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When Centro first started, we made our name as the go-to partner for local buys and local expertise. We’ve expanded our offering significantly since then, but we still recognize the value of local targeting in modern media.

These days, mobile phones, and more importantly smart phones, are in the hands of everyone and their grandma. Literally. Marketers are taking advantage of this uptick in mobile consumption to get face time with their consumers long after they leave their desktops. To reach this audience on the move, local targeting efforts are, once again, the name of the game. Enter the simultaneous rise of programmatic technology, and marketers have a powerful trifecta of targeting.

Tom Burg, VP of Product Marketing at Centro, partnered with the 4A’s to deliver the webinar The New Rules of Advertising, Hyperlocal or Bust earlier this year. The fantastic resulting webinar looks at mobile through the lens of local & programmatic, along with the opportunities that various types of hyper-local targeting presents to marketers who are increased relevancy in their targeting and performance.

Now available for download, this webinar recording will help you:

• Understand how hyperlocal advertising works on mobile and how is it used.
• Understand how conversion tracking and behavioral targeting are solved on mobile.
• Develop your knowledge programmatic mobile ad buying on mobile web sites and mobile apps.
• Think about creative techniques for finding the right audiences on mobile.

When you go shopping, you should have a plan. Knowing what you want, the style you are going for, and where you are most likely going to find what you need is important. Even with a strategy, shopping is hard. But when you don’t prepare, you can be left wandering the corridors of the mall, trying to figure out your next move. When negligent, success is rare. One thing’s for sure: shopping is very relatable to digital. If you enter the digital ad space without the right tools, inventory, or strategy it can be difficult to get a successful campaign in motion. That’s where our latest client needed some help – enhancing their media plans to successfully drive ROI.

One of the world’s largest retailers of upscale apparel and home goods was having difficulty finding the bandwidth to effectively manage its digital effort across all of its brands. Centro focused its efforts specifically on the client’s luxury furniture brand, who used to split its budget into two initiatives - brand awareness and sales performance - with the performance budget expected to drive the greatest ROI.

In the autumn of 2014, Centro launched a partnership with the luxury furniture brand and built a comprehensive media strategy to achieve its ROI goal. The full-funnel strategy combined premium contextual placements and data-driven audience targeting in order to reach consumers with digital behaviors and interests that profiled them as a target consumer. Through pixel placement and conversion tracking on the brand’s site, along with weekly status calls on reporting and analysis, Centro was able to accurately measure and improve sales performance across the brand’s digital campaigns.

Centro’s comprehensive strategy, measurement solution, and optimization approach drove results the client was highly impressed with. Overall, Centro delivered a $23.16 ROI, with an even greater direct response ROI of $45.72. This represented an increase of 19% over 2013. Over the course of 2015, the client has successfully transitioned all remaining brands to the Centro relationship.

At Centro, we offer a modern approach to digital media. With over 13 years and 100,000 campaigns to our name, we leverage advanced technology, proven tactics, and industry expertise to build campaigns around the channels and platforms that drive the greatest results for our client’s specific business needs. People and technology are at the heart of Centro, and are the essential parts in every #CentroInAction story.

Centro Brand Exchange is No. 4 on Pixalate Trust Index and has 96% Ideal Rating with Trust Metrics

Chicago, IL – Nov. 11, 2015 – Centro (centro.net), a provider of enterprise-class software for digital advertising, today announced a private deal integration with AppNexus (www.appnexus.com). Centro Brand Exchange, an ad marketplace of journalistic sites, is now available to conduct private deals with advertisers and agencies using AppNexus’ programmatic ad-buying platform.

Centro Brand Exchange is recognized for transparency, publisher quality, and campaign performance. Pixalate ranks it No. 4 on its Global Seller Trust Index, making it a strong rival to all major open exchanges. Measurement firm Trust Metrics rates 96% of Centro Brand Exchange publishers as “ideal” for marketers. AppNexus selected Centro Brand Exchange as its first ASI deals partner, given its exclusive access to curated inventory on journalistic information sites.

“AppNexus’ platform is designed to connect quality buyers and quality sellers,” said Michael Rubenstein, President of AppNexus. “Centro has strong relationships with premium local publishers across the United States and beyond, and our buyers are excited to connect with them directly via our programmatic deals marketplace.”

As part of the news, Centro added general manager Jesse Cozart to lead the Centro Brand Exchange. A 20-year ad tech veteran, Cozart has served leadership roles to drive programmatic revenue for companies such as Tapad, DataXu, Google and DoubleClick. His priority is growth and expanded relationships with ad-buying platforms such as AppNexus.

“Advertisers who access the Centro Brand Exchange receive an ideal mix of top-notch publishers, engaged audiences, and wide scale. Our criteria pushes the ad tech ecosystem to demand the highest quality from partners,” said Jesse Cozart, GM of Centro Brand Exchange. “We focused on AppNexus as a private deal demand partner because its customers can deliver the brands and campaigns that meet the superior standards we’ve set for our publishers.”

Centro operates a direct order automation platform for streamlining the entire lifecycle of direct media transactions between agencies and publishers. Stemming from its direct relationships with publishers, Centro created a private exchange with journalistic sites. More than 1,600 sites benefit from advertising demand sourced directly from Centro’s 2,500 marketing customers. Integrated with all major demand-side platforms and trading desks, the marketplace ensures brand-safe programmatic ad buys.

Programmatic advertising is expected to reach $14+ billion globally in 2015 largely because of new companies entering the market, from both demand- and buy-side. The accelerating growth of the space makes it difficult to vet the multitude of ad sellers in the space. Centro lifts this burden off ad buyers through deep evaluation of every publisher in its marketplace to ensure that it is compiled of brand-safe, engaging content environments.

About Centro

Centro (centro.net) is creating a platform to make digital advertising easier. Its enterprise-class software centralizes, organizes and automates all digital media campaigns across all channels, accessing both guaranteed and biddable inventory, to achieve any objective. Our holistic approach gives marketers a single system of record to fulfill their research, planning, buying, optimization, reporting and reconciliation needs. Since 2001, Centro has successfully planned and executed more than 250,000 campaigns across all digital display platforms and ad format types. Headquartered in Chicago with 32 offices in North America, Centro has received numerous accolades for its commitment to employees and workplace culture.

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Contact:

Anthony Loredo

[email protected]

646-462-4888

 

Columnist Ratko Vidakovic delves into the many faces of ad fraud and the underlying reasons why it exists in the first place.

Read more on Marketing Land

Welcome back to #PollingPalooza2015. Every week throughout November, we will be polling you, the people, to not only test your digital knowledge, but to help you understand the key issues in advertising today. Did we mention some cool swag is up for grabs? So use your voice, cast your vote, and join us for #PollingPalooza2015!

For week two, we are throwing our hat into the political arena to discuss campaign spending on digital advertising. The world is becoming increasingly more connected to digital devices. What does this mean? Media platforms like print, TV, and even desktop to an extent, have been overtaken by smartphones, tablets and the like, which means the world is becoming more social (media, that is). Reaching consumers now means reaching them on mobile devices, through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. But just how many ad dollars will go social's way?

The poll is now closed! Thanks to all those who participated.

Your target is waiting for the train, phone in hand, educating herself on the latest news in the developing race for presidential candidacy. She is in a swing state, and she knows how much weight her vote carries. What if you could reach out to her – right there and then – and direct her to your campaign platform?

Thanks to that phone in her hand, you can. And according to the numbers – you should.

Mobile is exploding, and not a second too soon for the exciting year ahead. According to analyst estimates, mobile display ads are expected to account for nearly 40% of all display advertising by 2019. With the help of the equally rapid rise in programmatic, these ads will account for nearly $15 billion in ad spend.

Centro is committed to bringing you the freshest thoughts and perspectives on industry trends. Earlier this year, we gave a webinar on how brands can efficiently and effectively reach their audiences on any mobile device, on any application and site, wherever they are located. Important information for marketers heading into 2016 planning – with or without political plans. Marketers who are able to purchase ad impressions individually based on smartphone data are the most primed for effective campaigns that engage their audiences.

This webinar, now available for download, preps you with:

Sound like some insights you could use in your next campaign? Check out the webinar below!

Have some questions on what you learn? No problem. Shoot us your info any time at centro.net

 

The weather may be inconsistent (here in New York at least!), but our Digital Innovations team sure isn’t! We’ve got a new edition of the Digital Innovations Awesome List (DIAL). We know that keeping up with the trade pubs and the latest trends can be tough and time consuming, so we wanted to make it easier for you by compiling all the latest and greatest news in our industry. Below, you will find the articles, reports, and other bits of awesomeness you may have missed, but should definitely read. Enjoy!

Local Papers Unload on Viewability Bad Actors and ‘Garbage Inventory’

Check out these insights from the Local Media Consortium (LMC) advertising head on how local newspaper sites are confronting the challenges with viewability.

How Can Marketers Be Certain Their Mobile Ads Are Actually Getting Seen?

Informative article tackling the conversation of mobile viewability as industry folks wait for official word on viewability standards from the MRC.

Millennial Eyes Are Ripe for Mobile Political Ads, but Campaigns Aren't Capitalizing

The countdown is on for the 2016 election. This article takes a look at the growing volume of Millennials who, for the most part, can’t be easily reached through traditional media types like TV or print. Despite the ripeness for receiving mobile ads, many political campaigns have yet to build really robust mobile strategies to engage with these potential Millennial constituents.

A More Native Play on Snapchat

The new 007 movie hyped its release with a new native ad unit, sponsored stories, within Snapchat’s Discover channel. To date, Snapchat’s ad opportunities have been less native and more traditional in feel (think ten-second video ad breaks between content), but now brands with bigger ad budgets are able to play in the promoted content realm on the platform.

How Brands, Publishers Are Tailoring Their Ads for Snapchat Discover

Whether it’s original content or repurposed content, short-form videos that are fun and engaging, with little branding, seem to be the ideal Snapchat videos.

Twitters Moves to Cut Out The Noise

In a move to lure new users, Twitter launched Moments, a new feed that contains curated content and conversations currently trending on the platform. This feature is geared toward “Twitter-lite” users, who strictly use the platform to consume content and not create it. It’s not surprising then that Twitter was quick to place ads in this new feed.

Reddit Takes Aim at BuzzFeed and Advertisers

The best of viral news sites (i.e. BuzzFeed) often get their start on Reddit. However, the site has had trouble courting advertisers due to its wonky design and notorious presence of trolls. Recently, they launched a companion site, Upvoted. It is comment free and pulls in the top content from Reddit and then builds on it. Bonus: here’s a long, yet incredibly interesting article on the state of Reddit as a whole.

'The New York Times' Bows VR App

Old media goes new media. The New York Times pushes into innovative territory to create engaging experiences through Google Cardboard. Immersive virtual reality editorial (and branded content) that still has the smell of dead trees? Sign us up!

A Surprising Number of Cord-Nevers

Though the projected numbers seem a bit high, Forrester’s research suggests the cord-cutting and cord-never trends aren’t slowing down, signifying the continued need for advertisers to rethink their current approach to TV and video overall.

Hulu Is Open for Programmatic Advertising

Partnering with Oracle’s DMP and LiveRail, Hulu is opening up inventory for programmatic buying, though it is slightly limited.

TiVo to TV Ratings Marketplace: How’s Free, Is Free Good Enough For You?

The move, which follows consolidation in the audience measurement industry with comScore’s merger with Rentrak and Nielsen’s efforts to expand its traditional TV ratings dominance into digital, is likely going to put some pressure on these longstanding measurement companies.

In the blink of an eye, day two of #adtechNY has flown by. The themes from day one, including ad fraud, targeting specific audiences, and new means of campaign measurement set up day two. Overall, the message from day two centered on turning day one insights into action. The second day kicked off with an insightful keynote on protecting your brand in the digital sphere, while also maintaining relevance within the industry.

"Technology is a way for bands who have been around for a while to be relevant" Jeremy Levine, @LiveNation #adtechNY pic.twitter.com/ogPoOoqYGp

— ad:tech (@adtech) November 5, 2015

"it's about educating individuals, especially the younger demographic...give them other options" to get content legitimately @AMC_TV @adtech

— The Economist Group (@Leanback_blog) November 5, 2015

'When you move away from fraud, you allow marketers to gain control of their brands again.' @BrianKillen #adtechNY

— Centro (@Centro) November 5, 2015

One point of discussion included the methods to best reach your target audience, with a focus on leveraging the most successful platforms, utilizing various ad mediums, and where and how to publish content. The tactic that received the most hype? Programmatic creative. The consensus was clear: regardless of data, KPIs or strategy, personalized and powerful creative will always be successful for digital campaigns.

It's about being relevant to the consumer however they're going to enter the brand -Megan Cheesbrough @Arcteryx #adtechNY #programmaticmedia

— Caitlin Reid (@caitlin_reid) November 5, 2015

"Clicks are not relationships: they are moments of engagement. You have to put together many moments to build a relationship" #adtechNY

— Gavin Sheppard (@GavinJSheppard) November 5, 2015

"Behind every great brand is a great story" on lessons in creativity for #programmatic media - @alasdairLLJ #adtechNY

— ad:tech (@adtech) November 5, 2015

"The best engagement comes out of the best creative, not the best technology" #adtechNY

— Gavin Sheppard (@GavinJSheppard) November 5, 2015

We’re glad you joined us the past few days for ad:techNY and hope you had a great time like we did.

A fast-paced day at ad:tech New York is in the books and there were plenty of themes and speakers that took center-stage. Coupled with some comedy and a great musical performance by Daria Musk, there was tons going on and even more to discuss. But how can you filter through all of the content to get to the key information? There’s just not enough time in the day. The good news is that you don’t have to look any further than our tweet-cap. We highlighted the features of the day, in 140 characters or less.

Demographics and reaching the omni-channel consumer took up much of the morning, especially with mediums that are growing in ad spend, particularly podcasts. What’s more, pinpointing consumers throughout their journey was a heavily discussed topic, especially the nuances of targeting various demographics and generations.

.@marcmaron "I don't like to do one-off stuff." It is all about being genuine in advertising & podcasting #adtechNY

— ad:tech (@adtech) November 4, 2015

@marcmaron discussing his approach to podcasts and advertisers: “Be annoying. It’s memorable.” #adtechNY pic.twitter.com/YVhNebSW7y

— shanebsantiago (@shanebsantiago) November 4, 2015

"Marketers have to push themselves to identify the metrics that apply to this new mobile arena" #adtechNY @adtech pic.twitter.com/1Qi18nBzve

— Swyft Media (@SwyftMedia) November 4, 2015

#kik has the highest app engagement among young users (14-17) if it's older they are on #fb #adtechNY pic.twitter.com/GZm7W3aLYG

— Shiva Subramaniam (@supermaniamus) November 4, 2015

"Data is reinventing marketing" #adtechNY #programmatic pic.twitter.com/EfsiYk1pj2

— Ashley Evenson (@ash_evenson) November 4, 2015

The afternoon sessions kicked off with a great keynote on the convergence of digital and politics and how vital digital is to the political campaign landscape (#PollingPalooza2015, anyone?). To continue the discussion on techs roles in advertising, Centro’s Ratko Vidakovic took a deep-dive into ad fraud, discussing its many forms, as well as how to fight it. Due to the rise in ad spending, technology poses a threat to the security of ads, but also provides avenues for solutions. Needless to say, attendees of his session know how important it is to #StopAdFraud!

Over 80% of active users are using Twitter solely on their mobile devices - @jigolden #adtechNY pic.twitter.com/jwn1Pm4KcD

— ad:tech (@adtech) November 4, 2015

'Fraud doesn't perform, it only erodes trust in #adtech.' @RatkoVidakovic #StopAdFraud #adtechNY

— Centro (@Centro) November 4, 2015

Be sure to tweet @Centro tomorrow during day two of #adtechNY!