Publicis Media to lead Nestlé’s Media Strategy in China
Global food and beverage giant Nestlé has named Publicis Media China as its new media agency, tasking them with managing the company’s comprehensive media portfolio across China.
Under this appointment, Publicis Media China will oversee Nestlé’s media requirements, including planning and buying for social, mobile, and performance media in China. The agency’s responsibilities will span Nestlé’s entire product portfolio in China, covering categories such as confectionery, milk powder, coffee, snacks, beverages, and more.
Nestlé awarded its media account to Publicis Media China following a competitive pitch that highlighted the agency’s data and technology-driven capabilities. Publicis Media China impressed with a strategy demonstrating a deep understanding of Nestlé’s business in China, presenting innovative solutions aimed at broadening and deepening consumer reach and driving significant business results.
Publicis Communications has been partnering with Nestlé in China for 14 years, delivering creative services and customer relationship management (CRM). With the addition of media and eCommerce services through this recent appointment, Publicis Communications is poised to offer a more cohesive and integrated approach, enhancing its ability to support Nestlé’s strategic objectives in China.
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To bolster these efforts, Nestlé One, an exclusive team dedicated to Nestlé China, has been established. This initiative aims to foster greater synergy and alignment across creative, media, and CRM functions, driving forward Nestlé’s business goals. Plans are slated to commence in August 2024, with pivotal strategies and campaigns set for launch in the months ahead.
David Zhang, executive vice president of Nestlé S.A. and CEO Zone Greater China, said,
“Nestlé is always seeking new ways to connect with our consumers in the digital age. Publicis Groupe has shown that they are at the forefront of innovative digital strategies with their strong data capabilities and unique tools. We believe this continued partnership will allow us to create more meaningful connections with our customers, and we are excited to see where this partnership will lead us.”
Meanwhile, Jane Lin-Baden, Asia Pacific chief executive officer of Publicis Groupe, commented,
“We are honoured to be chosen as Nestlé’s trusted strategic partner. Nestlé places consumers at the centre of its brand strategy. It has shown foresight in its innovative marketing approach driven by digital and data, which is where Publicis’ expertise lies. We look forward to partnering with Nestlé to increase its effective investment in intelligent solutions to respond rapidly to Chinese consumers’ needs and supercharge Nestlé’s sustainable growth.”
Nestlé, a global leader in food and beverage, is dedicated to using food to improve the quality of life for all, present and future. It focuses on a unified marketing strategy that integrates e-commerce and digital transformation, ensuring comprehensive brand exposure across multiple channels.
Read more: The LEGO Group Hands Global Media Duties to Publicis One
Flipkart’s Shopsy Welcomes Prathyusha Agarwal as Vice President
The social commerce platform Shopsy from Flipkart has welcomed Prathyusha Agarwal as Vice President. Prathyusha is an experienced executive with a wealth of experience in large corporations. She was in charge of the Early Learn segment’s portfolio strategy and revenue growth for India during her most recent employment at BYJU’s. She is a member of Zydus Group’s Venture Board DHSPL Advisory Board. Shopsy, a hyper-value e-commerce platform, competes directly with Meesho and Amazon Bazaar.
Flipkart’s Shopsy onboards Prathyusha Agarwal as Vice President
Former senior executive at Byju’s and Unilever, Agarwal brings a wide range of experience to her new position at Shopsy. She was one of three senior executives who left Byju’s in August of last year as the edtech company struggled to overcome major obstacles like problems with due diligence, legal disputes with lenders, difficulties obtaining new funding, and a reduction in investor valuation. Agarwal was the Chief Business Officer at Byju’s.
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Agarwal has also held the position of Head of Marketing at TataUniStore Ltd., Tata’s e-commerce company that introduced TataCLiQ with success. She led Star India’s network brand strategy and served as vice president of marketing and analytics at HDFC Life. Agarwal worked for a number of companies before joining Tata CLiQ, including HDFC Life, allOK Tech Support, Disney Star, MarketGate Consulting, and Unilever. She started working for Unilever in 2001 as an area sales manager.
Agarwal’s previous endeavors
She has also held various sales and marketing positions at Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and worked with Market Gate Consulting. Agarwal’s appointment occurs as Flipkart continues to add to its executive team in the wake of significant departures. Senior Vice President of Marketing, Advertising, and Customer Growth and Retention at Flipkart, Prabh Simran Singh, has resigned and will be departing in the upcoming weeks. Furthermore, Vice President of Monetization Sankalp Mehrotra is finishing up his notice period and will soon leave the company. The strategic appointments and leadership transitions that Flipkart has made are indicative of its continuous attempts to adjust and fortify its position in the cutthroat e-commerce industry.
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Flipkart Unveils Flipkart IRIS, its Insights Platform for Brands
The e-commerce company Flipkart has announced the official launch of Flipkart IRIS, its insights platform. The Flipkart IRIS platform, which stands for “Insights and Research Intelligence System (IRIS)”, represents a significant advancement in offering brands comprehensive data about consumer behavior. The platform’s goal is to give brands actionable insights that are customized to their performance on the platform, promoting growth and enabling well-informed decision-making. The goal of this state-of-the-art analytics tool is to assist platform sellers in making data-driven, well-informed decisions that will improve their performance and reach.
Flipkart IRIS – Flipkart’s proprietary insights platform for brands
For brands, Flipkart IRIS will provide a major step forward in terms of functionality and usability in terms of how Indian consumers interact with products and brands. It will act as a reflection for brands, offering thorough reports to direct enhancements in performance throughout the funnel. Flipkart IRIS offers more than just comparative analysis based on industry standards and insights into user behavior. It also provides exclusive reports that help brands comprehend the high-value actions that their products take on the platform. With the help of this information, brands can better understand how consumers interact with their products on Flipkart and adjust their marketing tactics accordingly.
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Flipkart’s initiative follows an astounding 25% year-over-year increase in advertising revenue in Q1 2024. With the help of this growth and the AWS division’s expansion, Amazon’s market capitalization has increased to almost $2 trillion. The most powerful rival of Flipkart, Amazon, also has a strong brand analytics tool that gives sellers useful information about search query performance, recurring purchase patterns, and demographic information.
What is in it for brands
With the help of these reports, brands at every stage of their development can better understand consumer behavior and market trends and use that knowledge to inform data-driven decisions that can increase sales and conversion rates. Even in offline channels, these insights can assist brands in enhancing their performance.
Flipkart IRIS will benefit homegrown D2C and new-age brands in many ways, including helping them find new growth prospects, reflecting on how consumers view brands, improving customer engagement, optimizing marketing campaigns, and tracking the health of their brands. Established brands will be able to go deeper into the funnel, where they can measure performance, grow their business, maintain competitiveness, and develop strategies that meet their goals, by utilizing business intelligence and rich data.
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New appointments at Flipkart Ads
Sandeep Karwa, vice president of Flipkart Ads, has been appointed as the new leader. He has played a key role in developing and expanding several Flipkart business categories over the previous twelve years. Following social media across geographies and search, retail media represents the third major wave in digital. In India, the growth in monetization driven by advertising is disproportionate. Platforms such as Flipkart are used by brands to attract, interact with, and keep customers.
Here’s what they said
Sandeep Karwa, vice president, Flipkart Ads, said,
“Flipkart IRIS represents a significant advancement in empowering brands to bolster their businesses and succeed on Flipkart. With Flipkart IRIS, we aim to provide brands with actionable insights about their business performance on Flipkart. By empowering brands to make strategic decisions backed by rich data, the platform is poised to unlock unprecedented growth opportunities for brands on the platform. Retail media spends are only 15%–20% of digital AdEx in India, compared to 25%–30% in the US and 55%–60% in China. In the first quarter of 2024, digital AdEx in India increased to over 25–30%. Despite the rapid growth, the headroom to grow is tremendous.”
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Admitad and JioCoupons Forge a Strategic Partnership to Boost E-Commerce Growth and Optimize Jio Product Expansion
Admitad India, an affiliate marketing network, has recently announced an exclusive partnership with JioCoupons to emphasize business growth and expansion of existing Jio products. JioCoupons is a prime and reliable platform in the affiliate e-commerce business across domains in India. This platform assists brands in customizing and distributing their coupons across platforms, tracking their coupon campaigns and optimizing the same.
JioCoupons has achieved significant advantages through its partnership with Admitad. These benefits include exclusive access to campaigns, ensuring a competitive payout structure, streamlined performance monitoring through Admitad’s proprietary tracking platform, and faster payment processes. Additionally, JioCoupons benefits from the consolidation of various integrated brands on Admitad’s platform, which enhances operational efficiency and effectiveness. The collaboration has led to a significant improvement in Click to Conversion (CTC) rates and Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). By optimizing ad placements, refining targeting strategies, and delivering compelling offers, JioCoupons has created a win-win situation for both customers and brands.
Through this, JioCoupons can offer more exclusive deals and offers from a wider range of brands, while Admitad can leverage JioCoupons’s unique audience set to drive more sales for its brands.
“Working in collaboration with Admitad as our affiliate partner has been a remarkable journey of synergy and mutual growth. Their proactive approach, clear communication, and shared vision have fostered a culture of mutual trust and respect. We cherish this partnership, and I am confident that our partnership will continue to flourish in the years ahead.”
– Vijay Tiwari , Business Head, JioCoupons.
– Neha Kulwal, Managing Director, APAC & India, Mitgo.
The partnership between Admitad and JioCoupons is a great example of how strategic collaborations can benefit all parties involved. It has created a strategic alliance that aims to provide greater value and savings opportunities to consumers across various categories.
Universal Music Group Reaches New Licensing Agreement with TikTok
TikTok, the immensely popular social video platform, has managed to put at least one major controversy behind it, despite being in the midst of a countdown that could result in its ban in the US. A new multi-dimensional licensing deal has been worked on by video sharing app TikTok and music company Universal Music Group (UMG). To assist UMG’s artists and songwriters in realizing their full creative and financial potential, the licensing agreement leverages TikTok’s global community.
TikTok and Universal Music Group announce a new licensing agreement
Drake, Adele, Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, and other Universal Music Group artists will be making a comeback to TikTok as a result of a renewed licensing agreement reached between the two parties after a roughly three-month-long dispute. Under the terms of the agreement, both companies will collaborate to create new revenue streams by leveraging TikTok’s expanding eCommerce capabilities and will work together on global campaigns that support UMG artists in all genres and geographies. The new agreement, according to the companies, will increase songwriters’ and artists’ compensation at Universal Music Group, whose music is featured in the app’s videos. After an agreement was reached, UMG artists should expect their music to be released again in a week or two. The muted videos will become unmuted.
The specifics of how Taylor Swift’s songs returned to TikTok last month are unknown, but her recently released album “The Tortured Poets Department,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, is one of her strongest albums. The company that owns ByteDance, TikTok, stated that it is dedicated to taking down any illegal music produced by AI from its platform.
Read More: TikTok Testing New Feature To Make All Video Posts Shoppable
Videos of UMG music will be unmuted
Additionally, TikTok will keep spending money developing tools for artists that will enable UMG musicians to reach their full potential on the platform. The ‘add to music app‘ feature, improved data and analytics, and integrated ticketing capabilities are some examples of these tools that will help artists monetarily and enable them to grow their fan bases by leveraging TikTok’s community and scale.
Three issues were being pressed by UMG on TikTok at the time: “appropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok’s users.” In response to UMG’s allegations, TikTok asserted that it had “artist-first” agreements with all other labels and publishers.
To provide better compensation for UMG’s songwriters and artists as well as opportunities for promotional engagement for their recordings and songs, UMG and TikTok will leverage the technology, marketing, and promotional capabilities of the platform for artists. Additionally, TikTok will offer the best generative AI protections in the market. The parties declared that their new deal would return music to TikTok and provide major advantages to UMG’s global stable of musicians, songwriters, and labels.
Here’s what they said
Shou Chew, CEO of TikTok, said,
“Music is an integral part of the TikTok ecosystem and we are pleased to have found a path forward with Universal Music Group. We are committed to working together to drive value, discovery and promotion for all of UMG’s amazing artists and songwriters, and deepen their ability to grow, connect and engage with the TikTok community.”
Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO, Universal Music Group, added,
“This new chapter in our relationship with TikTok focuses on the value of music, the primacy of human artistry and the welfare of the creative community. We look forward to collaborating with the team at TikTok to further the interests of our artists and songwriters and drive innovation in fan engagement while advancing social music monetization.”
Ole Obermann, TikTok’s Global Head of Music Business Development, commented
“We are delighted to welcome UMG and UMPG back to TikTok. We look forward to working together to forge a path that creates deeper connections between artists, creators, and fans. In particular, we will work together to make sure that AI tools are developed responsibly to enable a new era of musical creativity and fan engagement while protecting human creativity”.
Michael Nash, Chief Digital Officer and EVP, Universal Music Group stated,
“Developing transformational partnerships with important innovators is critical to UMG’s commitment to promoting an environment in which artists and songwriters prosper. We’re gratified to renew our relationship with TikTok predicated on significant advancements in commercial and marketing opportunities as well as protections provided to our industry-leading roster on their platform. With the constantly evolving ways that social interaction, fan engagement, music discovery and artistic ingenuity converge on TikTok, we see great potential in our collaboration going forward.”
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Walmart Reveals Plans to Acquire Smart TV Maker VIZIO for $2.3B
Walmart, a US-based retail chain, has revealed that it will acquire VIZIO, a maker of smart TV, for $2.3 billion. The retail giant made this decision to compete with Amazon by growing its quickly expanding advertising business. Walmart has consistently been a prominent vendor of VIZIO televisions. With VIZIO’s SmartCast OS, the acquisition, according to the company, it will allow for “a profitable advertising business that is rapidly scaling.”
If the agreement is finalized, Walmart will have access to VIZIO’s SmartCast OS, which will enable the retail behemoth to provide its suppliers with streaming device ad display capabilities. Walmart will now be a major competitor in connected TV advertising, alongside Roku, Amazon, Google/YouTube, and Samsung Ads, thanks to the agreement. Closing conditions and regulatory approvals are subject to the deal. The transaction has received unanimous approval from the Vizio board of directors and the approval of shareholders who hold 89% of the voting shares in the company.
Walmart competing against Amazon
The decision was made after Amazon revealed last month that, in addition to the $14.99 monthly or $139 annual fee for Prime membership, it will begin charging its members $2.9 per month to maintain ad-free viewing of their movies and TV shows. With 18 million active accounts, VIZIO’s SmartCast system has increased 400% since 2018. According to the companies, VIZIO’s platform has over 500 direct advertisers. The majority of the company’s gross profit is currently derived from ads.
What impact will this deal have on US television?
The companies intend to merge their individual advertising businesses. Walmart currently has a $2.7 billion advertising business. Furthermore, VIZIO intends to get more access to important consumer data, such as viewership statistics. More people are anticipated to watch Walmart’s advertisements as a result of this. For instance, retailers like Walmart can monitor all advertisements that businesses that sell products there run on VIZIO TVs.
Walmart’s acquisition of Smart TV maker VIZIO and SmartCast OS
Walmart’s acquisition of VIZIO and its SmartCast Operating System (OS) would allow it to connect with and serve its customers in new ways. These include innovative television, in-home entertainment, and media experiences. Additionally, it would open up new avenues for connecting brands with consumers. It would give them unique and compelling chances to interact with consumers on a large scale and get more out of their Walmart advertising budgets. By combining VIZIO’s advertising solutions business with Walmart’s reach and capabilities, the deal is anticipated to further accelerate Walmart’s media business in the United States, known as Walmart Connect. The expansion of connected TV platforms and Walmart’s industry-leading sales of TV panels would bolster these advantages even more.
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Walmart Connect
For fiscal year 2024, Walmart Connect, the retailer’s closed-loop omnichannel media business, experienced 30 percent growth. The company provides sellers and suppliers to Walmart with appealing chances to connect with their target audience wherever, whenever, and however they choose to shop. To accelerate shared growth and provide unique omnichannel solutions for advertisers of all sizes, the company never stops innovating.
In the US, VIZIO already offers free ad-supported content. Moreover, it sells mid-range TVs, the majority of which are outfitted with its SmartCast OS. Additionally, the business recently updated its lineup to include faster startup times, app switching, and an easier-to-use user interface. Conversely, Walmart prominently displays VIZIO merchandise on its shelves in its physical retail locations. Additionally, the retailer sells TV houses under the ONN brand. These are priced on the low end and sell for under $500.
What is VIZIO?
VIZIO’s goal, which was founded in 2002, has been to provide consumers with affordable, high-quality connected home appliances and immersive entertainment. VIZIO’s Smart TV operating system, SmartCast, and its expanding device ecosystem have amassed over 18 million active accounts in recent years, growing by about 400% since 2018. Through the use of advertisements, VIZIO’s customer-focused platform allows users to stream content for free on their devices. Building on this framework, VIZIO established an advertising company that has expanded steadily. Furthermore, it has allowed advertisers to reach large numbers of people. More than 500 direct advertisers, including many of the Fortune 500, are connected to VIZIO’s platform. The majority of VIZIO’s gross profit now comes from its Platform+ business. It is mostly made up of its advertising division.
Here’s what they said
Seth Dallaire, executive vice president and chief revenue officer, Walmart U.S. said,
“There is a lot to be excited about with this acquisition. We believe VIZIO’s customer-centric operating system provides great viewing experiences at attractive price points. We also believe it enables a profitable advertising business that is rapidly scaling. Our media business, Walmart Connect, is helping brands create meaningful connections with the millions of customers who shop with us each week. We believe the combination of these two businesses would be impactful as we redefine the intersection of retail and entertainment.”
William Wang, chief executive officer of VIZIO added,
“We believe this is the ideal next chapter in VIZIO’s history. By bringing our capabilities and resources together, we’ll drive innovation and create even more value for our customers. Walmart’s approach is aligned with VIZIO’s mission and vision, and our technology will help bring a scaled, connected TV advertising platform to Walmart Connect. This transaction delivers immediate and compelling value to VIZIO stockholders and is a true testament to the hard work of the entire VIZIO team.”
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TikTok Testing New Feature To Make All Video Posts Shoppable
TikTok has begun testing a feature that will make all video posts shoppable, the latest step in the social media company’s efforts to build a multibillion-dollar e-commerce business in the United States. With this new feature, objects in a video can be automatically identified by technology. After that, it prompts users to click on a product page on the TikTok Shop to find comparable items. Before, products could only be tagged by brands and approved influencers in content uploaded to the app. The company introduced a TikTok shop in the US last year in an attempt to merge product discovery with shopping.
TikTok Shop launched in the U.S.
To bring together the convenience of Amazon.com Inc. shopping with the product discovery capabilities of social media platforms like Instagram, the Chinese social media company launched the American version of TikTok Shop last year. The company, which hopes to sell $17.5 billion worth of goods in the United States this year, has made this new project a top priority. But reviews of Shop’s debut have been conflicting thus far.
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TikTok’s aim to make video posts shoppable
After witnessing record-breaking sales, merchants praised and cheered the app, with TikTok financing discounts and free shipping. Users, however, have taken issue with products that are sold on TikTok’s marketplace that are knockoffs and counterfeit. Some claim the experience is being ruined by the abundance of influencer posts that resemble advertisements.
Over 5 million new customers made purchases back in November. On the other hand, consumers have been grumbling about knockoffs and counterfeit goods being offered for sale. Some claim that the experience is being destroyed by ad-like posts. The company incentivizes creators to promote merchandise by paying them commissions on product purchases made from their posts.
TikTok’s Strategy
To address these issues, a new feature that is currently undergoing testing links products to posts made by regular users without making a strong sales pitch. This strategy aims to give guests who are primarily looking for entertainment a more pleasurable experience. Even though the new feature is still undergoing testing, it has already demonstrated improvement potential.
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Insights Extraordinaire: PHD MENA’s Pedro Navigates the Programmatic Landscape
Pedro Gonçalves, Head of Digital at PHD MENA, is a seasoned Digital Marketing leader with over 16 years of global experience. Renowned for conquering challenges in Media, Technology, and Business, he boasts a successful track record in constructing multimillion-dollar operations.
In this exclusive interview, he generously shares invaluable insights, navigating from the intricate realm of programmatic advertising to addressing the intricacies of cultural nuances in the Middle East. A true visionary in digital transformation, Pedro illuminates the challenges and opportunities within the ever-evolving landscape, providing a sneak peek into the future of data-driven marketing.
Reflecting on your digital marketing career journey, how has the experience shaped your decisions in choosing professional paths? Can you share a pivotal decision and its impact on your trajectory thus far?
I’ve always enjoyed exploring and gathering early knowledge on emerging topics and trends. Shifting my focus from Offline Media to Digital happened naturally when I started my career. Looking back today, I’m very thankful to my younger self for prioritizing curiosity over stability.
There were a couple of pivotal moments in my career, but if I were to pick one, it would be when I embraced the challenge of building IPG’s Programmatic & Ad Tech specialized unit from the ground up in my home country, Brazil. It was the perfect storm: an exponentially growing practice, an abnormally fast-developing market, and the first time I oversaw an entire operation and P&L. This sharpened my views and practices on how to combine technical excellence, client focus, and business profitability until today.
With your extensive experience in digital marketing, what do you believe are the key trends shaping the industry in the Middle East currently?
The Middle East is rapidly adopting global trends, including the widespread experimentation of AI across both private and government sectors. However, there is a particular interest in advancing eCommerce and Media Quality measurement in the region, with brands allocating more of their budgets towards Retail Media and investing in Ad Verification/Attention technologies.
Due to historical challenges in obtaining data for the Middle East, brands naturally have a higher appetite for anything that can provide metrics to support their marketing efforts and demonstrate efficiency.
Another concurrent trend is the increased diversification of suppliers, influenced by the language factor, making room for local players and startups with specialized solutions.
In the Middle East market, cultural nuances play a significant role. How do you navigate cultural nuances and tailor digital marketing strategies to resonate with diverse audiences?
From a marketer’s perspective, addressing multiple audiences in communication introduces various operational and cost considerations. My approach to this challenge involves establishing a primary focus on what unites our target audiences, rather than emphasizing the factors that set them apart. The next step is to map relevant pockets of opportunity that require specific and customized approaches.
This is where the importance of well-structured research becomes evident, as it remains the most effective way to uncover cultural norms and sensitivities that need to be integrated into the strategy. This includes language and dialect-specific messaging, as well as visuals that reflect population diversity and other segmentation techniques.
Can you share a memorable success story where your digital marketing strategies not only met but exceeded the expectations of stakeholders?
One of my all-time favorite projects is the work we undertook for the relaunch of the AXE brand for Unilever in 2015. At a time when Programmatic and Dynamic Advertising were still in their infancy, we managed to achieve massive personalization.
Featuring a modern Romeo & Juliet story, we meticulously crafted and distributed over 100,000+ long-form video ads, each tailored based on user audience behavior, engagement, and response data.
Through a process of radical collaboration among all parties, including the client, we developed a proprietary tech piece. This tech was fed with five master stories crafted by world-renowned directors, along with campaign performance data, enabling the continuous generation of unique long-form video ad variations served 100% programmatically. The outcome was a 1.7x higher retention rate and a 20% brand lift. The campaign garnered global recognition, industry coverage, and awards, prompting discussions with the client about replicating the model in future campaigns
In the context of Programmatic Media, how do you see the future of programmatic advertising evolving, and what challenges and opportunities do you anticipate?
The way I perceive it, the term “programmatic” will become redundant. When something evolves into the default standard, we refrain from labeling it as something unique and discussing it separately.
In its essence, programmatic signifies the use of automated technology to buy media. Examining our progression in understanding, its growth over the years, and forecasting into the future, it is poised to become the base and the majority of spending in our industry.
While the possibilities available through programmatic methods are getting bigger, with the rapid assimilation of other digital environments like Connected TV and even non-digital environments, fraud remains a formidable challenge. The more adept we become at detecting it, the more fraud diversifies, especially in emerging formats. An often overlooked advantage is the establishment of a centralized repository for brand activity data. This organized information, readily available within programmatic platforms, replaces unreliable manual spreadsheets and presentations.
In the ever-expanding landscape of MarTech and AdTech, how do you evaluate and select the most relevant technologies for your digital marketing stack, and what criteria do you prioritize in making these decisions?
I focus not only on comprehending the value proposition of each new technology and how to seize the opportunities within it but also closely monitor how users are reacting to it. This involves assessing if it is skewing towards a specific audience group, checking for overlap and audience fragmentation, and, more importantly, ensuring brand safety and suitability in a way that applies to the new platform.
With an expanding array of options at our disposal, the complexity of how we plan, craft, and perfect connections with customers increases. To counter this, it is crucial to have a dedicated framework that enables brands to be nimble in exploring fast-paced trends and avoiding pitfalls amidst ongoing changes with each partner, all while maximizing the use of algorithmic learning.
It is also imperative to assess if new players can bring robust capabilities and diversified options in terms of formats and targeting, capable of driving results across distinct stages of the consumer journey. This enables us to swiftly categorize natural tendencies and well-established roles for each.
Looking ahead, what do you see as the next big frontier or challenge in the digital marketing landscape, and how do you plan to address it?
Privacy and data collection have become the most debated challenges recently, leading us to the next one: Addressability. Over the past years, marketers have heavily invested in collecting, cleaning, and categorizing data, enabling them to connect at will with specific audiences and customers. However, just one recent change implemented by Apple rendered a significant part of this asset unusable.
With the impending demise of third-party cookies, some organizations still believe they can continue using the same data practices, merely relying on a different type of technology. In my view, this is shortsighted and deviates from a real opportunity for the advertising industry: to offer new types of CRM solutions, grow revenues, and secure a stronger preferred partner position with brands.
Lastly, if your digital marketing approach were a puzzle, what pieces would represent the key elements, and how do they fit together to create a complete picture of success? What can be an answer to this?
To me, everything starts and ends with data.
Sourcing analytical data, such as market and customer research, cultural factors, media consumption, and other relevant types of information, would be my essential piece in this puzzle.
Next comes data analysis, making sense of the collected data, and transforming it into relevant and applicable insights for your context.
We then incorporate data-backed decisions, derived from the outputs of the data analysis, making your strategy distinctly yours and no one else’s. Following that is data-driven activation, where you bring strategies to life by translating all earlier steps into audiences, channels, signals, connections, journeys, and messages.
A data-led optimization ditches the guesswork, improves immediate results, and feeds the last piece: closed-loop data, using all the new info as a fresh, unique, ongoing, and growing analytical data source, thus empowering creativity.
Wavemaker Defends the Media AOR For L’Oréal in Thailand
After a competitive review, Wavemaker, a division of WPP, has defended the media AOR for L’Oréal in Thailand for the next three years, starting in January 2024. After 13 years of collaboration, L’Oréal and Wavemaker have extended their role, with the agency now handling media strategies and e-commerce sales in Thailand in addition to planning.
Wavemaker – L’Oréal Thailand Media AOR
The incumbent agency’s dedication to data and consumer insights throughout the pitch process impressed the French beauty giant, Maybelline’s parent company. An example of this is the establishment of Beauty Tech Labs, a specialized client-agency team made up of AI specialists and innovators to exchange resources and knowledge throughout the WPP network.
With L’Oréal, the retainer broadens Wavemaker’s expanding worldwide mandate. Media mandates in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have been awarded to the Media agency. Additionally, the agency kept the $61 million Indian business.
Read More: WPP and Sprinklr Partner to Bring AI-Powered CXM Solutions
Here’s what they said
As reported by Campaign Asia,
Yada Sarttarasathit, chief digital and marketing officer of L’Oréal Groupe in Thailand said,
We are excited to continue our journey with Wavemaker, who has proven to be a highly compatible partner. We look forward to harnessing their synergy and innovative media strategies to create the beauty that moves the world.
Christopher Orcutt, managing director of Wavemaker Thailand added,
We will leverage our data and knowledge from the WPP network worldwide to drive media planning and e-commerce strategies for L’Oréal. Our goal is to create comprehensive online and offline beauty experiences for every Thai consumer.
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TikTok Launches TikTok Shop in the US, Transforms Online Retail
TikTok is finally launching its retail aspirations with TikTok Shop for all users in the US after years of testing and rumors. The business aims to transform the culture of online shopping with motivating hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt. On the app’s home screen, a Shop button now connects users to a marketplace. With a few clicks, a user can purchase items without exiting the app. Additionally, some of the products will have a Shop button in the films that will take viewers to the store. The corporation is placing a big gamble with this decision because it hopes to generate a new revenue source in the US, where the app has over 150 million users, by leveraging the app’s cultural influence.
TikTok Shop blends the strength of community, creativity, and commerce to offer a seamless buying experience while empowering brands and creators to interact with avid consumers based on their interests. The launch of a retail portal on a social networking platform is nothing new. The Shop tab was previously introduced by Instagram in 2020. It allowed customers to browse the brand’s Instagram photographs and videos and make purchases. The tab, though, was dropped earlier in March.
TikTok Shop
With TikTok Shop, the company offers users a way to enjoy the thrill of finding and buying new things without ever leaving the app. It has created easy-to-use tools to assist businesses in making this a reality. TikTok Shop is a separate tab that users may use to search for and find various things, explore goods in various categories, and handle their orders.
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Image credit- TikTok
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In-Feed Video and LIVE Shopping
Shop tagged items directly from videos and LIVEs on the “FOR YOU” feed’s in-feed video and LIVE shopping feature.
Product Showcase
Browse product names, read reviews, and make direct purchases from the profile of a favorite brand. On their profile page, businesses can create personalized product collections.
Shop Tab
Companies list their goods on a marketplace for new products, where shoppers can quickly search and find deals. Shoppable content and product listings highlight product recommendations, and buyers may manage orders from one tab.
Affiliate Program
Through new commission-based product marketing opportunities, creators can get in touch with sellers. Creators have a new option to monetize their talent by showcasing products in quick videos and livestreams. Sellers may select the affiliate plan that’s best for their business.
Shop Ads
New TikTok Shop Ads give sellers more possibilities to advertise their TikTok Shops so that users may find them and make purchases there.
Fulfilled by TikTok
TikTok Shop stores pick, pack, and then ship sellers’ products to clients as part of their new logistics service. This allows retailers to concentrate on their own products.
Secure checkout
To ensure a quick, simple, and secure checkout procedure, TikTok collaborates with reputable third-party payment platforms to enable transactions on the TikTok Shop. All US user data that is safeguarded by TikTok is kept in the country and maintained by USDS.
The social media site can gather more user data through its Shop tab, including addresses, financial data, and purchasing preferences. However, TikTok has stressed that all data gathered from US customers is maintained in the nation and managed by USDS, a distinct institution responsible for handling user data. TikTok is already under fire for its ties with China and has drawn criticism for it.
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How to Sign Up for the TikTok Shop?
In the TikTok app,
- Visit your profile and using the menu, navigate to Creator tools.
- You will see the option to sign up for the TikTok shop as a seller or creator to earn brand commission
- Creators must at least have 5,000 followers and be 18 years old to be eligible for the TikTok Shop affiliate program.
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Image credit- TikTok
TikTok shop’s integration with E-commerce Apps
Several well-known e-commerce platforms, including Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magneto, and Salesforce Commerce Cloud, have connected with TikTok Shop. As a result, it should be simple for current online merchants to begin selling on TikTok without starting from scratch. In order to promote omnichannel businesses, TikTok has also worked with a number of multi-channel platforms, including Channel Advisor and Feedonomics. Vendors can use apps from companies like Zendesk, Printful, Yotpo, EasyShip, and others to enhance TikTok Shops’ functionality and capabilities.
Influencer marketing and social commerce in the future
Although the TikTok shop has a lot of potential, concerns around data privacy will always exist. The corporation faces a challenging task in maintaining a positive user experience while upholding privacy and security concerns, largely because of previous incidents involving user data. In order to protect users’ security and privacy, TikTok uses reputable third-party payment platforms. Integrating customer contact with e-commerce, as each interaction may result in a direct sale or an affiliate commission. Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and the UK are among the nations that have access to TikTok’s online marketplace.
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