Display And Search

Many of the studies related to the interaction between display and search focus on the impact that display has in driving a search. The story goes that people see a display ad and at some point down the road they decide to search for the product based on seeing that display ad. This is a very linear way of thinking about how people respond to advertising and, while valid and informative, does not capture the full picture.

This linear model confines display to the awareness section of the marketing funnel. Yet innovative solutions are allowing display to impact consumers throughout the funnel. Let’s break apart how display is addressing consumers throughout the funnel, because there is some really exciting stuff going on.

Consideration

Remarketing is one of the most powerful tools in a display marketer’s arsenal. At its most basic level, being able to message consumers after they have been to your website is incredibly valuable. The hundreds of catalogs my wife receives every month are the offline version of remarketing. Bloomingdale’s is assuming that because she bought something in the past, she is more likely to do it again. Thus she’s worth the added expense of printing and mailing a catalog to her even though, especially if I beat her home, the catalog often ends up in the recycle bin unopened.

But remarketing is getting even more precise and nuanced. Search marketers are segmenting users by the specific keywords they clicked on and messaging them with messages that directly address that keyword.  Choicestream is enabling ecommerce retailers to message consumers based on the product or product category that they looked at. Online marketers are tailoring remarketing messages based on customer characteristics (eg, customer vs. prospect), where they dropped out of the purchase process and other segmentation parameters.

Remarketing is just one use of cookie data. The decoupling of data and media is enabling advertisers to use data to address consumers who are in the consideration process but may not have been to the marketers site.  Exelate and BlueKai enable marketers to address consumers who are currently in the consideration phase for specific product categories.

Data is just one piece of the puzzle. New technologies are allowing consumers to experience the consideration process within the display ad itself.  Linkstorm is a great example of this.  Linkstorm’s technology “enhances any banner ad with navigational menu overlays that display on mouse roll over” which “allows users to instantly access a multitude of advertiser information from one ad unit.”  Among many other uses, Linkstorm allows consumers to explore an e-tailer’s entire product catalog from within the ad itself, enabling at least part of the consideration process can actually be done within the ad itself.

But every consumer deals with the consideration process differently.  Some are like me and like to browse the store alone and figure it out for themselves.  Linkstorm is ideal for that type – let the consumer find what they want.  But some people like the personal service of a sales rep.  Display addresses the consideration process for these people through chat enabled directly within the ad unit. Eyeblaster’s TalkBack and TrafficMarketplace’s Livemarkets (and probably many others) allow the consumer to chat with the advertiser within the ad itself.

Purchase

Search has taken over the “Purchase” segment of the marketing funnel, and rightly so. When consumers are ready to buy online, they invariably go to Google and search.  But display is developing some pretty nifty closing capabilities as well.

Spongecell has developed very flexible technology that enables many capabilities right in the ad itself.  Specifically relevant to purchase, it allows consumers to browse offers , print coupons and even register or sign up for something – all within the display ad itself.

Consumers buy things offline as well and display ads can help enable that. Eyeblaster and Spongecell, among others, allow maps to be embedded within the ad so the consumer can quickly find out where to get the product. I recently saw a demo of Spongecell’s mapping technology and one feature just blew me away. A campaign for GM dealerships actually allowed me to locate dealers within the ad and also sensed where my PC was located and centered the map on my location. Surely, Spongecell cannot be blamed for GM’s troubles.

If you’re buying offline but don’t have a pen or paper on you to write down where to go, many advertisers allow you to input your cell phone # so they can text you the offer, location or other information.

Finally, the ultimate in closing the marketing funnel, and something search cannot do, enable purchasing within the ad itself.  Tailgate has developed technology that does just this – enable the consumer to make a credit card purchase directly within the ad unit itself. Pretty amazing stuff

That basically closes the basic marketing funnel – Awareness > Consideration > Purchase. But there’s one more step that marketers love – the holy grail, so to speak.  Customer referral or Tell-a-friend.  Display can also help here.

Spongecell, there they are again, allows the consumer to share an ad with friends. Ads in Spongecell’s gallery demonstrate the ability to share an ad on Myspace, Facebook, twitter, email, or even to send an invite via gmail or outlook.

I think it’s now pretty obvious display can do a lot more than just build awareness and drive users to search. By using the technologies and capabilities I’ve described above, online display can be a cross-funnel workhorse that can help any smart marketer meet their advertisers’ goals.

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