Retailers, get your red, white, and blue sparklers ready – the Fourth of July falls on a Saturday this year and consumers are feeling pretty patriotic. In fact, over 164 million Americans will celebrate our independence this year. Pam Goodfellow, consumer insights director at BIGinsight, a consumer-centric information portal, notes “Great summer weather and a day off from work will help put Americans in high spirits this Fourth of July.” High spirits indeed – and eager to open wallets – an explosive opportunity for retailers looking to attract holiday shoppers.

So just what are Americans hungry for this holiday? Food, of course! Many will spend on items for barbecues, cookouts, or picnics – an average of nearly $72 a person. According to a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF), $6.7 billion will be spent in total on celebrations nationwide, in comparison to the $6.2 billion spent last year. More significantly, consumers are turning to digital for virtually all of their Fourth of July needs. From shopping for decorations to researching festive recipes, consumers are undeniably online this Fourth of July – and you should be too. But before you head out and celebrate, brush up on what’s trending and who’s spending this patriotic season in the infographic below, or find it here.

 

Merry Christmas everyone!

You did indeed read that right. We’re celebrating Christmastime – in July. And if you’re in digital advertising, you know exactly why. Even though Christmas is still over 170 days away, it’s time to start mapping out your digital strategy and placing buys for the holiday season.

Digital advertising continues to explode and as a result, inventory around major buying days is selling out faster than ever before. And if last year’s numbers are any indication, early holiday promotions will capture eager consumers once again. In fact, according to the National Retail Federation, the average holiday shopper completed over 50% of their buying by December 10^th of the 2014 season. Break out the calendar and the count the weeks. The buying season is upon us.

To help you get in the holiday spirit, over the next month we’ll take a look at the retail space, including when and where consumers are spending. We’ll also take a deep dive into a few generation segments. For example, did you know that 73% of millennials planned on self-gifting while shopping last season? Or that they’re more likely than other generations to shop on Thanksgiving and Black Friday? And what about the small but mighty Gen Xers and the latest generation, Gen Z? More on these influencers and spenders in the weeks to come.

What’s next?
Take a look at your overall 2014 holiday campaign performance. What worked well? What didn’t? Also be sure to ask your digital partner about the advancements in the various channels as well as buying technology over the course of the last year. What’s all the buzz about mobile and video inventory? And would a DSP be a smart way to manage your holiday campaigns?

No matter what approach you take, it’s time to build your plan and check it twice because Santa is coming to town whether you’ve placed your digital buys or not. To help you get started, let’s review the holiday numbers from last year’s buying season in our holiday e-Book.

Review the holiday eBook now!

Programmatic Transforms Local Marketing
One of the biggest challenges for national marketers has always been tackling local digital marketing campaigns, as managing hundreds of localized campaigns can be an overwhelming task. However, with the emergence of programmatic technology, marketers are now able to streamline the campaign planning, deployment, reporting, and optimization processes via a centralized platform. This allows marketers to run more efficient and effective campaigns. Find out more>>

Programmatic Video Ad Spend Soaring
Programmatic digital video ad spending in the U.S. has skyrocketed in the past year, increasing by over 212% in 2015, with three-quarters of all marketers in the U.S. and the UK putting some of their digital video budgets towards programmatic buys. More significantly, eMarketer found that 70% of marketers surveyed are shifting budget from traditional TV buys to programmatic digital video. Follow the trend>>

Capitalizing on Publisher Data
A recent AdExchanger article explored how publishing giants such as Condé Nast, Meredith and Hearst are leveraging their first-party data to win programmatic budgets from advertisers. At Centro we are also seeing local and regional publishers monetize first-party data! Though a slightly different approach from what is outlined in the AdExchanger article, our partners are utilizing existing DMP relationships and/or retargeting techniques to bring true audience extension to their advertisers. For additional details reach out to your Centro contact. Dive in deeper here>>

With strong leadership, comes great success. This remains true for the fantastic leadership team of Lotta Karlsson, chief digital officer, and Susan Peiffer, director of digital sales, at Metro – our extension solution Partner of the Month.

Metro just launched its first digital extension program, MetroX, in August of last year and has since seen exponential growth. When Susan joined the team in early 2015, she helped accelerate the growth even more. Through education, in-market support, and positive reinforcement amongst the teams, Susan has been able to drive additional revenue across the three Metro properties. In addition, she has also aided in streamlining sales processes and procedures thus eliminating many – if not all – obstacles for MetroX sellers.

In April Lotta and Susan, along with ad ops manager, Roya Gheitasian, took part in the Centro DSP Certification program and became #CentroCertified! This fantastic group of eager individuals is well on their way to bringing programmatic technology and knowledge in-house. We are lucky to work with such a great team!

Welcome back, friends! With the 4^th of July just around the corner and fun weekend plans in the queue, what better time to bring you a new edition of Working at Centro: A Day in the Life, featuring another one of our radiant Centrons.

These accounts give us the opportunity to introduce you to the diverse job titles here at Centro, as well as the incredible employees who hold these positions. From account supervisors to media planners, event coordinators and more, we’ll offer an exclusive look at what it’s really like to work at Centro.

Before the holiday festivities kick off, we’d like to introduce you to Shira Brenman, supervisor of the paid social and video team. Take a look below to learn more about Shira, why she was interested in working at Centro, and what she enjoys most about working here.

What is your current role at Centro? Give us a snapshot of what this role entails. I am the supervisor of the paid social and video team. The team’s job is to run paid media campaigns on behalf of clients across a multitude of social media platforms. My position requires me to lead the strategy, process development, and management of these campaigns. I am constantly in touch with clients, traveling to their offices, and working with sales, social technologies and site reps to continuously improve Centro’s offering by discovering new partnerships.

What interested you in Centro and your particular position? I started at Centro as the second employee in the RTB group and have watched it grow over the last four years. As a result, I’ve had my hand in a little bit of everything: search, social, video, display, programmatic, etc. That experience has been instrumental in providing me with an expansive foundation of industry knowledge. Initially, I was drawn to Centro’s small, family feel culture and having started at ground level allowed me to experience everything first-hand – which made a huge difference when I started leading others facing similar situations. Fostering an incredible team of smart, hard-working people has been the most rewarding opportunity I have encountered in my position.

Centro offers a wide spectrum of perks and benefits. Which one is your favorite/what have you found to be the most useful perk? I spend a lot of time at the gym and enjoy discovering fun ways to stay in shape and active year round. That’s why the Bucks to Get Buff reimbursement is my absolute favorite. It compliments my personal interests and it’s great to know that Centro supports a healthy lifestyle.

What did you do on your ‘Change the World’ day? One day a year, Centro allows employees to volunteer at a charity or non-profit of their choice, but I couldn’t just take one day! I decided to take a group of ten Centrons to Guatemala for a service learning trip. We worked on the coffee farms and construction projects that benefited the local community. It was a rewarding experience, and something I may not have ever done without the support Centro provided.

What is your favorite hobby outside of work? How has Centro encouraged you to pursue your goals outside of the office? I’ve always loved playing sports. Centro has encouraged me to get back into softball. I also play on Centro’s sand volleyball team during the summer.

If you could add one new thing to the office, what would it be? A walking treadmill desk. What better way to catch a second wind during a busy day!

If you were trying to convince someone to work in your group at Centro, what would you say to them? The paid social and video team has enormous growth potential in the advertising technology space. Everyone on the team is awesome and communicates really well with each other.

Twitter or Facebook? Facebook

Apple or Android? Apple

Coffee or Tea? No caffeine for me!

Gryffindor or Slytherin? Never read them… eek

With programmatic advertising firing on all cylinders, it’s essential for advertisers and agencies to not only have the necessary information regarding the space but to have access to the tools and support they need to succeed and navigate a sometimes this confusing industry. Last year, digital video accounted for 12% of all programmatic advertising spending and is projected to reach 40% of all programmatic spending by 2016. That’s a lot of dollars being thrown around to reach the right consumer at the right time.

It was with this information and the need for the proper digital tools that the idea behind our 3T Programmatic Roadshow came to fuition. We wanted to provide folks with the necessary information about programmatic in order to help them prepare for success and capitalize on the growing opportunity. The current tips, trends, and techniques in programmatic make all the difference when it comes to having a successful digital advertising campaign.

Based on the positive feedback we received from our partners and friends, we already have plans for more roadshows in the fall. But if you’re eager to learn more right now, check out the infographic below to get the scoop on some of the topics we discussed, the cities we visited, and other fun facts from the event.

Want a 3T show in your city? Email [email protected] today to get in on the next round of shows. To learn even more, head over to our 3T page.

Get the Infographic now! 

Marketers in Kansas City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Seattle and More Gain Insight

from Digital Media Experts on Mobile, Video and Other Aspects of Programmatic Advertising

New York – June 30, 2015 – Centro (centro.net), a provider of enterprise-class software for digital advertising, today announced highlights from a series of programmatic advertising forums hosted in eight U.S. cities. More than 250 advertising professionals from agencies, brands and publishers attended Centro’s Tips, Trends and Techniques (3T) events in June to discuss the areas transforming digital media. Experts presented on mobile, digital video, programmatic TV, hyperlocal targeting, cross-device marketing, ad viewability standards, and ad fraud & bot traffic prevention. Centro’s 3T Programmatic Roadshow was held in Boston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia Seattle and St. Louis to give marketers knowledge to bring programmatic advertising capabilities in-house. Educational resources on the topics discussed are available here: www2.centro.net/3t-programmatic-resource-center.

Programmatic advertising is a major challenge for agencies and brands – and many find it difficult to develop relationships with larger-scale ad-buying technology providers due to requirements such as minimum spend, set-up fees and excessive campaign support costs. To be self-sufficient, agencies and brands need to grow in-house expertise. To support marketers’ transformation and help them expand proficiency in programmatic advertising, Centro will resume the 3T Roadshow in this September. Marketing and media professionals who want Centro to host an event in their city or region can send a request to: [email protected].

“Centro has an extended history working with regional, independent agencies and brands and we want to bring our best practices and know-how to them on a local and personal level,” said Leah Holzman, VP of marketing at Centro. “The interest in programmatic advertising goes far beyond the organizations in the typical major media markets. Centro’s scale, reach and resources enable us to deliver high-quality, customized educational events for agencies and brands in almost any market in the U.S.”

Centro is an advertising technology company with 650 employees across North America. It pioneered technology for automating guaranteed media-buying and recently launched a cross-channel programmatic ad buying platform. To help marketers implement programmatic advertising in a flexible and agile manner, Centro’s demand-side platform offers robust ad-buying capabilities with no minimum spend or contract requirements and no hidden fees.

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.

# # #

 

Contact:

Anthony Loredo

[email protected]

646-462-4888

Recently, Instagram expanded its ad roadmap. Since ads were launched a year and a half ago, the company has been working with brands and agencies to design an advertising experience that is native to the platform. Instagram has also been working on improving its ad formats to be more impactful, moving from photo to video to carousel ads (ads that display several images that rotate within a banner). So what does this mean exactly? Here are the three things you need to know:

1. Ad offerings are expanding to include action-oriented formats

From awareness and message association to website visits and offline sales, Instagram ad formats will evolve to serve every business goal. Users will be able to learn about a product or service and then take action directly from an ad to sign-up on a website, buy a product, or download an app. These ‘call to action’ buttons will prompt users to leave Instagram to complete a desired action on the brand’s site.

2. Access to data is enabling enhanced targeting capabilities

From travel and fashion to cars and entertainment, people come to Instagram to follow their interests and connect with the people they are passionate about. Utilizing Facebook’s data, Instagram ads will be able to reach users based on demographics and interests, as well as first-party information clients have about their own customers. Advertisers will be able to target their messages in more effective ways in order to reach the consumers that matter most.

3. Businesses large and small will find it easier to buy ads on Instagram

To date, Instagram’s price point has been a barrier to entry for many. By leveraging the best of Facebook's infrastructure for buying, managing, and measuring the success of ads, Instagram will look to make its inventory more accessible to advertisers of all sizes. To do this, Facebook is working to make Instagram advertising available through an Instagram Ads API. This first product will hit the market as an alpha test in early July with select Facebook marketing partners (4C, Brand Networks, Ampush, Kenshoo, Laundry Service, MediaVest, Nanigans, Olapic, Resolution Media, Salesforce, SocialCode, Social Moov and Unified).

Although Centro is not involved in the alpha testing, it’s expected that Instagram will expand to Facebook’s ad buying interfaces, including the Power Editor and Ads Manager, which will allow us to easily manage Instagram campaigns through your favorite self-service social squad. As always, we will keep you up-to-date on all of our new developments as they arise.

Most of us have probably seen or heard about Mary Meeker's monstrous 2015 Annual Internet Report. One slide, however, has been getting a great deal of attention: the chart showing the $25B ad spend gap in mobile.

To sum it up: the attention of populations has moved swiftly to mobile devices, but advertising dollars have yet to follow in proportion, resulting in a massive gap (and opportunity). But why does this gap exist in the first place?

Ultimately, mobile has been plagued by a lack of brand-friendly creative opportunities as well as technical sophistication -- which is required to properly target audiences and measure the impact of advertising dollars. These factors lent themselves to an atmosphere where mobile was considered safe to ignore, leaving billions of dollars on the table.

Let’s take a closer look at the specific factors that contributed to this phenomenon:

(1) Mobile targeting has been an enormous challenge for marketers over the past decade, namely because the technical environment of a mobile device has important differences from desktops. Mobile environments are not very "friendly" to browser cookies. Oftentimes they are either blocked by default, or fail to persist between sessions, making it difficult, if not impossible, to do proper behavioral or audience targeting. Today that problem has been solved by using unique device IDs, instead of cookies, to track and target audiences. From a location targeting perspective, marketers had to rely on IP addresses, which are notoriously inaccurate, especially on mobile devices. But today, with so many GPS-enabled devices, and so many people willing to trade their privacy for app utility, advertisers can pinpoint audiences in extremely precise ways.

In summary: Immaturity in mobile targeting technology used to be a major impediment to marketer adoption, but it’s now light years ahead of where it used to be, and it will only get better.

(2) The creative options on mobile devices have historically been very dull. Most marketers, when thinking about mobile creative immediately think about the standard 320x50 banner that sits either at the top or bottom of mobile screens – not exactly the most impactful canvas on which to convey your messaging. But that is no longer the case. Marketers today have the ability to run full-screen interstitial ads either in apps or on lock screens. Additionally, the emergence of native ads within social media feeds has given birth to a completely new and effective format. With the consumption of video skyrocketing on mobile devices, it's now possible to run high-impact, in-stream video ad campaigns.

In summary: The creative options and the advertising experiences on mobile used to be extremely limited, which severely hindered the influx of advertisers dollars. But the creative opportunities on mobile continue to grow and get richer, which should greatly appeal to brand advertisers.

(3) Tying everything together as a marketer and understanding the impact of advertising dollars is crucial, but mobile has had measurement challenges from the beginning. Furthermore, we now live in a multi-screen world where audiences constantly move across devices. Earlier this year, Sean Downey from Google claimed that there has been a 500% increase in multi-screen consumption and 90% of customers move sequentially between devices. But while the consumption of content across multiple devices accelerates, advertising dollars haven’t followed at the same rate.  This is because of the massive challenge in being able to measure everything in a standardized way, create a single view of the customer, and make sense of attribution in an increasingly complex ecosystem and customer journey. There are many ad tech companies focused on this challenge, but only a few are clearly ahead of the pack [1].

In summary: Proper measurement and attribution are key requirements to attracting advertising dollars, but on mobile specifically, the technology was lacking. Today, there still isn’t a cross-device “silver bullet” so selecting the right partners in your tech stack is key.

Over the past decade, mobile has been maturing slowly as a marketing channel. It was technically and creatively challenging at first, which caused the majority of marketers and ad dollars to sit on the sidelines and wait it out. That's why we have a $25B spend gap in mobile today. But that is no longer a viable stance. Now that we live in a mobile-first world that will only grow in magnitude, and now that consumer attention is clearly spread across multiple devices, mobile is no longer just an option; it's a must-have for every marketer. As a result, I doubt the $25B spend gap in mobile will last much longer.

~

[1] It's no surprise that last week Google announced new cross-screen measurement capabilities. According to Neil Mohan, Google's head of display advertising, they are "making sure advertisers and publishers have the tools they need to reach consumers in a mobile-first world. One of the biggest announcements is cross-screen measurement..." Another major ad tech player that is well poised to tackle the cross-screen challenge is Facebook. Facebook, along with Google, dominate mobile ad spend, and they will keep dominating mobile ad spend because they have the most robust identity systems. Both are deterministic in nature, which means that the data they are using to determine a person's identity is declared by the user, stored in their databases, and associated with all the other profile data they have about those users. This is a marketer's dream, and why they are well positioned to continue dominating mobile ad dollars.