Why does always-on win out over ad hoc campaigns?

The hunt for first-party data

We don't need to tell you that the bottom of your cookie jar as a digital marketer is gradually starting to show. Soon you will have to rely mainly on homegrown data. Perhaps the hunger for (much) more first-party data is also very strong in your marketing department. After all, they help you set up more relevant and personalised campaigns to a finer selection of (sub)target groups.

To set up campaigns like this, you also need a high-performance data management platform (DMP), from which you can distil the desired data segments. You also want to implement the right advertising technology (AdTech) in your marketing stack. These are tools to deliver digital advertising campaigns to the right audiences across various channels. They give you a neat overall picture of your channel mix.

If you also enrich this with Dynamic Creative Optimisation (DCO), you can make your ads even more relevant and personalised based on real-time data. Especially for advertisers with large product portfolios, DCO is very effective.

Why always-on?

Coupling a decent DMP to the right AdTech gives you everything you need to continuously (always-on, that is) communicate the right messages to the right target groups. You can start creating personalised ads and thus spend your marketing budget a lot more efficiently. But there are several more good reasons to bet heavily on always-on:

Data: You master of your own data and manage it in your own DMP.
Continuity: Always-on does what it says: your brand is continuously present, all year round. This is necessary in a hyper-competitive market.
Customer loyalty: Constant brand exposure promotes loyalty. You don’t just attract new customers; you also immediately increase the customer lifetime value (CLTV) of current customers.
Fragmented target groups: Consumers spread across different platforms and channels are increasingly difficult to reach with ad hoc campaigns. An ad you see only once is quickly forgotten. Always-on campaigns also make it easier to tweak the frequencies on the various channels.
Digitisation: Your target groups are increasingly on digital media, especially via mobile devices. This requires a multichannel approach.
CX considerations: Always-on campaigns reach target audiences at different stages of their customer journey. As such, they influence decision-making and drive conversions because we can tailor the message properly to the phase the customer has reached (see also next section).

All for the customer experience

The shift from mainly ad hoc campaigns to mostly always-on runs perfectly parallel with the paradigm shift from inside-out (What do we want to sell to the customer?) to outside-in (What does the customer want from us?). Today, a (potential) customer expects a seamless customer experience at every stage of the customer journey (because, experience is everything). And of course, always-on supports this customer journey continuously with the right messages. That way, you constantly show your customers and prospects what they want to see at that point in time and increase CLTV. An increasing number of advertisers seem to have understood this, although not everyone is quite on board with this shift yet.

R.I.P. ad hoc campaigns?

Should we then leave ad hoc campaigns behind completely? Of course not! They certainly have their raison d'être. Think, for instance, of brand campaigns or launching a new product. Combining strategically well-aimed sprints with a never-ending marathon produces the best results.

iO loves to help you

Our holistic approach enables us to optimise your marketing strategies in a cookieless world. Moreover, streamlining the customer experience is our core business. We like to help ensure that the overall picture is right for your customers. Everything you do should contribute positively to how they experience your brand universe. You want fluid interaction between your brand and your customers anytime, anywhere. Apps, website and other platforms need to communicate seamlessly with each other. All things iO can help you with - our motto is 'experience is everything' for a reason.