Navigating Q4 Advertising Challenges in an Election Year: A Strategic Guide for Marketing Decision Makers

Navigating Q4 Advertising Challenges in an Election Year: A Strategic Guide for Marketing Decision Makers

As Q4 approaches, marketing teams must act swiftly to prepare for one of the most challenging periods of the year. This quarter, already notorious for increased competition and rising advertising costs, is further complicated by the pressures of an election year. Early preparation and proactive conversations with clients and partners are essential to secure the necessary resources and ensure your campaigns stand out in a cluttered marketplace. Without taking these steps, you risk being outpaced by competitors and missing key opportunities. To help you navigate these complexities and execute a successful Q4 advertising strategy, we’ve compiled expert insights across our departments at Coegi.

Challenge 1: Increased Ad Costs and Cluttered Marketplace

In Q4, advertising costs typically soar, driven by heightened demand from brands eager to capture consumer attention during the holiday season. The upcoming election amplifies this pressure, as political campaigns flood ad spaces, making it even more challenging for brands to make an impact.

Our Advice:

  • Use Historical Data Wisely: While it’s essential to look at past performance to set benchmarks, data from previous years might not fully capture the dynamics of an election year. Instead, refer to 2020 data where possible, and adjust for inflation to set more accurate expectations. This approach will help you budget effectively without underestimating the cost surges.
  • Tailored Creativity: The marketplace will be cluttered with ads, both commercial and political. To cut through the noise, it’s crucial to tailor your creative assets to resonate with your target audience. Personalization and relevance are key—ensure that your messaging is sharp and speaks directly to the consumer’s needs and desires at this time of year.
  • Fraud Prevention: The political season is often associated with increased ad fraud. To protect your budget and ensure that your ads reach genuine audiences, implementing robust fraud prevention measures is essential. Without these precautions, your ad spend could be wasted on fraudulent traffic, reducing the overall effectiveness of your campaigns.

Challenge 2: Inventory Shortages and Early Sell-Outs

One of the most pressing issues during Q4, especially in an election year, is the early sell-out of premium ad inventory. With brands and political campaigns vying for the same spaces, securing inventory becomes increasingly difficult.

Our Advice:

  • Secure Inventory Early: To avoid missing out on critical ad placements, start negotiating direct partnerships and Private Marketplace (PMP) or Programmatic Guaranteed (PG) deals as early as possible. These agreements can provide you with the premium inventory you need while reducing the risk of being edged out by competitors. Early action is your best defense against the last-minute scrambles that can lead to missed opportunities.

Challenge 3: Managing Increased Workload and Risk of Errors

The fast-paced nature of Q4 often leads to increased workloads for marketing teams. With so much at stake, the risk of human errors—whether in campaign execution, budgeting, or creative adjustments—can escalate.

Our Advice:

  • Leverage Project Management: Effective project management is critical during this hectic period. Our operations team emphasizes the importance of identifying potential bottlenecks and managing individual workloads to prevent burnout and mistakes. Project managers should keep a close eye on timelines and ensure that tasks are distributed evenly across the team. By maintaining a clear view of everyone’s workload, you can mitigate risks and keep campaigns running smoothly.
  • Implement Automation: Automation tools are indispensable for managing time-sensitive tasks efficiently. Whether it’s setting up automated creative swaps or using platform rules to schedule out rapid changes, these technologies can save precious time and reduce the stress of manual updates. By automating repetitive tasks, your team can focus on strategic decision-making, ensuring that your campaigns remain agile and responsive throughout the quarter.
  • Focus on Value: When the pressure is on and you’re unsure where to begin, always start with the task that will deliver the most value. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to complete everything to perfection, but this mindset can lead to paralysis. Remember, progress is more important than perfection. By prioritizing high-impact tasks, you can keep your team moving forward without getting bogged down in the details.

Conclusion

Q4 presents a unique set of challenges, especially during an election year. However, by understanding these obstacles and preparing accordingly, marketing decision-makers can turn potential pitfalls into opportunities for success. From anticipating higher ad costs and inventory shortages to managing workloads, preventing ad fraud, and leveraging automation, the strategies outlined above will help your brand navigate the complexities of Q4 with confidence. By adopting these insights, you’ll not only survive but thrive during this critical period, ensuring that your marketing strategy is both effective and resilient.

For personalized advice tailored to your brand’s specific needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for a consultation. Let’s work together to make this Q4 your most successful yet.

 

Social: 

Social Media Strategy for Q4: Creating Opportunities for High Engagement

Key Changes to Anticipate in Q4:

  • Rising Ad Costs: Expect significant increases in CPM, CPA, and CPC metrics due to heightened competition and end-of-year spending. Many businesses push to allocate remaining budgets, driving up costs across social platforms.
  • Increased Engagement Rates: The holiday season often sees a spike in social activity as consumers engage in online shopping, connect with loved ones, and participate in festive events.

Tips for Managing Q4 Social Media Strategy:

  1. Early Planning: Start your campaigns early to secure ad space before costs rise further. Early preparation can help you lock in more favorable rates and ensure your content is ready to go live when needed.
  2. Continuous Optimization: Regularly optimize your campaigns to maximize ROI. Keep a close eye on performance metrics and be ready to make adjustments as necessary.
  3. Budget Allocation: Allocate a larger portion of your advertising budget to Q4 to accommodate the expected cost increases. Proper budgeting is crucial for staying competitive.
  4. Content Strategy:
    • Seasonality & Relevant Messaging: Tailor your content to reflect the season and resonate with your audience. Utilize holidays or cultural events to create a personal connection with users, increasing the likelihood of engagement.
    • User Experience: Make your call-to-action (CTA) clear and prominent, ideally within the first few seconds of a video ad. Ensure the user experience is seamless and intuitive.
    • Leverage AI: Utilize platform algorithms and AI capabilities to precisely target your audience. Stay ahead by testing and adopting new features, such as Meta’s Advantage+ tools, to improve your KPIs.
    • Genuine Imagery: Incorporate user-generated content and influencer partnerships to create authentic connections with your audience. Genuine content is more likely to stand out and resonate.
    • Diverse Ad Types: Use a variety of ad formats to capture your audience’s attention. Offering multiple content types increases your chances of engagement.

Search: 

Q4 Search Strategy: Navigating Industry-Specific Trends

As we approach Q4, the search landscape becomes increasingly competitive, with trends varying significantly across different industries. Here’s what to consider when planning your search campaigns:

Anticipated CPC Trends:

  • Industry Variance: CPC trends differ widely depending on the industry. For retail, expect a surge in CPCs as competition intensifies around key dates like Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Retailers often increase their budgets to capture year-end spending, driving up auction prices. Conversely, industries like financial services may experience a drop in search activity during the same period, potentially leading to lower CPCs.
  • Demand-Based Channels: Search advertising is heavily influenced by consumer demand. As inflation rises and economic pressures increase, consumers may be less likely to search for high-cost or luxury items, leading to fluctuations in CPCs. The demand-based nature of search advertising means that CPCs can vary significantly depending on how willing consumers are to make purchases during this time.
  • Google’s Role: There’s ongoing concern among advertisers that Google might be artificially inflating auction prices, contributing to CPC increases. While it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact impact, this is a factor worth monitoring.

Best Practices for Q4 Search Campaigns:

  1. Ad Copy and Keyword Adjustments:
    • Seasonal Promotions: Adjust your ad copy to reflect seasonal deals and promotions, especially around key shopping events like Black Friday. Incorporating keywords related to sales and promotions can help capture more traffic.
    • Action-Oriented Messaging: As search terms become more intent-based towards the end of the year, ensure your ad copy includes strong calls to action that align with consumer purchasing behavior. Refresh your ad copy to reflect holiday themes and urgent calls to action. Highlight promotions, limited-time offers, and unique selling points to stand out in search results.
    • Ad Extensions: Utilize all relevant ad extensions, such as sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets, to provide additional information and increase your ad’s visibility and click-through rate.
  2. Budget Allocation:
    • Flexible Budgeting: Expect higher CPCs, especially in industries where competition peaks in Q4. Allocate your budget accordingly, ensuring you can compete effectively during high-demand periods.
    • Industry-Specific Strategies: Tailor your budget and bidding strategies based on industry trends. For example, healthcare might see an uptick in competition as insurance companies ramp up their Q4 campaigns.
  3. Keyword Strategy:
    • Focus on High-Intent Keywords: Prioritize keywords that indicate strong purchase intent, particularly those related to holiday shopping and seasonal events. This will help capture consumers who are closer to making a purchase. Consider increasing your budget for branded keywords as competition rises.
    • Negative Keywords: Use negative keywords strategically to filter out irrelevant traffic and reduce wasted spend. This is especially important during high-competition periods to ensure your budget is used efficiently.

Programmatic: 

Programmatic Strategy for Q4: Optimizing for a High-Competition Landscape

Key Changes to Anticipate in Q4:

  • Increased Costs: The competition for ad inventory intensifies, leading to higher CPCs and CPAs due to increased demand. 
  • Shift in Consumer Behavior: Consumers are actively searching for holiday deals and making purchase decisions, which means higher intent traffic but also requires more sophisticated targeting and messaging.

Tips for Managing Q4 Search Strategy:

  1. Budget and Bidding Adjustments:
    • Flexible Bidding: Implement flexible bidding strategies to adapt to real-time changes in the competitive landscape. Utilize automated bidding tools to maximize efficiency and ensure your ads appear in high impact when it matters most.
    • Budget Allocation: Allocate more budget to high-performing, high-precision targeting segments and adjust your spend throughout the quarter based on performance data. Also consider exploring emerging channels and tactics where there may be a higher volume of whitespace.
  2. Planning for the Political Season:
    • Inventory Scarcity: Be prepared for potential inventory shortages and increased costs due to political campaigns. Adjust your bids and targeting to avoid overspending during peak political ad periods.
    • Geographic Targeting: Fine-tune your geo-targeting to focus on areas less impacted by political ad spend. This can help maintain efficiency and reduce competition for your target audience.
  3. Monitoring Market Dynamics:
    • Inflationary Pressures: Keep an eye on how economic factors like inflation are impacting consumer behavior. In markets where consumers are less willing to spend, you might see reduced competition and potentially lower CPCs, which could present an opportunity to adjust your strategy.
  4. Post-Holiday Analysis:
    • Data-Driven Insights: After Q4, conduct a thorough analysis of your programmatic campaigns to identify key trends and insights. Use this data to refine your strategy for the upcoming year, ensuring continuous improvement and optimization.

Embracing Value-Based Care: How a Brand Ecosystems Can Revolutionize Healthcare Marketing

Originally published in Healthcare Business Today

In a post-pandemic world, the healthcare landscape is evolving faster than ever. Amidst this swift evolution, the buzz around value-based care (VBC) presents a significant shift from the traditional fee-for-service model. As healthcare marketers, understanding and navigating this transformation is paramount. But how can brands effectively integrate into value-based healthcare models? The answer lies in building a robust brand ecosystem rather than relying solely on individual campaigns.

Understanding Value-Based Care and Its Implications

Value-based care focuses on delivering quality outcomes for patients rather than merely increasing the volume of services. This model incentivizes healthcare providers based on patient health outcomes, promoting efficiency and quality over quantity. VBC is fundamentally about focusing on outcomes for the individual patient, emphasizing quality over volume.

However, the transition to VBC is complex and fraught with challenges. The healthcare sector must address diverse payer requirements, health equity issues, and the unique value perceptions of various stakeholders, including patients, healthcare providers (HCPs), and payers. This shift is incredibly complicated and difficult to execute, requiring brands to understand the multifaceted definition of value to connect effectively with their audience.

The Power of a Brand Ecosystem in Healthcare Marketing

So, what exactly is a brand ecosystem, and why is it crucial for healthcare brands in a VBC environment? A brand ecosystem is a network of digital touchpoints designed to engage and communicate with audiences in a personalized, cohesive manner. Unlike a traditional campaign that delivers a single, linear message, a brand ecosystem provides a multifaceted approach, fostering deeper connections and engagement.

A brand ecosystem is essentially a combination of digital touch points designed to communicate effectively with its audience. It’s not a linear funnel but instead a holistic experience tailored to individual needs. This approach is particularly effective in healthcare marketing, where the definition of value can vary significantly across different audience segments.

Maximizing Value-Based Marketing through a Brand Ecosystem

Understanding and Communicating Value

For healthcare brands, success in a VBC model hinges on understanding and articulating value to both consumers and HCPs. Brands must take the time to define what value means for each audience segment. This involves creating tailored messages and resources that resonate with patients’ and HCPs’ unique needs.

Brands need to create unique ecosystems tailored to patient and healthcare provider audiences. Each ecosystem must reflect the distinct values and needs of its audience. This personalized approach ensures that the brand’s value proposition is clear, compelling, and relevant.

Supporting the Value-Based Care Model

Brands can play a pivotal role in supporting the VBC model by providing resources that help HCPs deliver quality care. This could involve offering educational materials, tools for patient engagement, or technologies that enhance treatment outcomes. By alleviating some of the pressures on HCPs, brands can build stronger, more supportive relationships.

Under a value-based care model, brands have the best opportunity to thrive by supporting HCPs with the necessary resources to drive patient outcomes. This support not only strengthens brand-HCP relationships but also reinforces the brand’s commitment to quality care.

Engaging Patients through Active Communication

Effective patient communication is essential in a VBC model. Brands must prioritize patient education, particularly around preventative health measures, to ensure better health outcomes. This proactive approach helps patients take an active role in their health, aligning with the core principles of VBC.

Patient education and preventative health will take a front seat under a value-based care model. Brands can enhance their value by focusing on these areas, ensuring better patient outcomes.

Not a Funnel, Not Singular: Embracing the Brand Ecosystem

The dynamic nature of value-based marketing demands a shift from traditional campaign strategies to a more integrated brand ecosystem. An ecosystem approach opens up more scale and engagement opportunities, understanding the uniqueness of each audience’s definition of value. By adopting this strategy, healthcare brands can better navigate the complexities of VBC and position themselves for long-term success.

Conclusion

Whether value-based care is fully adopted or not, the opportunity for healthcare brands to enhance their value proposition remains significant. By understanding and embracing the principles of a brand ecosystem, brands can break through the complexities of healthcare marketing and set themselves up for success.

At Coegi, we specialize in helping healthcare brands navigate this transformation. Contact us today for a consult and learn how we can support your journey towards a more integrated, value-focused marketing strategy.

Expanding Reach and Engagement with College Students Using Influencers

Challenge

Coegi collaborated with agency partner, True Media, on a key initiative for Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO). The client needed to reach current college students (aged 18-24), specifically those in STEM fields who are undecided about their careers. Previous marketing efforts focused on standard website traffic generation and career messaging; however, they were looking to expand into additional tactics that would connect with students in an authentic, trust-inspiring way.

Highlights

Millions
of impressions served to those potentially interested in Optometry field


Thousands
of post engagements driving an authentic connection between ASCO and potential students


31 pieces of content
created and amplified efficiently across channels

Solution

Our teams leveraged the power of social media influencers to provide a new way of engaging with the target audience. Recognizing the influence of peer recommendations on college students, we partnered with a selection of young Optometrists and Optometry students (3 creators in total). These creators produced a mix of 31 pieces of content, including standard branded messages alongside a unique UGC (User-Generated Content) challenge. The UGC challenge encouraged viewers to share their top six “sights to see” and tag others in the Optometry community, aiming to spark a viral trend on Instagram and TikTok. Paid amplification was utilized on both platforms to further extend the reach of the influencer content and build genuine connection with relevant individuals beyond the creators’ core followers.

Results

Organically, we drove nearly 3,000 organic engagements at a 7.9% engagement rate through the 31 pieces of content. 

Through amplification on Instagram, we achieved over 1.2 million impressions at a CPM (cost per thousand impressions) of $7.71, generating over 70,000 post engagements. Similarly on TikTok, boosted content delivered nearly half a million impressions at a CPM of $3.97, with over 2,000 post engagements. Amplification not only allowed the content to reach a broader audience of relevant individuals, but also drove greater attention and consideration as evidenced by the content engagement. 

While the success of the UGC challenge is still to be determined, the initial results from the boosted influencer content are promising. 

Key Takeaways

  • Influencer Selection: Partnering with creators who are both relatable and relevant to the target audience (young Optometrists/students) proved effective.
  • UGC for Engagement: The UGC challenge fostered audience participation and could potentially lead to a viral trend, further amplifying the campaign reach.
  • Paid Amplification Benefits: Utilizing the Paid Partnership tool on Instagram and TikTok allowed for seamless content integration and audience expansion beyond the influencer’s followers.

Overall, this campaign demonstrates the effectiveness of influencer marketing in reaching and engaging with a specific audience of college students. The combination of relatable creators, engaging content formats, and paid amplification strategies hold promise for driving brand awareness and consideration within the Optometry field.

Want to explore ways influencer marketing can boost your strategy? Contact our strategists today!

The Balancing Act: Short-Term Wins and Long-Term Growth in Healthcare Marketing

Leaders in the healthcare industry understand the unique challenges of marketing to consumers and HCPs in this space. Unlike promoting a new phone or pair of shoes, healthcare decisions are often complex and involve building trust. This blog dives into the crucial balance between achieving short-term wins and fostering long-term growth for your healthcare brand.

Short-Term Gains: Measurable Impact, Immediate Results

Short-term marketing strategies deliver a quick and measurable impact. Think campaigns promoting flu vaccinations or driving traffic to a website for a new medication launch. Here, success is measured by:

  • Media metrics: Engagement rate, site traffic, click-through rate
  • Business metrics: Sales lift, return on investment (ROI)
  • Advanced measurement: Attention unit scores (measures ad effectiveness), vaccine lift studies (tracks vaccination rates post-campaign)

These strategies are ideal for capitalizing on seasonal trends or generating immediate interest in a new product.

Long-Term Vision: Building Trust and Brand Loyalty

Long-term marketing focuses on cultivating trust and brand loyalty. It positions your brand as a reliable resource, a trusted partner on a patient’s healthcare journey. This translates to:

  • Brand metrics: Brand awareness, brand preference, customer satisfaction
  • Sales & Vaccine Lift Studies: Can also be applicable to long-term success such as share of mind and market share.

Educational content, patient testimonials, and community outreach programs all contribute to long-term success. Imagine a healthcare provider consistently offering informative webinars on various health topics. This establishes them as a trusted resource, influencing patients to choose them for future needs.

The Art of Balance: Aligning Strategies for Sustainable Growth

Focusing solely on short-term gains can negatively impact long-term brand building. While short-term metrics can provide valuable insights and some immediate sense of satisfaction, over-reliance on them can lead to overlooking the bigger business  picture. Here’s how to strike the perfect balance:

  • Identify short-term metrics that predict long-term success. High engagement with educational content could indicate potential brand preference.
  • Maintain a cohesive brand voice across all marketing efforts. This ensures a consistent patient experience, regardless of the short-term or long-term marketing touchpoint.
  • Embrace innovation in activation and measurement. Utilize advanced tools like attention unit metrics and influencer marketing to gain deeper insights and reach your target audience with authenticity.

Conclusion: A Winning Formula for Healthcare Marketing Success

By understanding the nuances of both short-term and long-term growth in healthcare marketing, brands can achieve sustainable growth. Healthcare is a personal journey for everyone, and it can not be a one size fits all approach. In order to deploy an effective long term marketing strategy, brands need to be in tune with who their target audience is, and how they like to be spoken to. By implementing a balanced approach that prioritizes immediate results while fostering long-term trust, healthcare CMOs can build brands that resonate with patients HCPs alike and position themselves for lasting success.

Building Trust and Awareness for Medicaid Options within Multicultural Communities

Challenge

Coegi’s client, a government health plan provider, needed to raise awareness of their Medicaid options among Hispanic and African American communities. These communities often face historical distrust of the medical care system, further compounded by rising healthcare costs.

Highlights

5%
higher recall among Hispanic/Latino demographics


9%
higher recall among Black/African American demographics


27%
increase in the perception that our brand supports member health goals, care about the community, and offer relevant services


10%
lift in aided brand awareness compared to 2% healthcare benchmark

Solution

We developed an omni-channel pilot campaign to break through the noise and resonate with these core audiences. The strategy focused on three key goals:

  • Increase Awareness: Reach qualified Latino and African American audiences.
  • Build Trust: Position the client as a trustworthy partner who understands their needs.
  • Drive Engagement: Encourage interaction with the brand through the website.

Reaching Key Segments: Identify core audiences by utilizing precision targeting parameters such as first-party data, zip codes, eligibility criteria, racial and ethnic demographics.

  • Moms (Parents): Targeted adults with children, emphasizing importance of childhood and postpartum health.
  • Functionally Disabled Members: Targeted audiences concerned with health issues like mental health and disabilities.
  • New to Medicaid: Targeted audiences interested in health management and wellness, active on digital platforms.

Media Strategy: Maximize impact with Medicaid-eligible audiences by placing personalized messages across an omnichannel digital media plan.

  • Diversity in Digital Media: Moving beyond competitor channels, we explored diverse digital platforms and implemented programmatic buying to find audiences efficiently.
  • Right Audience, Right Message: Layered niche cultural targeting with culturally appropriate messaging for deeper resonance.
  • Upfront Digital Footprint: Prioritized a strong digital presence (70% audience reach) for speed to market, hyper-targeting, and competitive differentiation.
  • Expanding into Traditional Media: Layered in localized print publications, billboards & Radio for increased community relevance.
  • Test and Learn: Established a foundation for future campaigns by measuring engagement and optimizing messaging for better personalization.

Results

The campaign delivered significant positive lifts across various metrics:

  • Unaided & Aided Awareness: Increased brand recognition.
  • Brand Perception: Improved perceptions of the brand as supportive, community-focused, informative, and meeting health needs.
  • Decision Maker Impact: Positively influenced decision-making within both Hispanic/Latino and Black/African American audiences.

Channel Performance: The campaign delivered a significant lift in aided awareness across all forms of media, with a notable lift in awareness among consumers exposed to the banner and 30-second video ad. Brand recall was higher when 4+ channels were utilized, signaling the power of an omnichannel approach.

  • Social and Print: Top performers, particularly in combination.
  • CTV & Display Banners: Effective in raising awareness and brand opinion.
  • Streaming Audio: Moderately positive impact.
  • Online Video & OOH: Provided strong campaign reinforcement, but had less direct campaign impact.

Key Takeaways

  • Go Where the Performance Is: Target audiences where engagement is strong and build scale through an omni-channel approach.
  • Brevity & Emotional Connection: Clear, concise messaging with emotional appeal leads to stronger creative performance.
  • Smaller Audience, Bigger Impact: Smaller audience segments can deliver strong engagement and results when targeted effectively.

This case study demonstrates that building trust within multicultural audiences requires a tailored approach that considers cultural values and prioritizes the right channels and messaging for maximum impact.

 

Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Search Engine Marketing

Search engine marketing (SEM) stands as a pillar in the realm of digital advertising, elevating a brand’s visibility by securing premier advertisement placements on search engine results pages (SERPs). This channel has become irreplaceable for many marketers in driving qualified website traffic by engaging users with relevant ads that match their specific search queries.

It’s evident that there is a growing importance of mobile and local SEM in brands’ media mix – specifically as a performance-driven channel. However, the way consumers are using search is evolving, as they turn to voice and visual search technologies to add convenience to their experiences. 

The incorporation of AI and advanced data analytics into SEM is also dramatically changing the landscape, requiring businesses to consistently evolve their search strategies to stay at the forefront of digital marketing innovation and best meet the consumer’s needs. 

Major Trends and Changes in SEM

SEM is constantly in flux, shaped by the continual advancements and updates in search engine algorithms. Understanding these shifts is essential for marketers looking to maintain a competitive advantage in digital advertising.

Search Algorithms and Their Impact on SEM

Major search engines like Google continuously strive to enhance user experiences, resulting in frequent and significant algorithm changes. Over the past year, Google has implemented several important updates:

  • April 2023: Replaced first-click, linear, time decay, and position-based attribution models with data-driven attribution to better align with evolving consumer behaviors.
  • May 2023: Introduction of AI-driven innovations at Google Marketing Live, refining both Search and Performance Max campaigns.
  • August 2023: Implementation of the Limited Ads Serving policy to improve ad clarity and build trust.
  • September 2023: The Helpful Content Update launches, focusing on seamless transitions from ads to landing pages that directly answer user queries and enhance the search experience. This highlights the need for marketers to develop content that resonates with the audience’s expectations and addresses their primary concerns about brands and their offerings.
  • October 2023: Introduction of search themes in Performance Max to refine ad targeting.
  • November 2023: Google shifts towards privacy-focused ad strategies, moving away from third-party cookies and instead emphasizing the use of first-party data and contextual targeting.
  • February 2024: Enhancement of AI-powered Search ads as well as the introduction of AR & VR features for shopping, aimed at improving ad engagement and consumer insights.

Each update underscores a shift towards more personalized, efficient, and privacy-conscious marketing strategies, challenging marketers to innovate within the constraints of enhanced user privacy and advanced technological capabilities.

The Rise of Mobile and Local SEM

In today’s digital ecosystem, mobile optimization and local search strategies are paramount. Mobile-friendly websites should balance aesthetics and usability, aiming for fast loading and easy navigation for users. For local businesses, the integration of location-based keywords and localized ad targeting into their SEM strategy is indispensable. This focus enhances visibility on SERPs, especially for searches with local interest, thereby connecting businesses with their highest-intent target audiences more effectively.

Voice and Visual Search Innovations

Voice and visual search technologies are reshaping the SEM strategies. Voice searches, powered by digital assistants and smart speakers, tend to feature longer, more conversational queries. This change means we need to use different keywords that match the brand or campaign’s main focus, like questions and phrases. 

Visual search, leveraging AI to allow image-based searching, enhances web interaction, particularly in shopping and information discovery. Integrating visual search into SEM strategies can significantly boost user engagement, conversion rates, and brand recognition while providing insightful consumer behavior data, making it a pivotal element for more successful and efficient marketing campaigns.

Adapting to the growing trends of voice and visual search requires websites to be user-friendly and equipped to provide accurate, easily accessible information. SEM practitioners must continually update their strategies to align with the evolving preferences and behaviors of their audience, ensuring their campaigns remain effective and relevant.

Effective SEM Strategies in Today’s Digital Marketing

Today, effective SEM strategies have become pivotal for standing out amidst intense competition. These strategies have evolved significantly, transitioning from outdated techniques to sophisticated approaches that prioritize user experience and content quality.

  • Content and Keyword Strategy Adaptations: The move away from keyword stuffing to strategies that focus on user intent and content quality reflects a significant shift in SEO and SEM practices. Originally, keyword stuffing aimed to improve SERP rankings but often led to poor user experiences. Today, search engines favor high-quality content that delivers on its promises, aligns with user behavior and intent, and satisfies users’ needs. This change is important because voice and visual searches are on the rise. Content must be engaging and specifically designed for natural language queries.
  • Leveraging Data and Analytics: Data analytics, powered by AI and machine learning, plays a crucial role in refining SEM strategies. Platforms like Google Ads employ these technologies to analyze large datasets, considering factors like user behavior, demographics, and past performance. These insights allow marketers to optimize their campaigns more effectively, adjusting bidding strategies in real time based on dynamic user behavior patterns.
  • Integrating SEM with Overarching Digital Marketing: For maximum impact, avoid thinking of SEM as a separate initiative and instead incorporate it within a broader digital marketing strategy, considering the intertwining of SEO, social media, and email marketing. This cohesive approach ensures that all channels work together towards a common goal, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the marketing efforts. 

Future of SEM and Staying Ahead

Rapid advancements in technology, such as AI and data privacy, are not only influencing but also redefining the future of SEM, necessitating that marketers integrate these elements into their strategies for sustained success.

  • Continuous Learning: As the SEM industry evolves, marketers must also evolve, adapting to changes to maintain a competitive edge and bringing a spirit of experimentation. 
  • Leveraging Campaigns for Experimentation: View campaigns as opportunities for testing and learning, diving deep into analytics to gather actionable insights.
  • Holistic Data Tracking: The cross-platform tracking capabilities of GA4 allow for a comprehensive understanding of marketing efforts across channels, facilitating more efficient budget allocation through detailed data attribution.
  • Industry Insights: Staying informed through industry publications and resources is vital for learning about the latest SEM developments.

Adopting ethical practices is crucial not only for building trust with consumers but also for ensuring long-term success and compliance with regulatory standards. 

Here are some key considerations:

  • Clear and Ethical Communication: Deploy honest, transparent advertising with high-quality, relevant content, adhering to ethical guidelines and responding to feedback to enhance trust, improve user experience, and provide value.
  • Safeguard Privacy and Ensure User Consent: Adhere to privacy laws and respect user preferences, providing clear options for data tracking and personalization consent.
  • Promote Equity and Inclusion: Ensure ad targeting is free from discriminatory practices and embraces inclusivity, catering to a diverse audience without exploiting vulnerabilities.
  • Sustainability Consideration: Prioritize sustainable SEM practices by optimizing resource use and minimizing digital waste, reflecting environmental responsibility.

Emphasizing a blend of technological innovation, adaptability, and stringent ethical standards lays out a strategic blueprint for thriving in SEM’s dynamic future.

Mall of America’s Journey to Boost Engagement Using TikTok Spark Ads

Brief

The Mall of America campaign leveraged TikTok’s Spark Ads, an advertising tactic that allows businesses to amplify their organic content or collaborate with influencers to boost posts. Spark ads were incorporated into the marketing strategy to boost engagement and enhance the Mall of America’s online presence by engaging a vast audience through authentic and compelling content.

Highlights

68%
increase in click-through rates


45%
reduction in cost per click (CPC)


40%
of the campaign’s total conversions

Challenge

The primary challenge was to increase engagement and conversions through TikTok without using to traditional advertising methods. The goal was to use an approach that felt authentic to TikTok’s user base while also efficiently using the budget to maximize return on investment.

Solution

To address this challenge, the Mall of America campaign utilized TikTok Spark Ads to boost organic content and influencer collaborations. This strategy was chosen for its ability to repurpose existing engaging content and leverage the authentic voice of influencers, thus aligning with the platform’s culture and increasing the likelihood of audience engagement.

Results

The Mall of America’s experiment with TikTok Spark Ads brought fantastic results, showing a big increase in people clicking on their content while spending less money on each click. These ads didn’t just achieve more views; they were effective in getting people to take action, accounting for 40% of the campaign’s conversions. The ads also helped the Mall of America gain 119 new followers on TikTok in just one day, proving that smart advertising can also grow your online community.

Key Takeaways

TikTok Spark Ads offer a powerful tool for businesses looking to leverage their organic content and influencer partnerships effectively, leading to more action at lower costs. For brands considering Spark Ads, it’s essential to evaluate the potential of existing organic content, decide between traditional versus influencer-based ads, and determine success metrics that reflect the unique advantages offered by TikTok’s advertising solutions.

How We Incorporate Innovation Into Our Clients’ Work

At Coegi, innovation shapes every project we undertake, driving us to not just create new ideas but to also transform these ideas into valuable, tangible solutions for our clients. This approach to innovation— both the creation of fresh concepts and their successful application—is fundamental to our work. We advocate for a subtractive mindset alongside traditional “out-of-the-box” thinking, encouraging our team to enhance efficiency by removing unnecessary elements. 

Our approach emphasizes a culture where innovation means both introducing new ideas and thoughtfully streamlining, ensuring our solutions are both creative and efficient. By adopting this dual approach, we offer unique strategies that aren’t innovative for the sake of innovation, but are grounded in measurement to help global brands reach their business goals. 

Our Innovative Approach: Strategy + Culture

Our innovative approach is twofold, deeply intertwining agile methodologies with a robust cultural commitment to innovation to create dynamic, data-driven media strategies. This combination allows us to quickly develop, test and learn, and refine ideas, ensuring our campaigns effectively meet the rapidly changing needs of our clients. 

Our people and experiences have positioned us as trusted guides for global brands and agencies navigating the complexities of the media industry. We tackle major industry challenges head-on, from consumer privacy and advertising regulations to the integration of sustainability in ad tech and the deployment of AI tools. Our approachable leadership plays a pivotal role in breaking down silos, enabling seamless collaboration across departments and ensuring that innovation is a collective ambition.

Ultimately, fostering an innovation mindset has allowed us to transform innovation from a specialized discipline into a fundamental aspect of our organization. This equips us to not only address the immediate challenges of today’s media landscape, but also sets the foundation for enduring success and adaptability in an ever-changing industry.

Showcasing Innovation: Case Studies and Business Impact

Our success stories highlight how we creatively solve challenges with our clients, focusing on the teamwork and strategies that lead to innovative outcomes.

One standout example involves Coegi increasing vaccine consideration by 28% and driving an 88% lift in vaccine discussions for Moderna’s COVID-19 booster among multicultural consumers. By identifying a significant Spanish-speaking target demographic, Coegi crafted a campaign that leveraged authentic storytelling through micro and nano influencers, an approach that was largely underutilized for the pharmaceutical industry. These influencers, ranging from healthcare professionals to lifestyle bloggers, created relatable content in Spanish, addressing key questions about COVID-19 vaccination and establishing trust in Moderna’s product.

Another example highlights our work with a tourism client seeking to innovate around safety during the pandemic. Understanding the need to reassure travelers and promote safe travel experiences, we implemented a scoring model that assessed and communicated safety measures effectively. This initiative not only helped in restoring traveler confidence but also in promoting responsible tourism advertising practices during challenging times. 

The impact of our work is seen through our clients:

  • Our solutions are implemented with agility and a keen problem-solving approach, demonstrating our ability to navigate and overcome obstacles effectively.
  • Positive outcomes from these projects include both quantitative and qualitative business results.
  • These cases underscore our commitment to leveraging innovation for continuous improvement and client success.

 

The Future of Innovation in Our Workspace

Fostering a culture of innovation has been instrumental to our success thus far. As we look ahead to the future of innovation within Coegi’s workspace, it’s clear that the journey we’ve embarked upon is set to deepen and diversify. The essence of innovation, after all, is not just in conceiving new ideas but in effectively bringing them to life to solve real-world challenges. 

To streamline our focus and maximize our impact, we’re honing in on four key areas:

  • Investing in emerging technologies: Staying at the forefront of technological advancements to ensure our solutions remain innovative and relevant for our clients.
  • Fostering continuous learning: Creating opportunities for our team to grow their skills and knowledge, keeping us agile and informed.
  • Building strategic partnerships: Collaborating with a diverse range of agency and publisher partners to expand our perspectives and capabilities.
  • Exploring sustainability: Integrating eco-friendly practices into our projects, aligning with our commitment to making a positive impact on the world.

As we move forward, our vision for the future of innovation in our workspace is not just about maintaining our trajectory but about setting new benchmarks for what we can achieve. By focusing on these strategic areas, we aim to not only continue solving complex challenges for our clients but also to contribute positively to the broader industry and society. Innovation will always remain a journey—a path we navigate with purpose, determination, and an unwavering focus on creating value that transcends the ordinary.

 

5 Steps to Building a Stronger Customer Engagement Strategy Using Digital Marketing

Run-of-the-mill approaches to grabbing attention are no longer sufficient to win with today’s customers. Brand success depends on our ability to engage with our audience on a personal level, captivating them through unique and/or convenient offerings, and converting this brand preference into tangible outcomes within customer engagement. 

With Twilio’s 2023 The State of Customer Engagement Report showing 66% of consumers leaving brands that lack personalization, it’s clear that tailored experiences are essential to meet individual customer needs and sustain strong relationships.

Four Core Channels for Engaging Customers

To adeptly maneuver within this setting, there are four key areas to master:

  1. Social Media Engagement: Examine the entire landscape to select platforms that resonate strongly with your target audience, focusing on where engagement levels are highest. Experiment with different advertising tactics to discover which types of content generate the most interaction. It’s crucial to maintain a consistent approach across both paid and organic content, ensuring close collaboration throughout the process.
  2. Programmatic Demand-Side Platforms: The use of programmatic buying strategies on DSPs will optimize your digital advertising by placing ads in the most impactful locations across the internet. Focus on targeting the high-precision audience effectively and at the right moments to increase relevance and drive success from your campaigns.
  3. Search Marketing: To enhance customer engagement through search marketing, seamlessly blend targeted keyword optimization and dynamic content strategies across digital channels. By crafting compelling, SEO-optimized ad copy and content tailored to audience preferences, you can maximize outcomes on this performance-driven channel.. 
  4. Content Marketing: Consistently produce and share content that not only educates and entertains, but also addresses the audience’s needs and preferences. Diversify content formats across paid advertisements, social media posts, and organic blog content to capture a wider audience and foster interaction. Continuously analyze engagement metrics to refine your content strategy for better results.

The key to all of this – personalization. Utilize analytics tools, your CRM software, and/or dynamic creative optimization technology to create highly personalized experiences for their customers. This approach not only increases engagement, but also customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Implementing an Integrated Engagement Strategy

Mastering customer engagement requires weaving these tactics into a unified brand strategy. With 86% of consumers indicating that personalized experiences boost their brand loyalty, creating a marketing ecosystem can substantiate the importance of personalized engagement in enhancing customer loyalty. A well-integrated marketing ecosystem not only aligns with customer preferences for personalization but also strengthens brand loyalty by delivering cohesive and relevant experiences at every interaction.

Here are five essential next steps to transform your approach and achieve unparalleled success in customer engagement.

  1. Audit and map the customer journey: Begin by thoroughly reviewing your current customer journey to identify critical decision-making touchpoints. This will help in pinpointing where improvements or integrations can be made to enhance the overall experience.
  2. Define objectives and select tools: Clearly outline your engagement goals and choose digital marketing tactics that align with these objectives, ensuring they can work together seamlessly across channels.
  3. Develop a unified content plan: Create a cohesive plan that encompasses content marketing, social media engagement, email segmentation, and loyalty programs, ensuring each element supports the others for a unified customer experience.
  4. Analyze performance and gather feedback: Regularly monitor the effectiveness of your engagement strategies through metrics and customer feedback, using these insights to continuously refine your approach.
  5. Iterate and optimize strategically: Treat your engagement strategy as a work in progress, ready to be adjusted based on performance data and shifting customer needs, to maintain relevance and effectiveness over time.

Sealing the Deal

Mastering customer engagement in the digital age requires a strategic useof personalization, making the consumer feel that everything that they are seeing is relevant while still scaling across your audience. By harnessing the power of innovative digital marketing tools, businesses can create engaging, personalized experiences that resonate with customers and drive loyalty and growth. As you evaluate your current engagement strategies, consider how integrating these tactics can elevate your customer interactions and set your brand apart in a crowded digital landscape. Encourage your team to embrace these changes, leveraging the insights and tools available to create meaningful connections with your audience.

How Search Engine Insights Fuel Growth Marketing

Most think of search as purely an activation channel that captures demand and defends the brand’s presence on the SERP, but it’s actually an intent-driven data goldmine. Search can be leveraged as the eyes and ears for a brand to gain insights on audience motivations and pinpoint their stage in the conversion journey. These insights should be translated into holistic channel mix planning, media measurement, and competitive research to build an informed growth marketing strategy.

The big picture

Picture it: All of your brand’s digital (and even traditional) media gets completely turned off for a month. What do you think would happen to demand? The brand’s search volume would likely take a noticeable hit since search effectiveness diminishes without the push of brand messaging from efficient reach channels like streaming TV or social media. Similar to social listening, search serves as a behavioral listening tool that captures consumer engagement with brands throughout their conversion journey. For example, if someone sees a connected TV (CTV) ad that piques their interest and addresses a current need, the logical next step is searching for the brand to learn more and potentially convert. This scenario highlights the critical relationship between paid media channels and brand demand – as advertising amplifies a brand’s offering across channels, consumer demand grows. By using search lift as a KPI, we can analyze demand pre and post marketing initiatives to understand the directional impact on total sales.

Why it matters

Using search analysis as a key indicator of consumer demand lays a foundation for a growth marketing strategy. First, it can identify untapped opportunities and whitespace to better align media investment and messaging based on seasonality and emerging keyword trends. For example, if a financial brand consistently observes search demand peaks during tax planning season, they can heavy up their digital presence with a branded search investment that will effectively capture consumer demand and drive them to convert. 

Analyzing search lift after a media initiative launches can also help uncover how the channel mix and messaging strategy impacted brand awareness and interest, informing future channel investment. Non-clickable environments, such as CTV, can be challenging to showcase the impact on driving conversions, but using search demand provides directional insight into a holistic view of your marketing efforts.

Applying search insights to maximize your marketing ROI:

  • Real-time optimization: Analyzing search trends offers a cookieless measurement and attribution solution that not only measures the impact of paid media on driving brand awareness and purchase intent, but also informs real-time campaign optimizations. Examining branded search lift, the increase in search volume of branded or related keywords, after a marketing initiative launch can inform campaign optimizations, including:
    • Audience targeting refinement to maximize reach and allocate media spend toward the highest performing segments to drive ROI
    • Messaging strategy optimization based on consumer searches, dynamically tailoring the messaging to align with their preferences and needs
    • Marketing budget reallocation to channels driving the most effective search lift 
  • Competitive intelligence: Search trends can give you a peek behind your competitor’s curtain to learn what initiatives they are amplifying or what audiences they are reaching. By analyzing the peaks and valleys of competitor search trends, you can identify whitespace to capture the attention of potential customers who are actively searching for a related product or service. Get started by:
    • Analyzing competitor messaging strategies to identify ways to differentiate your brand and highlight the value of your offering
    • Increase media investment during the valleys of a competitor’s search trends to capitalize on the lower competition efficiently, grow share of voice, and gain a spot on audiences’ consideration sets
    • Develop a targeting strategy aimed to engage with movable audiences who have been exposed to your competitor but aren’t yet loyalists
  • Demand forecasts:  Search demand insights can be leveraged far beyond marketing strategy development and execution – it can also inform broader business implications, such as:
    • Supply chain logistics – ensure efficient operations with production and staffing levels based on consumer search demand
    • Seasonality indicators – uncover your customer’s most important needs and preferences to inform your brand’s messaging strategy to engage them with relevant content

The application of search engine insights goes way beyond SEM channel activation – it’s a treasure trove of intent-based data that should be used at every stage of marketing strategy development and execution to effectively align with consumer demand and preferences.

Coegi Partners

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