Google Secretly Alters Ad Auctions to Boost Revenue Targets
Google has acknowledged that it modified ad auctions covertly to hit revenue targets. The search engine regularly modifies the auctions it employs to sell search advertisements, raising the cost of ads and reserve pricing for the typical advertiser by as much as 5%. A Google executive acknowledged that the price of advertising fluctuated during the auction process to satisfy revenue goals. This week, Google’s advertising tactics were highlighted in an ongoing federal antitrust trial.
Google’s Executive Testimony
According to testimony from Jerry Dischler, Vice President and General Manager of Google’s Advertising Products, the company modifies its ad auctions to achieve set revenue goals. These modifications include price hikes of up to 5% without the advertiser’s knowledge. He admitted to the U.S. Justice Department during the Antitrust Trial that the business may have raised pricing for some inquiries by as much as 10%. The testimony is a piece of a bigger lawsuit in which the US DOJ accuses Google of illegally maintaining a monopoly on online search. As the trial goes on, more and more details are emerging about Google’s pricing adjustments, its rivalry with Amazon, and the effects of its policies on advertisers.
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Advertising Practices of Google
During the federal inquiry, Dischler also disclosed that the internet behemoth frequently modifies its ad auctions. Without telling advertisers, these changes are made with the intention of selling search advertising. He also expressed worries about revenue and the potential impact on employee morale of a big decline in Google’s stock price. This applies particularly to teams in expensive areas. He also made it clear that his intention was to think outside the box so they could fulfill their quota. The majority of Google’s income comes from search adverts. According to Dischler, the corporation will make more than $100 billion from search ads in 2020. Since 2012, Google’s ad revenue growth, according to the DOJ, has regularly been in the high teens.
So I always knew this was the case, but to see it actually stated by the VP of ads is astounding!
And what do you think smart bidding is? A smart way for Google to be able to easily manipulate ad prices! SMH pic.twitter.com/rwvpCmWC0M
— Anthony Higman (@AnthonyHigman) September 19, 2023
Changes in prices and Increasing Competition
Dischler acknowledged that some adjustments to auctions led to a 5% rise in expenses for regular marketers. In certain cases, price increases reached 10%. Nevertheless, he thought that a 15% price hike would cause the majority of marketers to go to rivals like Meta Platforms Inc. or ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok. Even so, he admitted that he had no reason to think that Google wouldn’t continue to attract enough advertisers to grow its revenue.
Read More: Google Unveils Fresh Consent Management Rules for EEA and UK
The threat from Amazon
When it comes to retail advertising, Amazon is growing twice as fast. Amazon is currently posing a serious threat to Google in the retail advertising market. Dischler acknowledged that companies that make consumer goods have threatened to switch their advertising budgets from Google to Amazon.
Why do tweaking ad prices matter?
The argument made by the Justice Department that Google has an unlicensed monopoly may be strengthened if Google can increase ad prices without seeing considerable competition. Given that Google’s search engine is a free offering for users, the government is unable to apply this defense against Google itself. They can counter that greater competition might have addressed other problems like search industry privacy requirements.
Why did Google tweak search ad auctions?
To ensure that his team exceeded the sales goals that Google CFO Ruth Porat had communicated to Wall Street, according to Dischler, staff members allegedly shook the cushions. He penned the following to his employees in an email in May 2019:
If we don’t meet quota for the second quarter in a row and we miss the street’s expectations again, which is not what Ruth signaled to the street, so we will get punished pretty bad in the market. I care more about revenue than the average person but think we can all agree that for our teams trying to live in high cost areas another $100,000 in stock price loss will not be great for morale, not to mention the huge impact on our sales team.
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TikTok Expands Measurement Suite with First-Party Solutions
TikTok has introduced Attribution Analytics, a first-party measuring tool made to assist marketing teams in comprehending the financial effects of the social network’s advertising solutions. Creating internet sensations is what the short-form content app is known for. The ByteDance-owned company is currently working to give advertisers more tangible tools to evaluate the impact of their campaigns on consumer spending. Other activities outside of the ingrained sorts of click-based measurement will also follow. Customers mostly see content that inspires them thanks to the TikTok feed’s immersive nature. However, it is possible that they might not act on that inspiration until much later. As a consequence, 79% of conversions that users attributed to TikTok were absent from conventional last-click attribution models.
TikTok’s New Measurement Capabilities.
According to TikTok, the majority of talks that could be attributed to in-app exposure aren’t recorded. This is a result of the way users use the app: browsing during a live session, then browsing and purchasing later. TikTok is promoting a first-party Attribution Analytics and Performance Comparison Tool to close these gaps. With these tools, advertisers will be able to
- “Visualize conversions across different time windows” in order to employ the attribution techniques that will benefit their company the most.
- Determine how effective TikTok is at generating conversions based on views so they can provide the best possible ad content for the platform.
- Discover detailed user activity information so that advertisers may move beyond click attribution
TikTok recently unveiled a number of new measuring features aimed at assisting advertisers in better determining if their campaigns lead to conversions. Furthermore, Attribution Analytics, a first-party solution, is integrated into the app’s Ad Manager. The tool’s purpose is to make the non-linear path to purchase more understandable. This will cover the customer journey’s awareness, exploration, and action phases.
Read More: TikTok Prioritize User Rights with Revised DSA Standards in the EU
What is the Performance Comparison Tool?
Image credit- Retail Touch Points
Marketers can monitor a variety of additional activities their ads take on thanks to performance comparison. It is a tool that lets marketers evaluate side-by-side comparisons of conversions during various attribution windows. Along with straight conversion information, it will also feature View Content, Add to Cart, and Initiate Checkout. In addition, it will show how attribution frames affect performance measures. It is made up of more conversions than a 28-day click-through window because they happened during a 7-day period. The added data allows advertisers to observe how their TikTok advertising truly influences consumer behavior, in addition to upcoming new features.
To provide advertisers with more information about the effectiveness of their campaigns, TikTok will continue to add more elements to its Attribution Analytics over time. Additionally, TikTok is moving to what it refers to as a Self-Attributing Network (SAN) in order to offer broader insights beyond the measurements shared by the company’s current mobile measurement partners (MMPs). Following the recent debut of a highly anticipated e-commerce center in the US and as marketers increase their holiday expenditures, TikTok has expanded its measuring package.
Here’s what they said
In the blog post, the company stated,
We will launch a series of features for Attribution Analytics. The first feature, included as part of this release, is Performance Comparison, a measurement tool that visualizes conversions across different time windows to help advertisers find an attribution strategy that works for their business.
Click-based measurement makes more sense in an environment where the user is actively searching for a product and is already one click away from a purchase. However, it severely under-attributes platforms like TikTok where users are immersed in a steady stream of content and engage with brands or discover products while being entertained.
Thomas Carter, Senior TikTok Strategist of Power Digital Marketing said in a statement,
Having visibility into extra click-through and view-through event data has made it easier to prove TikTok’s value and scale our clients’ campaigns. This tool has allowed them to look beyond a standard last-click window with more confidence.
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Samsung Ads Partners with Brightline To Boost CTV Advertising
Samsung Ads has teamed with BrightLine to increase the availability of its actionable and dynamic video ad inventory. It will make it possible to concentrate more on results and performance. In order to enhance its free-ad-supported streaming TV (FAST), Samsung is the most recent smart TV manufacturer to incorporate BrightLine’s interactive ad capabilities into its connected TV (CTV) inventory. The partnership aims to CTV advertising.
BrightLine’s Commendable Client Roster
Major publishers BrightLine already works with include Warner Bros. and Discovery. Additionally, it collaborates with VIZIO, a rival to Samsung and a manufacturer of smart TVs in the US, to offer interactive commercials on its WatchFree+ FAST Service. As the largest TV manufacturer in the United States, Samsung expands Brightline’s clientele. Additionally, it provides a vital range of distinct audience data. BrightLine enables geo-addressable content, such as store locators or localized specials, to dynamically populate commercial overlays, which is the simplest form of personalization. BrightLine claims that interactive creatives may be tailored to a deeper level of understanding, such as viewing habits, thanks to Samsung, its unique audience, and other factors.
Samsung – BrightLine partnership insights
Using BrightLine’s new dynamic ad unit, Samsung Ads, which already runs interactive ads in its QR-coded shoppable online video inventory, goes above and beyond to offer live and customized ads. Additionally, it will provide on-screen polls, quiz sessions, and scrollable branded carousels. It will encourage participation and action from viewers straight from the TV screen. Additionally, it incorporates dynamic creative that has been modified using Samsung’s data footprint to include elements like dealership and shop locators. Samsung Ads’ inventory mix is smoothly integrated with Brightline’s exclusive interactive ad suite designed specifically for TV.
Furthermore, it makes it possible for Samsung advertisements to provide the most advanced interactive solutions. It also enables to round out the Company’s full lineup of in-stream, native, and cross-platform ads. For many years, Samsung has previously been able to operate Brightline extended units on its smart TV home screen. To broadcast the vendor’s in-stream video ads and experiences on its FAST Service Samsung TV Plus, Samsung is now able to do so thanks to the partnership’s recent expansion. It is the first partner of Samsung to provide interactive CTV commercials on Samsung TV Plus with a remote. With Samsung Ads reaching three out of four US households, Samsung also claims to be the largest single source of TV data.
Read More: Loop Media-Microsoft Advertising Forge New CTV OOH Inventory Category
Here’s what they said
Michael Scott, vice president of ad sales and operations, Samsung Ads said in the announcement,
CTV advertising has been about delivering the solutions brands need to achieve measurable results. Today, we’ve evolved to a point where CTV is now capable of delivering results beyond simply reach and awareness. With BrightLine’s advanced capabilities, advertisers are now able to engage consumers in a real-time dialog and exchange for the first time on Samsung Smart TVs.
He further added,
Now with access to Brightline, Samsung advertisers can take home screen engagement a step further with dynamic, engaging ad experiences that are designed to be actionable. As we progress towards a future where personalized and relevant advertising is not only the norm, but expected, actionable home screen ads will continue to be a crucial advertising tool for brands.
Mike Bologna, BrightLine’s chief accelerator stated,
BrightLine is helping partners like Samsung Ads deliver on the promise and potential of truly dynamic CTV ad experiences. Now that Smart TVs have become so much more than just a vehicle for video consumption, these new ad units provide opportunities for audiences to engage and take action directly from their screen, complementing the rich Samsung connected ecosystem.
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Publicis Media, UK AOP To Test Privacy-Enhancing Technology (PETs)
Publicis Media, along with the UK Association of Online Publishers (AOP) will carry out a broad-scale test of Anonymised. It is a brand-new privacy-enhancing technology (PET) that allows for cookie-free targeting and measurement. This test will be conducted after a comprehensive discussion with the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Information Commissioner’s Officer (ICO). Moreover, it intends to show how PETs may encourage transparent and healthy competition in programmatic advertising to the advantage of publishers and advertisers without jeopardizing user privacy.
Publicis Media’s Large Scale Privacy-Enhancing Technology Tests
The test presents Publicis Media with a chance to enhance its position as a pioneer in the move toward a cookie-free internet. It gives AOP members the chance to create a more publisher-friendly ad ecosystem. Publishers including New UK, The Guardian, The Independent, Bauer, and Haymarket are among the AOP’s members. The tests will happen in 2023 and the first part of 2024. Additionally, it will adhere to the CMA’s testing methodology for Google’s Privacy Sandbox. The CMA and the ICO will also receive the results in the second quarter of 2024.
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Here’s what they said
As reported by ExchangeWire,
Ed Pizey, VP of data & technology consulting at Publicis Media said that they were currently conducting a comprehensive privacy-enhancing testing program across nearly 40 cookie-less solutions. He further added
Our clients understand the need to use data responsibly in a way that respects consumer privacy. Our testing programme provides the opportunity to measure how technology partners like Anonymised can deliver reach and performance to our clients in a privacy-centric way. This collaboration is one example of Publicis Media’s commitment to uncovering new cookieless solutions for our clients – inclusive of working closely with Epsilon to test and learn.
Richard Reeves, MD at the AOP explained,
Third-party cookies were never a great deal for publishers because they leak first-party data into the ecosystem, which largely benefits ad tech companies and made-for-advertising sites. Technology like Anonymised gives publishers an opportunity to monetise audiences without disclosing data, enabling direct relationships with advertisers — which aligns with our members’ vision for an equitable exchange between publishers and advertisers.
Dr Mattia Fosci, CEO of Anonymised stated,
The market needs a new generation of technology providers that can help publishers and advertisers transition to a cookie-less, privacy-first internet. Google’s Privacy Sandbox may well be the new baseline for open-web advertising, but innovation is needed to make sure the open web remains a competitive advertising destination in a privacy-centric world.
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IKEA Chooses McCann As The First Global Brand Marketing Agency
Ingka Group, IKEA’s parent company has included a fresh, global agency agenda for all 31 countries where Ingka has operations. The IKEA brand will be strengthened worldwide as a result. After a comprehensive evaluation, the retailer brand has chosen McCann, the Madrid-based IPG agency network to be its advertising agency. Ingka Group’s Global Marketing Team will spearhead the partnership. Additionally, IKEA Spain’s Marketing Team will act as the operating team.
IKEA’s vision
The novel strategy is based on the idea that all people have the same fundamental needs. IKEA’s goal is to improve the quality of life for several people. It holds that all individuals need to sleep, eat, and spend time with their loved ones. With this strategy, they may set the tone and give the brand an opportunity to interact with people regardless of their culture, living situation, or age. Moreover, it will convey their ideas through international brand marketing campaigns.
IKEA Partners with McCann Worldgroup
IKEA wants to make its agency operations more efficient. The home goods chain selected McCann Worldgroup, thanks to the latter’s global philosophy of Truth Well Told. The concept aligns with IKEA’s mission of enhancing people’s daily lives. McCann Spain was appointed following the success of the partnership between the IKEA Global Marketing Team and the IKEA Spain Marketing Team. With McCann Worldgroup Spain as its center of operations, the agency will oversee IKEA retail for the Ingka Group. There will be 379 IKEA locations spread across 31 markets. The collaboration will begin in September 2023. The outcome of this alliance will be visible in the spring of 2024.
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IKEA’s Previous Partnerships
IKEA has long collaborated on marketing initiatives with several international agencies. Among these agencies were Ogilvy and Mother London. IKEA also collaborated with TBWA\Group Singapore in Southeast Asia for three years. The majority of the brand’s creative work feels within the agency’s control. It includes integrated campaigns, store opening campaigns, and digital and social communications. With the recent loss of Verizon’s account to Ogilvy in the United States still fresh in their minds, McCann’s victory in securing the IKEA business comes at the perfect time.
Here’s what they said
Licca Li, acting global marketing manager of Ingka Group said,
As one of the most trusted brands in the world, we have the responsibility to show how we are leading from our vision and purpose; that we are siding with the many through our affordable range and actions we take as a company for people and the planet. I am excited to see how this shift gives us the opportunity to connect to more people with a stronger voice.
Gabriel Ladaria, IKEA Spain’s marketing director added,
We are very excited that McCann has been finally chosen as winner, with us as the operating team. It makes us proud and serves as an acknowledgment for the work that has been carried out for the IKEA brand in Spain for years now. It also comes with the responsibility to build up and strengthen the emotional connection with consumers from all Ingka Group countries in a solid and consistent way, while leaning on the strengths that have shaped how we communicate at IKEA Spain and positioned the IKEA brand as the benchmark it is today.
Daryl Lee, Global CEO of McCann Worldgroup and McCann continued,
We are humbled and excited to be appointed as IKEA’s first global brand marketing partner. IKEA’s vision to create a better everyday life for the many people, based on universal truths, is perfectly aligned with our global philosophy of Truth Well Told. Our teams that collaborated around the world, brilliantly led by McCann Spain, cannot wait to launch an enduring brand platform that resonates globally and further builds IKEA’s leadership position in every market.
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Media.Monks Unveils AI Integration for Customized Content
S4 Capital’s solely digital operational brand, Media.Monks is introducing an AI product. It will integrate generative AI and machine learning into its software-powered production system. Additionally, it will support the delivery of highly customized content to customers in new media types. At the 2023 International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), NVIDIA, Adobe, and Amazon Web Services will present additional information on Media.Monks. The company uses strong software platforms, powerful GPUs, and cutting-edge networking technology to choose highlights from live transmission. Additionally, it will deliver customized information to certain online audiences. Brands and customers are expected to receive more personalized experiences, thanks to the partnership with NVIDIA.
AI Integation in Software-powered production system
MediaMonks’ software-driven production system is built to function remotely with a staff that is dispersed across. The method offers versatility by doing away with the requirement for broadcast appliances that are only used once. It also provides full-service consulting, production, and integration services. The solution captures live content on the spot and sends it to remote teams. Developed locally, through Amazon Web Services, it integrates edge ecosystem standards. It can easily adjust to the needs of delivering multi-format content across a range of new media formats, devices, and platforms. This method of live broadcasting reduces greenhouse gas emissions significantly.
- A geographically dispersed workforce and cloud redundancy further improve reliability. Additionally, it eliminates the requirement for single-use broadcast appliances while cutting expenses by an estimated 50% or more when compared to standard broadcast settings. The live broadcast production workflow that won the Excellence in Sustainability Award considerably cuts greenhouse gas emissions.
- Software-defined production, which is now available as a production, consulting, and integration service, lowers costs from conventional broadcast set-ups by an estimated 50% or more while increasing reliability through cloud redundancy and dispersed global staffing.
- The system can be effectively installed in the cloud on Amazon Web Services (AWS) in a conventional or edge ecosystem, or it can be deployed locally to let a quick team capture information locally for dissemination to remote teams.
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Dedication to sustainability
Additionally, Media.Monks highlight its dedication to sustainability by pitching its remote service as a substitute for conventional broadcasting infrastructure. The concept however will need significant investment in transportation and physical infrastructure. At the 2023 NAB Show, the company received a trophy for excellence in sustainability awareness for reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to live production and broadcast operations.
Finally, Media.Monks’ incorporation of generative AI into their software-powered production system illustrates its commitment to providing clients with customized content while lowering costs and having a smaller environmental effect. By utilizing cutting-edge technologies, Media.Monks seek to remain on the cutting edge of the changing broadcast industry and offer a tailored and engaging experience for both advertisers and customers.
Here’s what they said
Lewis Smithingham, SVP of Innovation at Media.Monks, said
Our goal is to deliver a more personalised experience for consumers and brands as efficiently as possible. Fans are increasingly craving personalised content they can watch on non-linear channels, so we’re using the latest GPUs, networking technologies and software platforms from NVIDIA and AWS to build upon our next-generation broadcasting solution and deliver the content people most want to watch.
Bob Pette, Vice President and General Manager of Professional Visualisation at NVIDIA, added
The future of broadcast is AI-powered and software-defined. Our collaboration with Media.Monks will help deliver a more engaging and personalized experience for brands and consumers.
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BrandSpace Enhances Screen Network for Programmatic Brilliance
BrandSpace, Scentre Group’s internal media and advertising business has improved its unique screen network product suite to fulfill consumer demand. The improvement of its programmatic offering is the primary goal of this endeavor. The platform has further empowered 100 percent of Scentre Group’s Digital Out of Home (DOOH) Network.
BrandSpace Screens for programmatic transactions
This comprehensive countrywide overhaul of its digital screen network is what has allowed for this creativity and expansion. Modern technology is now available on all 1,600 Australian network screens. Furthermore, they will also provide a fully digital, full-motion presentation to capture the interest of the Westfield audience.
The programmatic offering has improved with the most recent addition of 40 Large Format Super Screens. Additionally, it offers unique solutions for retail OOH ad impact in the most fruitful areas to drive attention and recall metrics. The capacity to provide large-format marketing impact through 20-second full-motion creative executions is paired with this.
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MOVE 1.5 integration
Scentre Group’s BrandSpace uses MOVE 1.5 as part of its dedication to industry best practices. MOVE 1.5 is OMA’s upgraded audience measurement system aimed at improving the alignment and consistency of Digital Out of Home, whether it is traded programmatically or directly. Partners have praised the inclusion of MOVE 1.5 as the data source for the impression multiplier in the market offering. BrandSpace’s newly created Digital Sales and Programmatic team is leading these developments. Their mandate is to provide all partners with digital growth solutions.
Here’s what they said
General manager, of BrandSpace, Scott Moore said,
For many years our partners have valued the impact and scale of our SuperScreens. Now that our entire network can be accessed programmatically, even more brands can connect with the Westfield customer, with full motion content in the premium Westfield environment. Now having Australia’s leading Retail Out of Home offer 100 per cent on programmatic makes it a powerful and simple proposition.
Recently appointed BrandSpace, national digital sales manager, Burzin Mehta said:
This evolved offering is in response to requests to make accessing our network of SmartScreens and SuperScreens easier and more impactful. By adopting enhanced industry standards, we are empowering our partners to make more informed decisions, whilst confidently demonstrating the impact and value we know our premium environments can achieve.
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A+E Networks Partners with GroupM for Diverse Voices Accelerator
A+E Networks and GroupM Motion Entertainment will collaborate, according to GroupM, the media investment division of WPP. The collaboration aims to assist GroupM’s Diverse Voices Accelerator (DVA). It is an increased effort to support diverse creatives in premium content creation, financing, distribution, and marketing. As the newest partner to GroupM’s DVA, A+E Networks debuted the original documentary “761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers” on The HISTORY Channel. It also had Domino’s backing it up with a commitment.
Insights into the partnership
The partnership will combine A+E Network’s audience reach and engagement with GroupM Motion Entertainment’s best-in-class expertise. It will cover the company’s portfolio of brands, including A&E, Lifetime, The HISTORY Channel, and others. A component of GroupM’s Media Inclusion Initiative (MII) is the DVA. It is a comprehensive plan for allocating funding to and opening doors for various media businesses and content producers. It is also a crucial component of GroupM’s Responsible Investment Framework.
The HISTORY Channel’s documentary in collaboration with GroupM Motion Entertainment.
The production company Revelations Entertainment, run by Lori McCreary and Academy Award®-winning actor Morgan Freeman were the executive producers of the documentary “761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers.” It was also created in collaboration with GroupM Motion Entertainment. The 761st Tank Battalion, the first Black Tank regiment to serve in combat during WWII, is the subject of this compelling documentary. It delves much more deeply into the significant conflicts they encountered overseas during combat and at home in the United States due to racism. The documentary won praise for bringing attention to this mostly ignored period of American history.
Most recently, GroupM’s Diverse Voices Accelerator led to the creation of the program. It is a project that links media companies with advertisers in order to introduce diversely framed, inclusive programs. As an extension of the brand’s larger goal to promote equity in entertainment, Domino’s, a founding partner of the DVA, keeps making deliberate media investments.
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Here’s what they said
Peter Olsen, President of Ad Sales for A+E Networks said,
A+E Networks is committed to sharing diverse stories and ensuring that our content reflects the global audiences who consume our programming across our platforms. Our partnership with GroupM’s Diverse Voices Accelerator has matched our best-in-class programming with powerful brands like Domino’s who share A+E’s dedication to advancing authentic storytelling from a diversity of voices and perspectives behind the camera, in addition to on-screen.
Kate Trumbull, Domino’s senior vice president – chief brand officer added,
Domino’s is proud to support programming that reflects diverse voices and stories. It’s important that we advertise and invest in media that reflects the diversity of our customers, team members, and communities we serve every day.
Chet Fenster, Chief Content Officer, Programming & Strategy, GroupM Motion Entertainment, NA commented,
We’re proud to bring together members of the advertising community with diverse filmmakers whose stories deserve to be seen, heard and known. We’re thrilled to work with A+E Networks and Domino’s, who share our vision and understand the importance of bringing these projects to fruition.
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An Innovative Triumph: Burger King x Stevenage FC Case Study
This case study looks into the Burger King x Stevenage Football Club campaign that was so innovative and fresh, that it left a lasting impression on the minds of the fans even after years.
Introduction
The Stevenage Football Club is a humble League Two Team. In the lowest division (D4) of the English soccer league’s four divisions, Stevenage finished second to bottom. In essence, it was a team that the general public knew little about. However, it rose to prominence in FIFA ’20, courtesy of a successful marketing and business strategy implemented by the fast-food company Burger King.
A Sneak Peek
Every year, a new instalment of the FIFA video game series is released. FIFA’s video games are incredibly realistic. They expertly mimic football stadiums, press meetings, and individual football players’ physical characteristics. FIFA is very attentive to the jerseys and the logo that is shown on them.
Objective
To promote its brand, Burger King wanted to sponsor a football team and have their trademarks shown on the players’ uniforms. The goal was to turn a small-time squad into one of the top online sports organizations in the world. They would receive the most exposure by doing this. However, bankruptcy was the one thing they wished to avoid.
Challenges
Burger King moved their attention to the virtual world while the real Stevenage Club received very little publicity. The season that would have resulted in the Stevenage Football Club’s downfall was stopped by COVID-19, making them the least fortunate English team in all of FIFA ’20. They would not have been able to participate in the game at all.
An Unprecedented Deal
In soccer, branding holds significant value due to the extensive fanbase. Burger King endorsed Stevenage Football Club in 2019, showcasing its logo on the team’s shirts, which also featured in FIFA ’20. This partnership offered the burger chain exposure to a vast audience through the team’s official jersey in the game.
Creative Idea
The answer they proposed? online game. FIFA, more precisely!
With this ground-breaking sponsorship, FIFA’s virtual world saw the real-world shirt marketing gimmick transposed. The target audience changed to FIFA players and viewers of Twitch streams rather than spectators cheering in a stadium or watching the games on television. Burger King intended to breach the system by sneaking their logo into the game. And they did so in two stages:
- Sponsor a team that would
- Appear in the FIFA 2020 edition
- Not cost a dozen million per year
- Matching jersey colors
- Find a way to draw attention to the team. With the introduction of the social media challenge, they were able to accomplish this.
Players in FIFA can select a career mode. They can act out the part of a club manager starting a multi-season career there. Choose a weaker club and push it to the top as one strategy for this mode. The Stevenage Challenge was focused on just this.
Image credit- Muse by Clio
The Stevenage Challenge
In FIFA’s career mode, players step into the role of a club manager for a multi-season journey. Burger King’s ‘Stevenage Challenge’ encouraged gamers to choose the underdog, Stevenage, and score goals while offering rewards for meeting specific criteria, such as winning a free menu item by scoring directly from a corner kick and sharing the achievement on social media.
Image credit- Muse by Clio
Image credit- BeSoccer
The underdog concept embodied the players’ interest in playing as Stevenage, the team stranded at the bottom of the standings. Additionally, online accomplishments would deliver free hamburgers to your door. It turns out that the challenge was released at the same time as BK joined forces with Uber Eats. For the roughly 10 million FIFA ’20 gamers, having the meal brought to them proved the challenge even more alluring. The concept successfully merged the internet and offline worlds. It’s possible that BK even started the offline partnership with Stevenage in order to launch the online concept. Additionally, it made use of common user behavior: many FIFA players love playing the smaller clubs.
Results
It was a success! Whooper’s owners claim-
- Over 25,000 goals were scored and shared online while wearing an SFC jersey.
- Even in the career mode of the game, when users acquire the best players to develop under this shirt wearing the BK insignia, SFC was the most frequently used team.
- For the first time in SFC’s 43-year history, there was a lack of jerseys on hand.
- It claimed earned media revenue of $2.5M.
- 1.2 billion campaign impressions
Previously unknown Stevenage had enormous prominence in the gaming industry and made money off of a few shirts. BK increased its exposure, received marketing honors, and increased its stake in Uber Eats.
More significantly, in a world that often depicts them in gloomy tones, gamers felt respected and understood. Everyone achieved which is possibly why BK chose to continue on the same path even further. Burger King increased the scope of its sponsorship agreement in 2020 to include the Stevenage women’s squad. A Burger Queen shirt and a successful marketing campaign were the results.
Match of the day host and high profile personality in the football realm, Gary Linekar, and Rugby World Cup Winner Bryan Habana were among the sporting names who praised the campaign.
🔙 Throwback to the #StevenageChallenge, turning a small team in the real world to the biggest online. 💪 pic.twitter.com/2MpU7XCMh0
— Stevenage FC 🔴⚪ (@StevenageFC) May 21, 2021
Great numbers for the #stevenagechallenge by @BurgerKing. pic.twitter.com/ydioTRDlCd
— FANexperience👏 (@FanexperienceNL) September 26, 2020
Burger King’s daring strategy of partnering with a lesser-known squad for their campaign paid off with resounding success. This creative approach showcased alternative avenues for businesses to connect with their target markets, earning Burger King significant accolades and boosting the popularity of SFC in FIFA!
Criteo’s Commerce Max DSP Unites Retail Media with General Availability
Criteo, the commerce media firm has made its self-service demand-side platform (DSP) Commerce Max, generally available. Brands and agencies will now have a single point of access to retail media inventory both on-site and across premium publishers off-site. Criteo is extending its array of retailer monetization solutions in addition to Commerce Max. Retailers will have the ability to meet previously unmet demand thanks to it. It will also open the door to an amalgamation of online and offline monetization strategies.
The world of retail media
Advertisers wishing to interact with consumers and learn more about their purchasing habits have a lot to gain from the rapidly expanding field of retail media. But with so many shops entering the retail media sector in recent years, the industry has grown unstable. However, it has been incredibly effective for merchants trying to expand their existing revenue streams. It has also benefited companies and organizations trying to actively engage customers in the purchasing process. Retailers, brands, and agencies have not, however, been able to fully utilize retail media due to fragmentation in the market.
Creating scalable commerce
With Commerce Max DSP, Criteo was a pioneer in introducing digital measuring standards to retail media. Additionally, it enables marketers and agencies to track invalid visitors to merchant websites in all ad formats. This is thanks to its connection with Integral Ad Science. By 2024, they will also contain sponsored and native products. In 2022, GroupM and Best Buy, a retailer of consumer electronics, launched a marketing test with the DSP. Over the course of time, Commerce Max signed up 10 shops, including Shipt, Macy’s, and Best Buy.
When running both onsite and offshore advertising through the platform, retailers who have finished campaigns have seen conversion rates increase by an average of more than double. Brands and agencies from all over the world can obtain data and inventory from various retailers and marketplaces using Commerce Max DSP. They can use it to expand these audiences offsite and locate relevant audiences on these sites. Closed loop measurement serves as the foundation for this platform. It enables advertisers to rapidly and effectively assess the success of campaigns and optimize them accordingly.
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Unifying Retailers’ Approaches
The merchant monetization solution suite is the second element that Criteo has released. It is the next stage in the advancement of Commerce Yield, Criteo’s primary monetization technology. Along with giving retailers and marketplaces access to a full suite of media capabilities, it will also benefit businesses like automakers, theaters, transportation providers, airlines, and more. In order to create Commerce Yield, Criteo combined its existing Retail Media Platform with a number of products acquired through recent strategic acquisitions. They consist of
- Commerce Yield Marketplace: It will assist monetization officers in integrating marketplace methods and formats thanks to Criteo’s strategic acquisition of Mabaya.
- Commerce Yield In-Store: By combining their in-store monetization technologies, Brandcrush and Criteo, advertisers now have access to a greater variety of offline inventory.
- Commerce Yield Insights: Previously known as Gradient, the package of insight and analytics solutions offers digital-off-the-shelf data to assist with enterprise-level retail media buys.
Here’s what they said
Megan Clarken, CEO at Criteo, said the company’s emphasis is to enable all commerce-driven firms to buy and sell to audiences engaged in shopping. She further added,
The process has to be frictionless, and it has to solve for fragmentation. With today’s launch, we’re equipping our clients with the right tools to cut through and connect in a more unified retail media ecosystem that ultimately creates more unity across the broader advertising marketplace. Our focus is enabling all commerce-driven companies to buy and sell audiences engaged in shopping. The process has to be frictionless, and it has to solve for fragmentation. With today’s launch, we’re equipping our clients with the right tools to cut through and connect in a more unified retail media ecosystem that ultimately creates more unity across the broader advertising marketplace.
Billy Dyer, Club Team Shopper Marketing Lead at Unilever following another successful test with GroupM and Unilever in which the brand’s conversion rate rose by over 400% praised Criteo saying,
Through Criteo we now have one point of entry to a pivotal retail media network, all within a single platform – Commerce Max – that applies the same KPIs to retail media as those we use for our programmatic buys. Combining onsite and offsite targeting enables us to focus media spend across a broader part of the shopper funnel while finding the most suitable audiences wherever they are.
Mark Heitke, Director of Ad Products and Audience Strategy at Best Buy Ads commented,
We’re excited to be at the forefront of the rollout of the Commerce Max platform, starting with its initial testing phase and now its general availability. The platform offers a variety of onsite and offsite capabilities, giving our brand partners even more options to reach our audiences in meaningful ways.
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