Oath Ad Platforms

A growing desire to avoid chemicals has driven health and personal care brands to include natural ingredients in markets around the globe. Keywords such as “herbal” or “organic” have added appeal to inform purchasing decisions. For example, shampoos with ginger as an ingredient accounted for 15% of sales here.

Such niche factors benefit personal care brands from Korea in particular, as these often highlight their use of organics. Indeed, out of Singapore’s top 10 shampoo brands, three are Korean. Moreover, variants that also tap into hair loss prevention unlock the high percentage of Singaporean consumers who view this as a crucial purchasing factor.

Interestingly, Korea has an edge not just on haircare products, but also on how Singaporeans prefer to wear their locks, borne out by the remarkable 85% of hairstyle-related searches draw Korea-inspired results.

What should marketers do?

Four out of 10 online shoppers for shampoo are aged between 35 and 44.

78% of online shoppers for shampoo are female.

20% of online shampoo sales were for hair-loss related products, growing 1.5 times per quarter.

Three out of 10 top shampoo brands are Korean.

85% of hairstyle-related searches drew Korean-inspired results.

Keywords such as “herbal” or “organic” adds appeal to purchasing decisions with shampoos with ginger accounting for 15% of online shampoo sales.

Gifted with the benefit of such insights, marketers would do well to leverage the power of data by crafting campaigns and strategies which mirror purchasing trends that are unique to geography.

For instance, marketing initiatives in Singapore should place more emphasis on products for hair damage with organic ingredients to increase their reach, as opposed to routine mass-marketing techniques.

Ecommerce strategies could include either offering haircare-related products such as hair oil, conditioners and specialised treatments as a bundle or by offering purchase-with-purchase discounts.

In an age where data has a greater value than oil, data collected through consumer engagement and interaction will help marketers to form the best strategies based on geographies and associated demand and trends.

Marketing strategies in Singapore, for example, should spotlight marketing efforts based on customers’ needs and preferences depending on their behaviours and persona, in contrast to traditional mass marketing approaches.

At the same time, a one-size-fits-all campaign is unlikely to yield high returns, since consumer behaviour is so tightly linked to changing trends and lifestyle habits.

The writer is Rico Chan, managing director, Verizon Media Hong Kong, Japan and INSEA.

By building analytic models that examine one million attributes, the Predictive Audience technology devises predictors that can accurately locate potential buyers - thereby effectively mapping, targeting and converting the right audiences in 1 billion users of Verizon Media (Previously known as Yahoo/Oath. A subsidiary of Verizon Communications Inc, NYSE: VZ). This is facilitated by the DSP Machine Learning Engine, which locates, correlates and ranks data points leading to conversion. Scores are then given to individual users, based on these "predictive factors" to allocate investment. The campaign learning is then accumulated by the AdLearn algorithm to benefit all future campaigns that deploy Predictive Audience.

Commenting on the campaign, May Chung, Business Executive Officer of Wyeth Nutrition said, "Wyeth Materna has a strong foundation in Hong Kong, trusted by many HK Moms. However, considering the ever-increasing competition, we have to go beyond conventional media tactics to recruit new users. As a firm believer of programmatic, we understand the power of the technology, but at the same time we are constantly questing for more effective ways of buying. We are delighted to be Hong Kong's first marketer to adopt Predictive Audience of Oath Ad Platforms and are deeply impressed by the business results we have achieved with more acquisitions. I look forward to leveraging this technology further to benefit all of Wyeth Nutrition's brands."

According to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the penetration of programmatic guaranteed in digital display and video ad activity across APAC will increase from 6 per cent in 2017 to 11 per cent in 2020.

The BCG research also found programmatic advertising to be 30 per cent more efficient for advertiser and agency-buying teams.

By aligning ease of use with premium and guaranteed placements, these numbers will continue to improve.

That is why at Verizon Media we focus on combining providing premium content and exclusive ad placement across our own inventory, and also forging partnerships with other premium providers.

Alongside premiumisation, expect transparency to also continue to be a priority in 2019, as responsible providers double-down on their efforts to meet brands’ needs.

Last year we began to see the benefits delivered by the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) ads.txt project – a simple, flexible and secure method that publishers and distributors can use to publicly declare the companies they authorize to sell their digital inventory in order to slash the risk of fraud and boost brand confidence.

But there’s still more that can be done. We have been implementing supply path optimization (SPO) to shorten the path from buyer to seller. This has helped further to weed out lower-quality and duplicate inventory, thereby reducing fraud and enhancing transparency.

Last but not least, we will see programmatic expand to new platforms this year.

With today’s consumers always on the go, advertisers need access to supply across every emerging channel.

That’s why platforms need to make it easier and more effective to buy inventory across connected TV, programmatic audio, digital out-of-home and in-app opportunities.

2)  Mobile: Effective partnerships pivotal to maximise new opportunities

Asian consumers have an insatiable appetite for mobile – with many people in emerging markets leapfrogging straight to smartphones as their preferred device for getting online.

According to Hootsuite, the share of mobile web traffic in Laos is at 90 per cent, far eclipsing web browsing done through laptops, desktops, tablets, and other devices. In Myanmar that figure is 72 per cent, and in Cambodia it is 42 per cent. In other parts of Southeast Asia the smartphone is also commonly the preferred device for accessing the internet with 68 per cent of users accessing the internet most often on a smartphone in Vietnam.

All of these compare favourably against more mature markets. For example, in Singapore 41 per cent of people prefer to use their smartphone to access the internet, while in Philippines it is 52 per cent, and in Malaysia it is 60 per cent. In Indonesia and Thailand, the number of users preferring to access the Internet via smartphones is similar to the ones seen in emerging markets with the figures at 81 per cent and 74 per cent respectively.

Overall, data from e-Marketer shows that by 2021, technological improvements and device affordability will lead to 62.4 per cent of the region’s population owning an internet-enabled device

That’s 1.81 billion people – or 23 per cent of the total global population.

As access to devices and connectivity improvements increase, so will the opportunities for marketers. One of these will be the growth of virtual and augmented reality – arguably among the most immersive and engaging formats ever created to empower brand storytelling.

With the eventual advent of faster data transfer speeds that 5G networks will unlock, the next generation of devices will be faster and more capable of creating exciting new ways to engage with consumers. It is therefore vital that brands find the right partners to utilise these advancements and meet new and long-time mobile users’ demands for new experiences.

3) E- and m-commerce growth: Maximising digital marketing on the path to purchase

APAC’s e-commerce growth will hit 14.2 per cent in 2019, according to Fitch Solutions, meaning it is crucial for brands to harness the latest digital marketing trends to create a credible, trustworthy and effective path to purchase.

And these opportunities are being further reinforced by the proliferation of smartphone use, referenced above.

Research from Flurry, Verizon Media’s mobile developer analytics platform, assessed 14,500 apps and 217 million devices across the region in 2018, and found that m-commerce sites saw the biggest spike (240 per cent) as consumers increasingly splashed their cash via their smartphones.

But an m-commerce site alone will not guarantee success. Instead, brands have to deploy the latest creative solutions to win the battle for consumers’ attention, hearts and minds.

One way to achieve success is by maximising the wow factor and utility of augmented reality (AR).

Last year, for example, we developed an AR mobile ad unit available through our native marketplace to tap into these very trends.

This was used by Pottery Barn to help create a seamless path from inspiration to purchase, allowing users to view a variety of home furnishings within their actual home environment.

The experience resulted in an average time spent of 2.4 minutes within the ad, as well as an 8.9 per cent click through rate.

The campaign also created a seamless path to purchase, recording an impressive 8.9 per cent CTR from the AR experience to the products on the brand’s mobile shopping site.

Asia’s impressive e-commerce growth will continue to be driven by rising internet penetration, widespread smartphone adoption, a fast-growing middle-class, and the increased availability of convenient payment solutions.

But don’t fall into the trap of believing that increasing purchases is the only benefit of using new digital marketing strategies.

By incorporating the latest AR and VR technologies, brands can also benefit from a wealth of consumer insights and metrics based on user responses and reactions within the campaign.

While some of these are still being fine-tuned, there is no doubt that these Extended Reality (XR) formats – the likes of AR, VR and MR (Mixed Reality) – will bring a new set of engagement metrics to enhance our understanding of the user’s experience.

So, whether is the pace of change in programmatic, the sweeping creative possibilities across mobile, or the ever-expanding opportunities via e- and m-commerce, there is no doubt that 2019 is going to be another action-packed year for APAC’s smartest brand marketers.

Rico Chan is managing director, Hong Kong, Japan and INSEA of Oath.

In first-price auctions, the bidders pay exactly what they bid, with the highest bid setting the clearing price for the impression.

The programmatic advertising marketplace has seen major changes over the last few years, with nearly half of all impressions sold on a first-price basis. This shift from second-price auctions by many SSPs was initially intended to bring more transparency to both buyers and sellers as well as increased CPMs and revenue for publishers. However, the reality may not be so clear-cut.

Although first-price auctions are cited as a way for publishers to increase their yields, it forces buyers to guess the true value of the impression, and thus they may end up overpaying. This, in turn, could drive down demand for a publisher's inventory if buyers are repeatedly overpaying for that inventory. Since many buyers' bidding strategies were based on second price models, they were not initially equipped to the shift in auction mechanics. They sometimes did not have transparency into the auction mechanics or price floors implemented.

We're seeing buyers make the following adjustments in a first-price scenario:

Enhanced Bidding Algorithms: 

New technology offerings and services are now giving buyers deeper insight into the bids needed to win the impression without overpaying. Many DSPs have created bid price optimization algorithms that use machine learning to determine the optimal bid.

Bid Shading: 

Many SSPs offer bid shading as a compromise between first and second-price auctions where technology looks at historical bidding trends and uses this data to set a bid somewhere in between the 1st and 2nd price. DSPs are starting to offer similar technology as a tool for buyers to avoid overpaying in a first-price auction. For publishers, it raises the price from what would normally win in a second-price auction and also may help retain a healthy buyer competition and bid density by eliminating advertiser feelings that they overpaid.

Testing for the absolute minimum price:

 First-price auctions encourage buyers to bid as low as possible to determine the clearing price of the auction. This continual testing of lower bids will naturally bring down all the bids in the auction. In a second-price auction, this isn't necessary as the clearing price is transparent.

Shifting to Direct Programmatic and PMPs: 

Many buyers moved out of open marketplace first price auctions as they saw their costs rise along with uncertainty about what bids would succeed in the auction. Direct premium guaranteed deals and fixed-price PMPs offer a price-controlled alternative coupled with a brand-safe environment. This reduces bid density on the open exchange and could result in lower eCPMs with less competition.

What can attendees expect to gain from participating in the day, and why should senior leaders take advantage of this opportunity to nominate their rising talent?

The two day event will focus on education, self reflection and improvement, whilst building your own personal brand. We have a number of inspirational speakers lined up to lead workshops that will teach creative brainstorming techniques, nurture personal well being and offer handy tips to navigate your career.

Brand Love Academy is a great opportunity for senior agency leaders to recognise and reward their top talent in not only an inspirational, but also an interactive, practical way. At the end of day one we’ve included a pitch and present challenge, giving attendees the chance to put their newly learnt skills to the test, with the winners taking home an all expenses paid trip to learn from the best at Advertising Week in New York.

Who is eligible to be nominated, and what are you specifically looking for?

Brand Love Academy is an exclusive, invitation-only event for rising stars within the media industry. We are asking senior agency leaders to nominate individuals they consider as their top 5%, the best of the best, with 1-7 years of industry experience.

We will be looking for individuals that are passionate about the digital media industry, go above and beyond when contributing to campaigns, are actively involved within the industry and show leadership beyond their years.

What is the importance of Verizon Media investing in and nurturing local talent and business?

It will come as no surprise to anyone that the media and marketing industry is facing continual change and that impacts our talent whether it be attracting, training or retaining. You only have to look at the headlines everyday to see the level of unprecedented movements within senior leadership. It’s not just limited to the C suite, trends are exactly the same when you look at young members of the industry.

We want to be part of the the solution, and Brand Love Academy offers Verizon Media the opportunity to work at a grassroots level to nurture and support up-and-coming talent, with the experience and resources we have.

I genuinely believe that investing in future talent now will create a long-term legacy, something we are really focused on and proud of as a business that aims to build brand love.

Verizon Media has always had a strong presence in NZ. What is it about the local market that differentiates from AU and the rest of the world?

We have actively been in market across NZ for over a decade as a crucial part of our local strategy. Alongside offering New Zealanders amazing content through our editorial brands, our focus is providing our customers with an integrated platform solution via Oath Ad Platforms to access native and DSP at scale through a premium brand safe environment.

Is there a local event, what will it look like and when will it happen?

All successful nominees will be offered the opportunity to travel to Sydney compliments of Verizon Media to take part in the program alongside talent from across the breadth of Australia and NZ.

NZ has a reputation for punching above its weight in media and creative circles. Why do you think this is?

From talking to people, it seems ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ when it comes to the Kiwis and this environment offers teams a fantastic opportunity to work across all aspects of campaigns, rather than being siloed into a specific role.

Kiwis have an extraordinary reputation globally for being entrepreneurial and innovative which delivers exceptional creative work, inspiring and educating the industry globally.

What’s next for Verizon Media, what is exciting you this year?

Well if the first six weeks are anything to go by, 2019 is going to be nothing short of an incredibly eventful year for the business.

Our consumer brands like Yahoo Finance, News, Lifestyle and Sport are engaging with more people than ever before as we continue to nurture and invest in new areas such as events. For instance, we’re bringing Yahoo Finance into the real world later this year with our first APAC All Markets Summit.

Oath Ad Platforms, our suite of intelligent advertising and publishing solutions, continue to evolve in providing brands with smart data-led advertising solutions that deliver clients business objectives.

And our content studio RYOT is going from strength to strength, delivering some really smart and innovative campaigns that utilise the power of our data and content capabilities.

For more information about Brand Love Academy contact [email protected]

A defining moment for digital advertising this year was theEuropean Union's General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR. It paved the way for regulators to protect consumers and keep a check on data privacy violations. It wasn’t long before advertisers realized that the best way for GDPR to work effectively, was for Internet brands to collaborate and come together for an industry-wide framework on transparency. This could eventually set the standard, leading to more effective strategies on targeted advertising and experiences that are relevant to customers, while retaining their trust. 

Another major initiative in 2018 pushed for greater transparency and fraud prevention -- Authorised Digital Sellers, or ads.txt, emerged as an important tool to help ad buyers avoid illegitimate sellers and a secure method that allows publishers to publicly declare the companies, they authorize to sell their digital inventory. Widening the impact, IAB recently opened beta testing of the mobile version of the Ads.txt tool. Overall, transparency and brand safety were big buzzwords in 2018, as key stakeholders in the programmatic ecosystem doubled down on enhancing brand safety, tackling data abuse and online ad fraud.

New formats, emerging technologies to power programmatic in 2019

Today’s advertisers are going where the audience is. They want to reach engaged consumers on a multitude of platforms. The range of ad formats available through programmatic trading is also growing -- like programmatic audio ads, which represents a new buying opportunity. Digital audio is the number one app activity on mobile. Advertisers are increasingly looking at reaching highly engaged podcast and streaming audio listeners in a brand safe environment with programmatic audio ads.

Video advertising is going to be bigger than ever in 2019. With low data prices, and high smartphone penetration, India has become the fourth largest consumer for mobile video ads, according to a recent InMobi India

report. With streaming services catching on and the growth of Over the Top (OTT) video programming, the potential and uptake for video ads follows. The kind of content that is drawing consumers in, will offer publishers a more holistic approach to monetise.

Premium ad innovation will continue to disrupt programmatic advertising. National Geographic used Oath's first-in-market programmatic VR ads to promote its docudrama 'Mars' Season 2. Advertisers can now extend to the virtual world. I see ad innovation offering value and access to brands as they reach audiences on different platforms or in new environments. With the Internet of Things (IoT), consumer products are going to be “experience platforms.” As digital advertising moves to become hyper-contextual, programmatic will be the path to the most effective advertising. A key trend that will pan out is newer applications of technology across the programmatic space. From enabling innovative new ad offerings to evaluating blockchain to combat ad fraud, Artificial Intelligence will see widespread adoption in 2019. Advertisers will leverage it to run smarter, more relevant campaigns through predictive audience targeting, among other uses.For advertiser’s visibility and control will continue to be top priorities moving into 2019. But as importantly, they will continue to seek new opportunities to engage meaningfully with consumers. Against this backdrop, programmatic will be the key to deliver the most pertinent advertising, helping advertisers target new and existing audiences with complete precision.