On the 7th of July 2022, we held our Digital Marketing Summit at Selfridges Cinema. This was a jam-packed morning of 1-2-1 meetings, networking, and presentations from expert speakers on the latest trends in SEO, PPC, email, data, performance marketing, web build, eCommerce, and more.
We had some brilliant speakers share their unique, creative ideas on how to tackle the challenges faced in digital projects, and the busy morning finished on a strong note, with complimentary hot dogs (we even had a veggie option!).
Part One of the roundup provides an insight to the first half of the day’s presentation. Read on for a summary of presentations, with topics covering data and content marketing, Google automation, Facebook ads, and performance marketing.
Employing Data and Insight to Deliver Media which Builds Brand and Drives Performance
Dr. Catherine Kelly, Jaywing’s Managing Director of the Media and Science Division, and Chris Dowse, Integrated Strategy Director, provide insight on how science drives and underpins media strategy. While brand is awareness, performance is what converts this awareness. . The big question is: what does brand actually mean? There are four factors underlying this concept – fame, mental availability, recognition, and perception of value. It is vital to consider the organic, non-paid traffic into the site or brand properties, along with share of search, which gives an idea of whether you are becoming more salient amongst your audience. Although this may seem untraceable and intangible, you don’t actually need huge budgets to build a brand. This journey is not neat or linear, but rather a movement between channels to identify what sticks. Catherine and Chris explain how to drive awareness and sales, and what questions need to be asked in order to align strategies creatively for messaging, without wasting money on advertising.
Why Google Isn’t as Smart as You Think It Is
Google is black-boxing everything in terms of performance, but the mechanisms are not always good. However, automated bidding allows us to control Google and optimise performance. In the past, we had levers such as bid modifiers, which included time of day, audiences, location and devices – but this changed on a daily basis. Now, there are many more factors considered, such as apps, browser, search partner, language and previous searches. Google is certainly much smarter now. In order to optimise sales, we need to combine automation with understanding our own brand. During the pandemic, we saw much more entrance into the digital marketing space, and this is only going to continue into the future. So, how do you get Google to win in such a competitive place? Claire Stanley-Manock, Paid Media Director at connective3, discusses how not to fall into the trap of Google’s algorithm, but rather use it as a vehicle to optimise sales and build your brand.
What’s Really Working on Facebook Ads
Ever since the pandemic, year-on-year comparisons of paid social trends have been very tricky. Now, the goalposts for Facebook ads have changed; a re-calibration of approach is needed. One of the biggest changes was Apple’s iOS 14, which introduced an opt-in scheme to receive personalised advertisements. When you open Facebook on iOS 14, you need to give permission to get relevant ads, which inevitably changes data. Now, you must also verify your domain, which did not previously exist. Another big change is prioritising your events – even if someone opts out of tracking, you can still retain a top priority event (i.e. a purchase record). However, you are limited to 8 events for reporting and optimisation purposes. Founder of Overdrive Digital, Jon Quinton, demonstrates how to adapt to new Facebook ads by looking at data, targeting and formatting, to find what best works for your individual brand.
Throw Everything at it and See What Sticks
Since 2014, more than two million people have taken part in Veganuary’s pledge to go vegan for 31 days. Most of these sign ups come from Facebook and Instagram ads, and it costs Veganuary approximately 65p per person to sign up. What they have learned is that there is no magic formula. Anything can work, but nothing works consistently or predictably. In her 21-slide presentation with 21 seconds per slide, Toni Vernelli, International Head of Communications & Marketing at Veganuary, tells the story of advertising and marketing from the stock trader approach – running thousands of ads simultaneously, with a small budget per ad, and constant monitoring. She explains what has worked best and ‘stuck’ with target audiences, providing insight into the trial-and-error method of advertising.