Centralized data access is emerging as a key strategy for advertisers. In our next Ask the Expert segment, we explore this topic further and discuss the importance of data ownership and the concept of audience as an asset.
We’re joined by industry leaders, Andy Fisher, Head of Merkury Advanced TV at Merkle, and Chris Feo, Experian’s SVP of Sales & Partnerships who spotlight Merkle’s commitment to centralized data access and how advertisers can use our combined solutions to navigate industry shifts while ensuring consumer privacy. Watch our Q&A to learn more about these topics and gain insights on how to stay ahead of industry changes.
The concept of audience as an asset
In order to gain actionable marketing insights about your audience, you need to identify consumers who are actively engaged with your brand and compare them against non-engaged consumers, or consumers engaged with rival brands.
Audience ownership
Audience ownership is a fundamental marketing concept where marketers build, define, create, and own their audience. This approach allows you to use your audiences as an asset and deliver a customized journey to the most promising prospects across multiple channels. With this strategy, you enhance marketing effectiveness and ensure ownership over your audience, no matter the platform or channel used.
Merkle enables marketers to own and deploy said asset (audience) so that marketers can have direct control over their audience. With audience strategy, you can tie all elements together – amplify your marketing reach, while maintaining control of your audience. Merkle connects customer experiences with business results.
Data ownership
Data ownership refers to the control organizations have over data they generate, including marketing, sales, product, and customer data. This data is often scattered across multiple platforms, making it difficult to evaluate their effectiveness. Alternatively, owning this data, which is typically housed in a data warehouse, allows the creation of historical overviews, forecasting of customer trends, and cross-channel comparisons. With advertisers and publishers both claiming ownership over their respective data and wanting to control its access, there has been a growing interest in data clean rooms.
Data clean rooms
The growing interest in data clean rooms is largely due to marketers increasing preference to maintain ownership over their audience data. They provide a secure environment for controlled collaboration between advertisers and publishers while preserving the privacy of valuable data. Data clean rooms allow all parties to define their usage terms – who can access it, how it is used, and when it is used. The rise in the use of data clean rooms strengthens data privacy and creates opportunities for deeper customer insights, which leads to enhanced customer targeting. Data clean rooms unlock new data sets, aiding brands, publishers, and data providers in adapting to rapidly changing privacy requirements.
Why is centralized data access important?
Centralized data access is crucial for the effective organization and optimization of your advertising campaigns. It involves consolidating your data in one place, allowing for the identification of inconsistencies.
Merkle’s Merkury platform
The concept of centralized data is a key component of Merkle’s Merkury platform, an enterprise identity platform that empowers brands to own and control first-party identity at an individual level. A common use case involves marketers combining their first-party data with Merkury’s data assets and marketplace data assets to build prospecting audiences. These are later published to various endpoints for activation.
The Merkury platform covers three classes of data:
- Proprietary data set – Permissioned data set covering the entire United States, compiled from about 40 different vendors
- Marketplace data – Includes contributions from various vendors like Experian
- First-party data from marketers – Allows marketers to bring in their own data
Merkury’s identity platform empowers brands to own and control first-party identity at an individual level, unifying known and unknown customer and prospect records, site and app visits, and consumer data to a single, person ID. This makes Merkury the only enterprise identity platform that combines the accuracy and sustainability of client first-party data, quality personally identifiable information (PII) data, third-party data, cookie-less media, and technology platform connections in the market.
End-to-end management of data
Data ownership and management enables you to enhance the quality of your data, facilitate the exchange of information, and ensure privacy compliance.
The Merkury platform provides a comprehensive, end-to-end solution for managing first-party data, all rooted in identity. Unlike data management platforms (DMPs) that are primarily built on cookies, the Merkury platform is constructed on a person ID, allowing it to operate effectively in a cookie-free environment.
A broader perspective with people-based views
The Merkury platform is unique because it contains data from almost every individual in the United States, providing a broader perspective compared to customer data platforms (CDPs) which only contain consumer data. The platform provides a view of the world in a people-based manner, but also offers the flexibility to toggle between person and household views. This enables you to turn data into actionable insights and makes it possible to target specific individuals within a household or consider the household as a whole.
How Experian and Merkle work together
Experian and Merkle have established a strong partnership that magnifies the capabilities of Merkle’s Merkury platform. With Experian’s robust integration capabilities and extensive connectivity opportunities, customers can use this technology for seamless direct integrations, resulting in more effective onboarding to various channels, like digital and TV.
“Experian’s role in Merkury’s data marketplace is essential as they are considered the gold standard for data. It significantly contributes to our connectivity through direct integrations and partnerships. Experian’s presence in various platforms and technologies ensures easy connections and high match rates. Our partnership is very important to us.”
andy fisher, head of merkury advanced tv
Through this partnership, Merkle can deliver unique, personalized digital customer experiences across multiple platforms and devices, highlighting their commitment to data-driven performance marketing.
Watch the full Q&A
Visit our Ask the Expert content hub to watch Andy and Chris’s full conversation about data ownership, innovative strategies to empower you to overcome identity challenges, and navigating industry shifts while protecting consumer privacy.
Tune into the full recording to gain insights into the captivating topics of artificial intelligence (AI), understanding how retail networks can amplify the value of media, and the growing influence of connected TV (CTV). Dive into the Q&A to gain rich insights that could greatly influence your strategies.
About our experts
Andy Fisher, Head of Merkury Advanced TV
As the Head of Merkury Advanced TV, Andy’s primary responsibility is driving person-based marketing and big data adoption in all areas of Television including Linear, Addressable, Connected, Programmatic, and X-channel planning and Measurement. Andy has held several positions at Merkle including Chief Analytics Officer and he ran the Merkle data business. Prior to joining Merkle, Andy was the EVP, Global Data & Analytics Director at Starcom MediaVest Group where he led the SMG global analytics practice. In this role, he built and managed a team of 150 analytics professionals across 17 countries servicing many of the world’s largest advertisers. Prior to that role, Andy was Vice President and National Lead, Analytics at Razorfish, where he led the digital analytics practice and managed a team of modeling, survey, media data, and business intelligence experts. He and his team were responsible for some of the first innovations in multi-touchpoint attribution and joining online/offline data for many of the Fortune 100. Andy has also held leadership positions at Personify and IRI. Andy holds a BA in mathematics from UC Berkeley and an MA in statistics from Stanford.
Chris Feo, SVP, Sales & Partnerships, Experian
As SVP of Sales & Partnerships, Chris has over a decade of experience across identity, data, and programmatic. Chris joined Experian during the Tapad acquisition in November 2020. He joined Tapad with less than 10 employees and has been part of the executive team through both the Telenor and Experian acquisitions. He’s an active advisor, board member, and investor within the AdTech ecosystem. Outside of work, he’s a die-hard golfer, frequent traveler, and husband to his wife, two dogs, and two goats!
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In case you missed it, Facebook recently announced that it would begin supporting animated GIF images and GIF-fanatics everywhere went: The decision by Facebook, which is rather late to the GIF party given that animated GIFs are already commonly used on sites like Tumblr, Reddit, Twitter, Imgur, BuzzFeed and more, virtually guarantees that animated GIFs will soon be commonplace (like it or not) for nearly everyone. It may even give Facebook an opportunity to re-engage Millennials who already frequently communicate using stickers, emoji, emoticons and animated GIFs. To make use of the new feature right away, Facebook users will need to paste a link to an existing GIF into their status update box. Users who have the “auto-play” setting activated will see GIFs posted by their Facebook friends looping through the animation automatically as they scroll through their news feed or a friend’s timeline. For the time being, at least, users are not allowed to upload GIFs to Facebook. While Facebook has not yet allowed animated GIFs to be used by Page operators, there’s still a huge opportunity for marketers in this move. That’s because marketers can still create their own clever animated GIFs hosted away from Facebook either on their own website or through partnerships with sites like Giphy — which already has a Facebook Messenger add-on. They can then encourage consumers to say what’s on their mind — via Facebook, text/chat, Twitter, etc. — using their branded animated GIFs instead of words. Subway, for instance, has a set of GIFs in Giphy that allow consumers to say they’re hungry by sending GIFs of animated sub sandwiches and people eating them to others. And Experian Marketing Services found that users of animated GIFs are hungry for branded content. In fact, they’re already seeking out branded GIFs to share in this way. Media and entertainment brands, of course, have a natural play in the animated GIF space since they already have content developed. They merely need to convert it into a few seconds of animation and fans of the show, movie, game, musician, etc. will take it and run. But even for marketers who don’t have existing content, animated GIFs present an option for producing rich (if not always the highest quality), engaging visual content that’s more affordable than video but a step up from fixed images. They also present on-the-go consumers who are increasingly looking for shorter more “snackable” content with a quick way to engage with a brand when they don’t have the time or interest in watching an actual video. To help marketers test the waters and create relevant GIFs, we looked at online search variations of “GIF” during the 12 weeks ending May 30, 2015 using our Hitwise® online intelligence platform. Some of the top variations and a few popular GIFs in each category are below. Funny GIFs: Animated GIFs are often used to put a smile on people’s face, so it’s no wonder that “funny” GIFs are the most commonly sought out. Babies and cats feature prominently in this category. Reaction GIFs: Among users, animated GIFs are a natural way to react to something a friend has said or shared. Reactions can run the gamut of emotions from “meh” to “oh no you didn’t.” Happy Birthday GIFs: Want your Happy Birthday wishes to be memorable and unique. Don’t say it with words; say it with an animated GIF! Does your brand play a role in helping people celebrate their birthday? Then why not help people say it as well. Crying GIFs: That teary emoji can only express so much emotional depth. Show you know how someone really feels with a crying animated GIF instead. Mind blown GIFs: Saying “OMG” is so yesterday. Why would anyone just tell someone they blew your mind when they can show them? No wonder “mind blown” animated GIFs are among the most commonly sought out. Source: Experian Marketing Services It’s still early days for animated GIFs in Facebook, but the opening of the door by the social media giant could prove to be the tipping point in the mass adoption of this medium that lies somewhere between an image and a video. In fact, animated GIFs may eventually prove so popular that consumers may come to expect and prefer them over non-animated content. For more information about how Experian Marketing Services can provide marketers with insights into the types of GIFs consumers are looking for, click here.
As part of our ongoing series which focuses on consumer and marketing trends around major holidays throughout the year, we’ve just released the Father’s Day Hot Sheet. Father’s Day gift-related searches Now that Mother’s Day has come and gone, consumers will be shifting their focus to dad. According to Experian Marketing Services’ Hitwise® online intelligence tool, searches for “Father’s Day” typically start to pop up on Mother’s Day. And searches for “Father’s Day gifts” tend to focus on affordable gift ideas that are personalized, unique and often handmade. In fact, two of the top variations of Father’s Day gift-related searches from 2014 were for “DIY” and “homemade” gifts. While many shoppers wanted the “best” gift for dad, others simply wanted something “cheap” or “last minute.” Finding a gift that dad will appreciate means looking for something that is personalized to him. As such, searches for Father’s Day gifts often contain additional information about the dad or, in many cases, grandpa. Examples commonly used in 2014 were “Christian dad,” “new dads,” “outdoorsy dads” as well dads who are wine or BBQ lovers. While many gift searches include information about the intended recipient, others mention details about the gift-giver or their relationship to the father. Among last year’s variations that included such details, nearly a third focused on gifts that were intended to be given by a “daughter.” Genderless references, such as “kids” or “children” were almost as common. Interestingly, fewer than ten percent were for gifts to be given by a “son.” About a fifth of searches included details about the age of the gift-giver (e.g.: “baby,” “toddler” or “first grader”), while others specified that the gift was to be given by the dad’s wife or girlfriend. Go, go, gadget dad! Gadgets and gizmos are always popular gifts for the techie dad. In fact, during the week immediately preceding Father’s Day last year, visits to Electronics and Appliance websites were up a relative eight percent from two weeks prior. Visits subsequently tapered off the following week. An analysis of search terms driving traffic to the Hitwise Electronics and Appliance industry the week ending June 14 versus May 13, 2014 also sheds some light on the specific items that Father’s Day gift-givers were likely to have been seeking out. Two GPS systems (“Magellan GPS” and “Tom Tom”) were among the top terms that grew search share in the weeks leading into Father’s Day last year. Likewise, “GoPro” appeared in two separate fast growing search terms. Gadgets like these and others listed in the adjacent table may be big gifts for the gadget-loving dad again this year. Gone fishin’ Fishing is a timeless family pastime enjoyed by millions of Americans. According to Experian Marketing Services’ Simmons® National Consumer Study, 28 percent of dads and 26 percent of kids ages six to 17 went fishing last year. As such, it’s no surprise that online searches related to fishing spike over Father’s Day weekend. On the Saturday before Father’s Day in 2014, searches including “fishing” were a relative 28 percent higher than they were the Saturday prior and 64 percent higher than they were the following Saturday. To better understand what kids and dads were seeking out for their fishing plans, Experian Marketing Services conducted an analysis comparing variations of “fishing” searches immediately before Father’s Day last year to those performed two weeks prior. It turns out the word “techniques” was almost 8.6 times more likely to appear in fishing-related searches just before Father’s Day than it was two weeks earlier and “tips” was four times more likely to be used. Likewise, “licenses” was used 2.3 times more frequently, which along with the higher use of “techniques” and “tips” is evidence that many would-be fishermen and women are occasional participants at best. The fact that “charter” and “cabins” were used at higher rates however suggests that other children and/or dads had something in mind beyond a lazy (and likely more affordable) afternoon at the local fishing hole. Gift items, too, like “reels,” “gear” and “tackle” were among those most disproportionately used in searches heading into Father’s Day.
Welcome! Who doesn’t like a warm welcome? Whether your customer is walking into your store or just signed up on your website to receive communications from you, she expects a warm reception. It’s important to make that first impression count. A welcome series helps the conversation open up between the customer and your brand. It sets expectations on the types and cadence of content the customer will receive. Welcome emails also garner 86 percent higher open rates than regular promotional mailings – not too shabby! In a recent webinar, Saks Fifth Avenue shared that they are constantly testing new and current programs to optimize the customer experience. As a result, they discovered that switching from batch-sending welcome emails to sending welcome messages in real time increased open, click and redemption rates significantly. Here’s an example of their welcome series: Saks’ results are consistent with Experian Marketing Services’ welcome email findings which indicate that emails triggered in real time receive up to 10 times the transaction rates and revenue per email vs. those that are batched. A welcome series has also been shown to increase retention by educating customers on new ways to use products and services they’ve purchased from your brand. These emails also can remind customers of the benefits they’ll reap from enrolling in your loyalty programs or credit card. … and welcome back Even if a customer has been welcomed and has interacted with your programs, a day may come when the customer goes silent. Reactivation campaigns are an effective way to get them to re-engage. Naturally, it’s important to target your dormant customers in a variety of channels so you can reach them more effectively. Maybe you’re wondering why I jumped from the warmth of a welcome series right into reality of needing a reactivation campaign. The reason? Marketers need to understand where a customer is in their lifecycle and come full circle with customers if they have parted ways. Marketers can pique the interest of a returning customer by telling them what’s new and reintroducing them to their brand. Carnival® Cruise Lines, for example, sends a welcome-back email that features the newest social networks, offers and deals its customers can take advantage of immediately. At the end of the day, customers expect to receive relevant and engaging messages throughout their entire relationship with a brand. Customer life cycle programs deliver just that. If you’re interested in learning more about welcome campaigns, waitlist/back-in-stock programs and other remarketing strategies, check out our webcast,