Programmatic and the Future of PR

Last week I had the opportunity to attend AdExchanger’s Programmatic I/O conference in New York. In my years at InkHouse, the digital advertising industry has been my primary focus. It’s an interesting and exciting industry with issues and stories that impact so much of our media-driven digital life. Beyond my client work, however, the world of programmatic has become of increasing interest as InkHouse looks ahead toward the future of PR and communication.

Here are a few of the ideas that came up during the conference and some thoughts on how they may impact the evolving practice of public relations.

What is Programmatic?

Not surprisingly, there was a lot of discussion about what programmatic is and its benefits for different audiences and in different situations. The consensus - based on a number of discussions and presentations - is that programmatic provides a balance of insight, transparency, efficiency, flexibility and control. There was also agreement that programmatic (at least when it comes to B2C) is more effective for performance rather than brand marketing.

Programmatic and Creativity

Currently creative in the world of programmatic comes primarily in the form of dynamic creative optimization. This is all well and good but it can be difficult to do at scale and is hard to tailor for a very narrow audience.

The responsibility for creating content was seen as a point of friction. Given that this was an event focused on advertising, the friction being discussed was between media agencies, creative agencies and even platform partners such as Facebook or Google. From my perspective the storytelling that comes from these organizations can be limited in scope.

Broadening how, where and to whom stories are being told has become an important focus at InkHouse and we believe that we’re well-positioned to help brands tell their stories in new ways and through new channels.

Reaching B2B Audiences

Perhaps the most interesting discussion had to do with the role of programmatic for reaching B2B audiences, which is a different beast than B2C. While B2C buying decisions are typically made by an individual, B2B decisions are made by a team of people. B2B conversions are also hard to track since a transaction can rarely be attributable to a single piece of content, impression or point in time.

Given the longer sales cycles for B2B brands, campaigns that nurture customers or prospects over time are important. That means stories are built using multiple content types and delivered through multiple channels over time. To do this requires the ability to map content against the customer journey. A challenge, yes, but one that if met will make a huge difference for brands and the way they communicate.

Measuring clicks isn’t an appropriate insight for measuring effectiveness. What is needed is a new set of KPIs for B2B brand engagement. While success will need to be determined on a case-by-case basis, some framework is necessary.

One thing that B2B companies have going for them is a strength in content marketing. The question becomes how can great content be extended and amplified through a range of media channels? These companies have traditionally done this well through email but there are so many other channels that can be used. Using them to promote content takes a different approach. Unlike B2C, where marketers are looking for ways to use programmatic to help build brand, in B2B the goal needs to be focused on engagement.

Role of Data

Another big topic was data - the ways it is collected, the ways it is managed and the ways it is used. Everyone recognizes that we’re awash in data with more types becoming available every day. The challenge is using it to decide where, when and how to reach people appropriately. In a panel on programmatic technology in the European Union, the point was made that people want to understand how their data is being used, by whom and for what purpose. This applies to all audiences.

Data also came up as a tool for informing storytelling. The data in question was both audience information, as well as an understanding of the relationship between marketing content and the organic content that accompanies it.

Key Takeaway

My key takeaway from the conference was the importance of following a consistent thread from business goal to communications strategy to audience design to creative development to implementation to measurement.

As InkHouse considers how audiences and content should be brought together through earned, owned and paid media channels, that connection from business goal to outcomes needs to be understood and pursued rigorously.

In the coming weeks and months we will be rolling out new capabilities that will allow us to support our clients - and their business goals - in new and broader ways. Stay tuned.