Even after major adoption as a mid-funnel strategy, many marketers are confused by what programmatic can or can’t do.
A recent lunch with a CMO for a major brand was just a reminder that there’s much for agencies and marketers still to learn about some of the basic principles of programmatic targeting, especially in relation to geo-targeting.
The question posed by the CMO to his agency of record was, “Can biddable/programmatic campaigns be tied to the store level?” The answer he was given was “not really.” Surprising answer, given most of us in the space know that the answer is actually “Yes! Campaigns CAN be built targeting very small geographical areas, even down to an individual retail store level.”
So – where’s the disconnect? Most likely it’s not intentional and this is crucial for both agencies AND marketers to know.
Agencies can only relay the information as it’s been told to them by their digital provider. The less information provided, the greater likelihood of confusion, leading to misinformation being fed down the chain.
The agency may have said “not really,” but some digging or deeper insight might have conveyed that what could or should have been said is that it’s not recommended or available with this partner (in this case Centro) due to either minimum spends or minimum inventory thresholds.
So why is this important? For many, this space is still a bit of a foreign language so credibility is critical.
You can avoid the scenario above by asking a few fairly simple questions as either the agency or marketer to your agency to avoid doubt and confusion….
- Does “no” mean no, or are their guardrails that are restricting implementation (possibly tied to spend or available inventory)?
- Is there another partner that can provide us other options?
A biddable media company like YouConnex specializes in providing localized services without the required spend level agencies and clients might run into with Centro or MightyHive, etc.
If you are an agency looking for biddable solutions, like any form of media, we often suggest getting a second opinion if the current answer given doesn’t sound quite right. It might be what helps you renew rather than lose a great client!
