of the ads, and helps show us where we can optimize to improve performance over the course of a campaign (and for future campaigns).

On the personalization chart, was there a third option – besides generic vs personalized – that the remaining percentage of marketing leaders went with?

My interpretation from the study is that not all marketing leaders responded, so the totals did not add up to 100%. You can see the full Salesforce State of Marketing report here (and page 11 has the personalization data chart).

What is your take on the recent moves by large brands, like P&G, to drastically change their digital spend? Won't this impact the overall trend? For example, if P&G is doing this, why would I still do it?

I love seeing bigger brands help move the industry forward. A line item for them may be another marketer’s entire annual budget, so when a company like P&G pushes for more transparency and accountability it’s not just a benefit for them, but a benefit for the entire industry.

My interpretation of the challenge they put in place earlier this year was for more transparency in the supply chain, and additional assurances via certifications to mitigate fraud and establish a higher minimum expectation for viewability. I feel that any impact on the industry is more of a correction, allowing the good players to become even stronger, while the ones in the middle have to choose to evolve their business to where it needs be.

Beyond the benefit for the industry, I like the validation that the way Centro runs our business is very much forward-thinking, operating in a more transparent model that helps deliver performance for our clients not just by smart planning, quality media (see the recent TAG certification) and optimizations, but by putting more of our client’s investments towards working digital media.

Why would a company sell their first-party data? Isn’t it more beneficial to have proprietary data to use toward your own products?

Most of the companies that sell their first-party data are either publishers who have been able to smartly segment their audiences, or are a data-focused company, like an OwnerIQ that has unique purchase and shopping data they license to digital marketers.

Companies that sell products or services with an overlapping client (or prospective client) base may form a relationship that allows them to license one or each other’s data. A simple example would be American Express and Mercedes Benz, who are in different businesses, but have customers who may be good customers for the other’s business.

For additional info on specific opportunities, Centro capabilities, or questions unanswered, please reach out to your Centro Account Lead.

Do the math: What do you get when you add up four sunny days in California, countless breakout sessions and informative hands-on trainings, mesmerizing keynote speakers, conference floors filled top to bottom with swag, and what seemed like an after party around every corner (and a hangover to remind you)?

Dreamforce 2017.

More than 160,000 people from all over the world descended on San Francisco last week to talk marketing, sales, and software at the annual (and massive) Salesforce conference.

A group of Centrons made the trek out, and we can show you all 17,000 miles worth of steps on our Fitbits to prove it. (That's a rough estimate, but I know my feet still hurt). Once we landed, we hit the ground running, and we rounded up some of our favorite takeaways and highlights from the event:

It's important to align sales and marketing teams, and putting in that work is definitely worth it in the end. No one team is in the driver's seat when it comes to effective digital strategies. Sales and marketing should act as partners, and one of the common themes at Dreamforce was the importance of aligning sales and marketing on common goals, KPIs, and tactics. Doing this gives marketing clear direction on how to build their programs. With marketing able to pass better leads, it creates accountability for sales, and they're able to take notice and better act on the opportunities being created. It also makes it easier to track, measure, and analyze program success, offering better opportunities for tweaking, optimizing, and re-optimizing over time.

Plenty of Salesforce solutions and tools were plugged throughout the week, but tech isn't the only answer to creating winning sales and marketing strategies. According to Summer Crenshaw, co-founder of Tilr, “tech is there to support and nurture, but not to replace the human touch.”

Which means personalization is key.

One social marketer noted that it's important to talk about “what your customer cares about, and not what you want to say, otherwise you're just talking to yourself.”

As marketers, we have to make sure we create personalized experiences for all our consumers. Even as a B-to-B marketer selling products and solutions to other companies, it's crucial to remember that you're still talking to people.

Account-based marketing, or ABM, took center stage at Dreamforce this year, and is a great example of a way marketers can tap into personalized messaging and create personalized experiences. By utilizing ABM, you can make content dynamic, and build blocks of specific content based on visitors' behaviors, backgrounds, interests, and industries. This isn't just an opportunity to drive performance and success with your campaigns, but it's also a competitive advantage because it differentiates your company.

Which should be a major focus for marketers in 2018, because creating a better customer experience will become the new purpose for digital marketers. In today's digital world, customers are buying experiences, not products. And they're always-on, so focusing on when, where, and how to market to them is important – because quality, timing, and relevant affects brand perception. According to one Salesforce study, 64% of users respond to ads that are relevant in the moment. You only have their attention for so long, so you want every interaction they have with your brand to be positive. That extends to making sure your website and calls to action are clear and concise, and that when people search for your brand they see positive reviews and have positive experiences.

But it's difficult to personalize experiences and positive interactions if you aren't using the right data to make data-driven decisions.

Sitting on top of mounds of data, or describing all of your digital strategies as “data-driven” in client presentations won't amount to much unless you know what to do with the data. If you're not able to measure it, capitalize on it, or deliver results, then you simply have a pile of stuff and a pile of numbers.

For example, AI was an ever-present topic at Dreamforce – with a large percentage of marketers looking to invest in AI in 2018 and beyond – but if you're storing data in 30 different platforms or unable to locate and act on data, then it's hard to realize the true potential of AI.

Marketers and organizations need to focus on collecting the right data, using the right tools to digest the data, taking those insights to shape strategies, and figure out what resonates with your audience to solve their problems.

Beyond performance, there's also a trust element to data. “Data will be one of the issues of our time. There are very simple decisions you make when you have values around this,” noted Ginni Rometty, chairman, president and CEO of IBM. “Customers have trusted us with their most valued asset – data. Your data is yours, not mine to give away.”

Ultimately, knowing whether you are creating experiences that consumers trust can be achieved by talking to your customers.

Channel your inner salesperson and journalist – or your inner gossip – to reach out to customers and get a better idea of what they think of your content and your campaigns. Ask questions like 'What were you looking for?' and 'Did it meet your expectations?' and 'Have you seen better?'

For example, when building nurture campaigns, try different tactics, and make sure to get feedback from customers on what worked and what didn't. Your customers are either opening the emails or not – and it's important to figure out why not, so you can cut the dead weight and increase engagement. Are your emails too generic? Are your prospects too cold? Are the subject lines making an impression?

Your customers are the audience, so why wouldn't you be interested in their POV?

External feedback is crucial, but so is internal feedback. Figure out a way to audit your content and assign grades to the finished product.

With that, another Dreamforce is in the books. Until next year, San Francisco. But in the meantime, if you want additional digital tips, trends, and insights, reach out to [email protected] or check out Centro Institute.

At Centro, we know that keeping up with the trade pubs and latest trends can be tough and time consuming. To make that easier, we've compiled all the articles, reports, and other bits of awesomeness you may have missed, but should definitely read. Enjoy our latest list below!

Creative Agencies Offering Media Planning and Buying Services
Is a new trend on the horizon? More creative agencies have begun to offer media services in an attempt to bridge the gap between creative and media and help creative teams better understand media channels, user behavior, content, and context.

32% Of Marketers To Bring Programmatic Media Buying In-House
According to a recent Ad Perceptions report, 7 out of 10 brands rely on agencies for programmatic buying today, but over 50% of marketers and agencies believe programmatic buying will ultimately become the responsibility of the brand. A third of marketers surveyed already have plans to bring programmatic buying in-house.

Will the Hype Around Programmatic Keep Going Strong in 2018?
How will 2018 shake up when Zenith estimated that over half of global ad spend was with Google and Facebook?

Direct Ad Buys Are Back In Fashion As Programmatic Declines
According to data from MediaRadar, the number of brands engaging in programmatic ad buys dropped by 2% between January and July. While programmatic buys account for over 80% of the display ad market, have concerns over brand safety, transparency, ad fraud, and fees caused marketers to rethink their digital advertising strategies?

Six Digital Marketing Trends to Watch out For in 2018
Digital advertising is set to hit $113.2 billion by 2020, which is double what we saw just two years ago. The Digital Marketing Institute highlights six trends for 2018 that present some unique opportunities for brands and businesses.

The World of Data: Hoarders vs. Sharers
Here's a new way of viewing all of the data available in the world of online advertising, and how data can be put into action.

Audience-Based Planning is the Next Battleground for Media Agencies
Audience-based planning, or people-based marketing, is built on the promise of pulling together different data sets from a brand's first-party data, device IDs, data from Amazon, Google or Facebook, and purchased data sources to build a consumer identity graph. And then matching that with publisher inventory, without disclosing any personally identifiable information.

Snapchat Finally Lets Advertisers Use Pixels To Track Ad Results & Eventually Retarget
Snapchat is looking to build advertising models (and revenue) similar to Facebook and Google, and they're starting with the ability to retarget.

A User's Guide to Advanced TV Jargon
Programmatic TV, Addressable TV, and Connected TV are used interchangeably -- even though each refers to specific aspects within the umbrella category of Advanced TV. Here's a good outsider's perspective on what each of these mean, and how they're different. Want an insider perspective? Be sure to read Heather Robertson's take on these terms, and more, on our blog and in the new Connected TV e-Book.

Three Reasons Retailers Should Rethink Their Holiday Strategy
Consumers are starting their holiday shopping a lot earlier than Thanksgiving. Find out what their new patterns are, and maybe start preparing for next year.

The Day After Tomorrow: When Adblockers and GDPR Kill All Adtech and Martech
Over the past 20 years, digital marketing has gone all-in on direct marketing. And we've seen the rise and power of retargeting, but many consumers don't like to be retargeted with bland, generic messages. It only takes four clicks to install most ad blockers, which affects not just an annoying banner ad, but the digital landscape that advertisers and marketers rely on. Could we see creative once again play a bigger role in online advertising?

November's DIAL is also available as a PDF. Download it here.

As we near the end of the year and dig into planning for 2018, it’s important to step back and think about how to successfully navigate the rapidly changing media landscape. Advancements in advertising technology continue to improve, and marketers are tapping into more sophisticated and innovative digital capabilities and tools. The complexity is enough to make your VR headset spin.

For our next 3T webinar, we’re exploring how the industry can deliver more effectively on its longstanding promise of performance.

Watch our webinar, Cut Through the Digital Chaos: Insights for 2018. In 45 minutes or less, VP of Media Innovations and Technology, Ryan Manchee, will discuss:

• Trends and predictions for the upcoming year
• The future fluidity of media channels
• How the value of data will be re-evaluated
• What shiny new digital objects will live up to their hype