Postback 2018 Session Preview: Ads to Outcomes

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As an eagle flies, Seattle is 93 miles from the Pacific Ocean.  As a marketer drives, it’s a 150-mile, hard-fought trek that’s filled with potential wrong turns (as well as the occasional loss of cellular coverage).  If only flying cars were a thing of the present.

The journey from ads to outcomes is not terribly different.  Today we’ll introduce how leading brands and agencies are closing the distance from campaign launch to marketing ROI and using technology to do it.  This topic is near-and-dear to Tune and will be featured in one of our showcase sessions at Postback 2018.

Start Here

Growth marketers and their platform product manager counterparts navigate a blizzard of new tech, old tech, hardware, software, platforms, and acronyms as far as the eye can see.  It’s little wonder their quest for accurate, sustainable ROI remains such an enduring priority.

“Enough is enough” has become a common refrain among marketers and a rallying cry for the Tune engineering team.  It’s also one of the reasons we’ve focused on combining best-in-class marketing measurement with end-to-end performance management solutions that make the ads ecosystem easier to navigate.  The starting point in achieving this goal is clear perception of what’s in play and where marketers want to be.

Field-tested experience indicates that many growth marketers struggle to keep pace with the best possible combinations of audience, channel, and message.  Lacking clear awareness of what performs best (and where), they spend too much time in low-light conditions, seeking rather than finding. In addition, the rapid expansion of advertising supply (ex. OTT, audio) coupled with omnichannel and multiscreen options (among many others) wreaks havoc on their ability to connect with target audiences.

Leading marketers and technologists tend to begin with big-picture questions.  For example: Where do we want to be? How will we know when we get there? How do we know what’s important?  What are my alternatives? Am I investing in an optimal balance of performance and brand marketing? Is my route from ads to outcomes repeatable, scalable, and efficient?  How am I leveraging technology to establish competitive advantage? How can I do a better job with the technology I utilize today? Who should I believe? And finally: What will it all mean to my business?   

Documenting and updating answers to these questions helps marketing teams establish order out of chaos and remain current.  While not always easy to find, the best possible course is often one question away.

Precious Commodities

Shiny objects, often in the form of new-new technology that’s all things for all goals, are common distractions for marketers.  Like roadside attractions with limited upside, they’re detours that frequently consume time and money while taking more than they offer.

Given time and money are every marketer’s most precious commodities, common units of trade are essential.  For example, to be successful, growth marketing teams must agree upon not only the ad performance metrics they’ll track but also the methodologies for gathering and proving their metrics.  If it’s clicks, they’ll need tactics for compiling, consolidating, and sharing their highest-impact results; ditto if views, engagement, attribution, and ultimately, ROI.  The fewer steps between reliable metrics and informed action, the better.

We’ve found that marketers able to connect ads to outcomes are those with a healthy respect for the art and science of their profession.  By simplifying the art via clear messaging, positioning, and compelling creative and the science via data that can be quickly accessed and utilized, they keep their eyes on the prize (and the road).  Fortunately, modern marketing technology is making this more attainable than ever before.

Looking Ahead

We’re organizing our Ads to Outcomes session to help Postback attendees separate signals from noise and emerge better prepared for the future.  By exploring the most promising strategies and software driving ROI, we’ll equip growth marketers and CMOs to evolve their strategies and tactics, as well as their tech.  It’s sure to be a highlight of this year’s event.

To learn more, join us in Seattle on July 19-20.  And if you’re interested in a post-Postback road trip, drop a line or ask anyone on the Tune team.  We’ll be happy to point you in the right direction.

Author

Becky is the Senior Content Marketing Manager at TUNE. Before TUNE, she handled content strategy and marketing communications at several tech startups in the Bay Area. Becky received her bachelor's degree in English from Wake Forest University. After a decade in San Francisco and Seattle, she has returned home to Charleston, SC, where you can find her strolling through Hampton Park with her pup and enjoying the simple things between adventures with friends and family.