Marketers don’t want strategies that simply get the job done. They want an approach that consistently delivers positive results and a better return on their investments – a reasonable assumption. And today, there is a group of advertisers who know what works best.
So, what do some marketers know that others don’t? The answer is people-based marketing.
First, let’s take a moment to understand what people-based marketing actually is: A strategic discipline that leverages first-party data to connect brands with actual individuals across devices and channels. Rather than targeting Web cookies – which expire, can be deleted and don’t always work in the mobile environment – people-based marketing allows advertisers to immediately recognize and respond to customers across all digital touchpoints, opening up endless opportunities for meaningful one-to-one engagement.
People-based advertising, otherwise known as addressable media, helps brands target the customers they already know and who are the most likely to convert, with the same accuracy and precision that direct response marketers achieve through email campaigns.
And the results are there to prove it. Here are eight impressive stats about people-based advertising that lend credence to its impact:
1. The Performance Results Are Massive
Among brands that have deployed people-based advertising, 86% in Australia and 83% in North America report it has outperformed standard campaigns.
2. It’s Attracting Significant Media Dollars
For 1-in-4 marketers, people-based advertising comprises more than half of their digital ad spend, according to research in the U.S. and Australia.
3. It’s on the Up-and-Up
And the trend isn’t slowing down: Nearly 1-in-2 North American and Australian marketers have plans to increase addressable buys quickly.
4. It Improves Customer Engagement
Sixty percent of North American and 75% of Australian advertisers report improved click-through rates with people-based marketing.
5. Media Buyers Are Willing to Pay More for It
A growing number of media buyers and their clients are planning to increase their people-based media buys. They are willing to pay an average premium of 29% in North America and 35% in Australia.
6. The Industry Is Talking About It
According to data from Eastwick, cumulative monthly mentions of “people-based marketing” in blogs and news outlets increased from zero in Aug. 2014 to nearly 600 in March 2015.
7. Consumers Demand It
According to Marketo, 80% of consumers worldwide say they will only engage with a brand’s marketing offers if those offers are based on how they have previously interacted with the brand. People-based marketing makes this possible.
8. It Improves Targeting Efficiency
One-to-one engagement across the Web might seem new, but the concept of people-based marketing was spearheaded by Facebook. Using the platform’s people-based marketing tool, The New York Times influenced 2.3 times more people to subscribe, while the cost of gaining a new subscriber was reduced 25%.
People-based marketing is not a passing fad or trend. Instead, it is a proven approach to reaching real people in-real time with messages based on in-the-moment intent data and rich customer profiles. That’s why more advertisers are turning to addressable media as their preferred avenue for more effective campaigns.
Originally published June 21, 2016