Back to School Basics: Programmatic and RTB

Programmatic Unifies Efficiency, Precision Targeting and Storytelling for Brands

Working in the digital ad industry is like walking on shifting sand – the landscape is constantly changing.

New technologies and strategies are constantly emerging and wading through the jargon of digital can be exhausting.As marketers we must constantly adapt and for those just becoming familiar with online advertising, it’s worth going back to basics.

Get a quick primer on programmatic and real time bidding (RTB). Check out the IAB council’s video below on how programmatic is relevant to brand advertisers, media buyers, and publishers on both sides of the market.

Video courtesy of the IAB.

Want to learn more? Connect with our team at sales@clearpier.com


The Top 3 Emotion Driven Campaigns at the Rio Olympics

A look back at the 2016 Rio Olympic Game’s best branded campaigns to inspire us to be better marketers.

Seldom does a spectacle come along that draws as many eyes as the Olympics. It is an extraordinary feat to garner the attention of millions, and inspire such raw emotional reactions from around the world simultaneously.

Although Nielsen ratings have reported that U.S. television viewership numbers for this year’s Olympics were significantly lower than years past, there is no denying that brands made big waves digitally. Just over 27 million viewers tuned in to Rio’s opening ceremonies compared to the 40.65 million viewers of the 2012 London Games (CNBC). The near 30% decline in television viewers may be frustrating news for networks, but is indicative of a larger shift in the ways people are engaging with media, globally (Variety).

For marketers, the shift in screens from TV to digital is worth taking note. Although the games have officially ended now, advertisers should be re-examining the ways in which top brands leveraged the Olympics creatively and across screens.

We look back at the 2016 Rio Olympic game’s best brand executions that reached the podium, and inspires us to be better marketers.

1. “Unlimited” by Wieden + Kennedy Portland for Nike

Nike’s “Unlimited” campaign, which hails the everyday athlete as heroes, was ranked by Google as the most memorable campaign of the games. Among the top 12 brands that Google tracked that aired ads during NBC’s broadcast, Nike topped the list with 3.5 billion total impressions.

One of the most meta and most interesting video ads was “Unlimited You” which has garnered nearly 36.5 million views to date on YouTube. The spot shows how to inspire viewers by imagining the ordinary as extraordinary while maintaining viewer attention through the use of hyperbole. Featuring house-hold sports names like Serena Williams, Kevin Durant as well as those not so well known, the video reminds audiences that there are no limits. With Star Wars: The Force Awakens actor, Oscar Isaac, added into the mix as a fourth-wall breaking narrator, Nike’s “Unlimited You” gave a fresh take on the typical “inspiration sports ad.”

2. #ThatsGold by Ogilvy & Mather Brazil for Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is no stranger to the emotional-sell. From its iconic “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” commercial in 1971 – often cited as one of the most well-known ads of all time – to its “Open Happiness” campaign in 2011, Coca-Cola isn’t just a drink, it’s a feeling. Whether it’s a feeling of hope, peace, joy, or overwhelming achievement, you always “Taste the Feeling” with Coca-Cola.

The brand’s global Rio Olympics campaigns is no different. The “#ThatsGold” campaign is all about the thrill of winning starring 79 athletes of varying disciplines from 23 countries. An appropriate angle that reminds us that the Olympics is what it is – a competition.

Coca-Cola has been sponsoring the Games since 1928, but what’s interesting about this year was the brand’s ability to up audience engagement by tapping into real-time brand moments through social media. The #ThatsGold hashtag helped both its marketers and fans to capture relevant gold moments. In doing so, Coca-Cola illustrates how to get in front of audiences and get them engaged across multiple channels.

3. #DoWhatYouCant by Leo Burnett Chicago for Samsung

Samsung’s “Do What You Can’t” campaign is a powerful example of emotional selling. The campaign features six main athletes from around the globe that have defied impossible odds to be able to make it to the Olympic stage including Tom Daley of Great Britain, Shelley Watts of Australia, and Gabriel Medina of Brazil. The campaign also demonstrates the inspiration that comes from imagining a united world in full harmony, as seen in “The Anthem,” which has been viewed 29.8 million times on You Tube already.

One of the most moving ads, however, is “The Chant” featuring South Sudanese track star Margret Rumat Rumat Hassan for Samsung’s new cord-free IconX earbuds. Considering the fact that South Sudan was not yet recognized as a country just five years ago, Hassan’s achievement story – a symbol of South Sudan’s achievements – are what makes this ad so powerful. 2016 was the first time the country participated in the Olympics.

From the idea that barriers are made to be broken, to the feeling of winning; Nike, Coca-Cola and Samsung’s global campaigns for the Rio Olympics were hugely successful. They’re gleaming examples of how to make the emotional-sell work for today’s digital, multi-channel audiences. The challenge for marketers is to continue to reach the right audience and inspire them, no matter the channel. When it comes to sports related campaigns always remember: playing on the viewer’s heart strings is what brings home the gold.

Want to learn more? Connect with our team at sales@clearpier.com


ClearPier Sponsors Digiday Publishing Summit

Digiday Publishing Summit
September 19 – 21, 2016
Key Biscayne, Florida

ClearPier is proudly sponsoring 2016’s Digiday Publishing Summit in Key Biscayne, Florida for the very first time.

The Digiday Publishing Summit brings together the leading publishers from around the world to discuss the challenges of monetization and ad revenue optimization across channels.

As audiences spend more time consuming video, especially on mobile, publishers are expanding their content production. But concern among publishers with regards to getting the desired content in front of audiences while monetizing effectively is also growing. Digiday’s Publishing Summit aims to bring vendors, tech-providers and publishers together to rise to the challenge.

Ben Mair, Chief Revenue Officer at ClearPier will be attending and conducting one-on-one meetings with publishers.
Schedule a meeting if you would like to chat about monetization strategies to help you get more out of your valuable ad inventory.

 


Why Canadian Advertisers Prefer Private Marketplaces

PMPs on the Rise as Ad Spend Grows to One Third of Programmatic Budgets

Private marketplaces (PMPs) have been a hot topic among advertisers and publishers for some time now. PMPs have been on the rise since 2011 and just last year, eMarketer reported that ad spending on PMPs in the United States hit $3.7 billion, up from $80 million in 2014.

In Canada, over a third (35%) of programmatic spend goes to private markets compared to the U.S which tops out at 9%. Canada’s penchant for PMPs may, in part, be due to the nation’s late adoption of programmatic. But there are good reasons for why Canadian advertisers’ prefer PMPs.

More Control

In comparison to public marketplaces, where the floor is open to everyone and there is little or no contact between buyer and seller, private marketplaces enable direct and ongoing relations.

Not only do PMPs function on an invite-only basis, they also allow advertisers to customize deals to fit their needs by pre-setting targeting parameters, floor rates, and content, and more. Buyers are also given the opportunity of first-hand access on premium inventory that isn’t available in public exchanges.

When asked about the benefits of PMPs, Sunil Abraham, CEO of ClearPier and former performance marketer commented, “Publishers also benefit from increased control over deals.” He added, “This is because understanding levels of demand also helps them reallocate inventory across their demand streams including PMPs, open marketplaces, programmatic direct and direct.”

The result? Publishers can get more out of their entire ad inventory.

More Insight

Transacting on PMPs allows for a relationship focused approach compared to an overly technology dependent strategy when it comes to programmatic.

Having direct relationships with publishers means advertisers can target audiences more precisely by activating first-party publisher data. In the landscape beyond Facebook, advertisers must rely on publishers for accurate, high-quality audience data to drive successful campaigns.

Getting regular access to reliable data and leveraging that data enables advertisers transacting in PMPs to optimize their targeting on-the-fly across all parameters from demographic, to geo-location, to audience behaviour, to device usage and more.

More Creativity

Media buyers sometimes take issue with the limiting effects programmatic can have on creativity. Big brands and agencies are particularly frustrated by this issue which can be a challenge in open markets. After all, they want to be able to deliver the least intrusive and best user experience across all streams and ad formats to maximize engagement.

Another benefit of transacting in PMPs is premium high-quality data can be leveraged to continuously optimize and perfect creative campaigns without sacrificing targeting accuracy. The ability to do custom executions including full page takeovers, custom content, and custom stand-alone units tailored across devices, is a premium advertisers are willing to pay. As mobile ad spend continues to balloon while the need for better mobile user experiences climb, brands are looking for more creative ways to reach audiences on mobile. Thus, the customization capability of PMPs is a critical way advantage.

More Brand Safety

 

The key differentiator and benefit of private marketplaces however lies in the confidence with which both buyers and sellers can enter into deals. Transparency drives success and maintains direct relationship in PMPs.

In PMPs, advertisers always know where and when an ad is going to be served and the context in which it will be displayed. This ensures that your ad only shares screen time with contextually safe, appropriate and relevant content – a benefit to both buyers and sellers that prioritize their brand image.

Working with premium, vetted site-lists with quality audiences is a huge advantageous for advertisers as well as this is the first level of security against ad fraud. When PMPs or third-parties are able to layer on additional anti-fraud security measures like Integral Ad Science and GeoEdge.

Premium Continues to Grow in Canada

The stats indicate that buying media in premium environments like PMPs is growing in Canada. For both advertisers and publishers, there is also the added benefit of pricing transparency.

Some have pointed out that PMPs pose a scalability issue. But many advertisers are opting to partner with third-parties with expansive premium site-lists and the technology to scale up.

“In private marketplaces there is more accountability on the participating parties,” Abraham commented. Abraham added, “For too long, advertisers and publishers have been dealing with the same issues: ad fraud, inaccurate data, and unfair pricing. Premium buying environments benefits buyers and sellers by ensuring the ad ecosystem is fair so you can buy and sell with confidence.”

The move to PMPs is the next big shift in the ad ecosystem as spend rises. As mobile and video channels continue to drive growth, we can bet that a premium-first approach will firmly dominate the Canadian advertising landscape.

Want to learn more? Connect with our team at sales@clearpier.com


American Media Inc. Names ClearPier Exclusive Canadian Digital Advertising Partner

ClearPier Audience Entertainment, Celebrity News, and Health & Fitness Audience Grows

Toronto, ON. – American Media, Inc. (AMI) partners with ClearPier, to exclusively represent AMI’s inventory in Canada. The new partnership adds high-profile publishers to ClearPier’s premium site-list including Men’s Fitness, Flex, OK! Canada, Star, National Enquirer, and Radar Online.

AMI’s Chief Digital Officer, Brian Kroski, expressed his excitement over the deal. Kroski stated, “American Media’s digital business has seen massive growth over the last few years, seeing record-breaking traffic numbers in the U.S. and internationally. We are excited to announce our partnership with ClearPier in Canada as a key step to better connecting our Canadian audience with advertisers.”

The news means immense growth for ClearPier’s audience reach across key verticals including celebrity news, entertainment, and health and fitness lifestyle in Canada. AMI’s digital properties reach an average of 50 million unique visitors and over 350 million page views monthly. AMI’s magazines have a combined total circulation of over 2.1 million and reach more than 37 million men and women each month.

“We’re very excited to be exclusively partnering with a pioneering publisher that has been producing quality content from print to digital for decades. Alongside AMI, ClearPier offers advertisers expansive reach to a loyal Canadian audience through our premium performance marketplace. With our access to exclusive audiences, advertisers will see the results they want.”

The announcement follows recent news of ClearPier landing SheKnows Media and Demand Media.

Media Contact
Jenny Duong
Marketing Manager
jenny.duong@clearpier.com
1-888-515-PIER


About American Media Inc.

AMI pioneered both the celebrity and health & fitness categories. During the 1960s, the National Enquirer was the first magazine to begin publishing celebrity news and gossip on a weekly basis. Weider Publications (acquired by AMI in 2003) launched the very first health & fitness magazine, Your Physique, in 1940.

American Media Inc.
Brian Kroski
Chief Digital Officer
bkroski@amilink.com
212-339-1933


Your Ad Club Golf Day 2016 Recap

ClearPier was a proud sponsor at this year’s Ad Club Golf Day which took place on July 21st at the Lionhead Golf and Country Club. Stationed at two holes on each course, we met with hundreds of golfers on the green.

It was a phenomenal fun filled day with colleagues, clients, and friends. If you weren’t there, you missed out on a chance to win a TaylorMade M2 driver, courtesy of ClearPier. Check out all the festivities from Golf Day 2016 in the quick video below:

https://youtu.be/rTI8s9E6C7E


Stockhouse.com Signs Exclusive Representation Deal with ClearPier

Stockhouse, Largest Small Cap Investment Publisher in Canada, Partners with ClearPier

Toronto, ON. – ClearPier officially announced its latest exclusive representation deal with finance and investment publisher, Stockhouse.com The new partnership designates ClearPier as Stockhouse’s exclusive advertising partner in Canada.

As the largest “small cap” investment website in Canada, with over 250 Million page views in 2015, Stockhouse significantly expands ClearPier’s finance and investment audiences. This includes affluent investor audiences who are often interested in using quality finance and wealth management related content, portfolio tools, and online chat to steer their investment decisions.

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“This partnership with ClearPier will allow us to keep our focus on improving the Stockhouse.com user experience while ClearPier focuses on maximizing our online advertising revenue”

Justin Meiklem / Vice President of Marketing
STOCKHOUSE

“Over the past year, Stockhouse has invested heavily into several major projects, including new data feed and investor tools to keep us on the cutting edge of the Finance category,” said Justin Meiklem, Vice President of Marketing for Stockhouse Publishing. “This partnership with ClearPier will allow us to keep our focus on improving the Stockhouse.com user experience while ClearPier focuses on maximizing our online advertising revenue,” Meiklem added.

“Stockhouse is a great addition to ClearPier’s premium sites portfolio, allowing us to further diversify our offerings,” commented Sunil Abraham, CEO of ClearPier. “Stockhouse gives us the opportunity to bolster our finance and investment banking audience offering to advertisers who are looking to target highly engaged, quality audiences. We’re extremely excited to be working with Stockhouse.com and look forward to helping brands reach the consumers they want.”


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Media Contact
Jenny Duong
Marketing Manager
jenny.duong@clearpier.com
1-888-515-PIER


About Stockhouse Publishing Inc.

With over 1 Million unique visitors a month, Stockhouse.com is Canada’s #1 financial portal and one of North America’s largest small-cap investor communities. Stockhouse members and visitors are active and affluent investors who utilize the site to discover new investment opportunities and make successful stock buying decisions. Stockhouse programs provide an array of tools to enable Public Companies and Advertisers to raise their awareness and connect with a high net worth and highly engaged community of small-cap investors. With the introduction of the Stockhouse Deal Room, public companies now have a cost effective way to access thousands of new qualified investors to complete their private placement financings. For over 19 years and 900 public companies, Stockhouse programs have been proven to generate results.

Stockhouse Publishing Inc.
Justin Meiklem
Vice President, Marketing
justin.meiklem@stockhouse.com
778-383-1601


8 Awesome Things You Missed at ClearPier's Rooftop Party

Over 200 Agency Guests and Publishers Attended ClearPier’s Rooftop Party 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-kgOkEwVLk

This year’s inaugural Rooftop Party, hosted by ClearPier, was a big success. Over 200 agency guests and representatives of our exclusive publishers packed the house at the Thompson Hotel Rooftop and lounge in Toronto.

If you missed it, know that it was a pretty awesome party. So exactly what did you miss? Lets begin with:

1. This amazing view.

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2.  Some serious poolside lounging…with drinks.

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3. A fantastic DJ who kept the party rolling until the midnight hour.

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4. So much delicious food and drinks…all…night…long.

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5. All the fun… with all the bubbles!

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6. The unveiling of our mission film in front of a packed crowd. 

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If you still haven’t seen it, check it out here.

7. A showcase of some of our top premium publishers.

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8. Sparkling conversation with the industry’s best.  

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Until next year… Cheers! Don’t forget to check out the video for more.


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Demand Media Appoints ClearPier as Exclusive Advertising Partner in Canada  

The Partnership Brings LIVESTRONG.COM and eHow into ClearPier’s Offerings, Expands Lifestyle Reach

Toronto, ON. – ClearPier officially announced today that they have partnered with Demand Media to be their exclusive Canadian representative. The partnership brings prominent publishers LIVESTRONG.COM and eHow into ClearPier’s premium site-list, expanding the premium performance marketplace’s lifestyle reach.

“Demand Media is pleased to be partnering with ClearPier. As an innovator in Canada, ClearPier is uniquely positioned to serve Demand Media’s sites well across programmatic, direct and sponsored content channels,” commented Daniel Bornstein, SVP, Media Monetization and Operations.

On the media side, Demand Media owns two highly rated sites; eHow and LIVESTRONG.COM. eHow is a top ranked site for home and LIVESTRONG.COM is a top five site for healthy living. According to comScore, in May 2016, eHow had 18MM unique monthly users in the US and 1.85MM in Canada and LIVESTRONG.COM had 27MM unique monthly users in the US and 3.5MM in Canada. As a leading comScore publisher, Demand Media is a pioneer in the programmatic space and also an innovator in the sponsored content space with its publisher studio (studioD).

“We’re very excited about ClearPier’s partnership with Demand Media,” said Sunil Abraham, ClearPier Co-Founder and CEO. “This partnership is going to offer advertisers the opportunity to reach quality audiences on highly influential publishers, particularly across the health, fitness and lifestyle categories.”


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Media Contact
Jenny Duong
Marketing Manager
jenny.duong@clearpier.com
1-888-515-PIER


About Demand Media

Demand Media, Inc. (NYSE: DMD) is a diversified Internet company that builds platforms across our media (eHow and LIVESTRONG.com) and marketplace (Society6 and Saatchi Art) properties to enable communities of creators to reach passionate audiences in large and growing lifestyle categories. In addition, Demand Media’s custom content (studioD) and diverse advertising offerings help advertisers find innovative ways to engage with their customers. For more information about Demand Media, visit www.demandmedia.com.

Demand Media
Jill Angel
EVP, People
jill@demandmedia.com
310-394-6400


Making Honest Connections: The ClearPier Story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIJJ8AwV1LA

Everyone has been asking, who is ClearPier? Let us tell you all about our mission.

ClearPier was founded on the firm belief that the field of Digital Marketing must be held to higher standards of accountability. Historically the least transparent elements of Digital Advertising have been ad price, performance, and placement. Advertisers have struggled with the problem of ad fraud, paying for ad placements that deliver poor results.

Meanwhile, publishers have seen their margins shrink as more layers in the traditional ad stack are added into the digital advertising process. Thus the problem in the market: although advertisers over pay for ad space, publishers never see those additional profits, which are instead, reaped by the middle men.Msk

The driving mission behind ClearPier, founded by partners Sunil Abraham (CEO), Jignesh Shah (CTO) and Steve Melles (Co-Founder) in 2012, is to solve this problem by using innovative and creative technology to offer advertisers and publishers a completely transparent digital marketing solution where everyone wins.

At the core of the business is cutting-edge technology and driven, passionate people rallying together to achieve a singular mission: to make programmatic ad buying and selling simple, easy, and brand-safe.

Watch the video and learn all about how ClearPier is changing the advertising landscape in Canada.


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