Ian Drummond, head of digital sales at Mediamark explains, "Search, premium display, native advertising and programmatic buys all have complementary roles to play in a media strategy. Many publishers, agencies and brands are looking at programmatic and premium buys as though advertisers need to choose between them.
"But we see a strong role for both in the marketing mix, along with search ads, search engine optimisation and native advertising playing an important supporting role. Brands need to look at their strategy in an integrated fashion and use each tool for the campaigns and objectives to which it is best suited."
"Traditional premium placements are good for traditional brand campaigns as well as for ads that aim to profile a product in a visually rich manner. Definitions of premium inventory differ, but a premium placement is a contextually relevant banner in a prime piece of real estate (for example, above the fold on the home page) on a brand-safe publisher's website. Premium placements will tend to be larger display units; often, they will use rich media.
"For us, premium is all about the intersection of the content of the ad, the format and the context. There is a massive benefit, for example, in using large video formats to engage with users. The prestige of the environment and the quality of the content should make a premium placement perfect for building a brand."
Programmatic buys allow advertisers to purchase display media on auction in a private network. They enable advertisers to bid for inventory in an automated manner. Publishers tend to reserve their less valuable inventory for programmatic buys; in addition, ad networks often sell inventory from lower tier publishers.
The benefit for an advertiser is that it can buy inventory from multiple websites and publishers effectively and efficiently on a single platform. The inventory is often low-cost, yet most ad networks also have rich demographic, contextual and behavioural data that brands can use for targeting the right audience.
"Advertisers typically start out in programmatic buys with a wide campaign. Then, they can use the knowledge to narrow their focus on the users most likely to engage. As time goes by, they can incrementally improve performance by optimising their messaging and targeting users more precisely."
It makes sense in many cases to meet with a multi-channel media sales house to craft bespoke advertising solutions that are tailored to the advertiser's needs. These may include aspects such as native advertising placements, which are among the best-performing placements for many brands and campaigns.
Native advertising can be good for conversions and brand building, as well as feeding the search engine optimisation strategy. One complexity for many brands lies in attribution of click throughs and conversions to the right channel. For example, many brands do not give enough credit to premium ads for their role in driving searches.
Drummond says a fully integrated strategy encompassing programmatic and premium approaches is the best road forward for advertisers today. It delivers the automation of programmatic tools, while leaving a gap for publishers and brands to create 'rich' tailored solutions that deliver superior ROI for premium buys.
Cindy Diamond, Group Sales Director at Mediamark, adds, "In addition to taking an integrated approach to digital marketing, brands should be encouraged to align their digital campaigns and tactics behind their wider marketing strategy. A holistic approach that pulls together digital, broadcast advertising, event activations and other channels will deliver a larger return on investment by amplifying the brand's message, extending its reach and increasing impact through intensified consumer experience."
