Worried about third-party cookies going away and need zero party data? Our VP, Tasha Day, gave a stellar talk at the MediaPost Brand Insider Summit: CPG in Santa Barbara, CA spilling the beans on how to get ahead of the game. She uses the example of a multichannel media campaign we did in 2023 for Stella & Chewy's in which target pet owners were directed to their local pet store with location data ad tech , invited to scan a QR code and enter info to win a real-life billboard photo of them with their pet! The campaign successfully drove in-store foot traffic, collected thousands of email addresses for Stella & Chewy's CRM, and cultivated long-term customer loyalty all at once. Triple win! Learn the secrets of how Tasha's team accomplished this in the video above, and subscribe to Exverus' YouTube channel for more media strategy ideas and effective marketing campaign examples. Or, if you're more of a reader, subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter here .

Collaboration with ad tech partner PadSquad proves lucrative for the pet food brand. While the decision to invest in mobile advertising may be easy, creatively devising ways to stand out and make a lasting impression is far more challenging. Integrating technological advances like AR in advertising campaigns can help your message stand out from the crowd of static or video social ads. Media strategy agency Exverus Media teamed up with PadSquad , the high-impact advertising experiences leader, to develop a new mobile ad experience for Stella & Chewy’s , the raw natural pet food for dogs and cats. Together, we built an interactive AR experience in which pet parents were encouraged to upload photos with their pets, decorate them with AR frames and filters, and upload them to social media. Try it yourself here! Our interactive programmatic mobile experience helped make Stella & Chewy’s a category leader in just a few months. Nearly a quarter-million users engaged with this campaign, leading to a 702% higher engagement rate than standard benchmarks. Stella & Chewy’s experienced an incremental 2% lift in brand awareness from just this one tactic with a <$500K budget. And the campaign won the 2023 MediaPost OMMA Award for Best Mobile Marketing campaign of the year! “This is the sort of participatory advertising that brands dream of,” said Anna Elema, Media Director at Exverus. “Stella & Chewy’s is now a category competitor with a deeper connection to a growing segment of brand loyalists.” Utilizing technology like AR in advertising campaigns requires a strong ad tech partner, a data-driven media strategy, and personal connections with the target audience. In this case, we tapped into the emotional connection people have with their pets and allowed them to be creative with the ad unit, to make something uniquely their own, and to share photos of their pets, which pet owners already love to do. The case study was featured by Adweek here .

In just 24 hours, Threads (the latest Twitter competition from Meta) hit 30 million users. And then 70 million in 48 hours... And then 100 million in just five days... Exverus has been on Threads since Day 1 (@exverus), and we've stitched together a few Threads tips for brands and marketers. 🧵 How Does Threads Work? The record-smashing growth (OpenAI's ChatGPT took two months to reach the same mark) positions Threads as an immediate viable platform for brands to tap into. It's an exciting time for users and brands starved for a safe space for quick interactions and engagement with content. But while everyone is busy putting together their "Threads 101 Guides," we wanted to take a moment to look at how we got here. It's surprising to be excited (or perhaps cautiously optimistic) about a new Meta product in 2023, but here we are. The concept of the platform is simple and familiar: users post text-based "threads" of up to 500 characters. Threads can also include images, GIFs, and links, and other users (and brands) can comment on, repost, or like these threads if they resonate (stop us if you've heard this one before). So on the surface, Threads isn't new or groundbreaking. In fact, it feels kind of old school...and that's a good thing! Why Your Brand Should Be on Threads One of the reasons Threads seems to be taking off is brand safety . Since Musk took over Twitter, there has been an intense spike in hate speech, ridicule, and trolling that's caused brands to move away from the platform. The volatile atmosphere has been compounded by security breaches, technical missteps, and outages... all of which have inevitably negatively affected user engagement and retention. Threads isn't quite Twitter in 2011, but it has potential. The new social channel offers a welcome alternative for brands that want to continue engaging with their customers without worrying about these issues. Its clean design, low maintenance demands, and focus on content creation makes it a great home for any brand looking for a fresh start with an engaged audience. Meta's decision to link Threads to Instagram accounts (with just a few clicks, anyone with an IG handle can sign up for the new platform), has facilitated an active and robust community...and we're not even a week in. Threads Tips & Limitations for Marketers At this time, there are no ads or monetization features on Threads. According to our sources at Meta, "Our priority is to build consumer value first and foremost, which will allow us to explore how to build business value...we encourage businesses to experiment with Threads as part of their organic social strategy where it makes sense." But -- Instagram is reportedly working to integrate its branded content tools with Threads, " which would give marketers an opportunity to begin experimenting with paid promotion, while advertising is still unavailable", according to Axios . Will users stick around? Will brands find success in the long term? That remains to be seen, but for now, it's clear that a certain type of user has found a new home in Threads, and brands would be wise to follow. This article originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For the most up-to-date news and tips to improve your media strategy, subscribe for free here .

What is creative diversification? 5 strategies for upgrading your ad creative As media planners, we spend a lot of time thinking about placements and formats. Which platforms does our target audience use most? Should we appear in contextual environments or in social feeds? While these questions are important, there's something even more fundamental to consider: creative diversification. In the fast-evolving landscape of digital advertising, the spotlight is now firmly on creativity. As marketers navigate the terrain of AI-powered ad tools, a critical insight has emerged: creative is the next frontier for achieving unparalleled ad performance. Ads with diversified creatives report up to 32% improvement in CPA and 9% enhancement in incremental reach. What is creative diversification? The challenge for marketers is stark: attention spans are dwindling, with Gen Z clocking out from ads after a mere 1.3 seconds. How can you create content that captures their elusive interest and combats creative fatigue? Henry Kelly, Head of e-Commerce at Meta, offers a beacon of hope. According to Kelly, "Creative is targeting." It's the gateway to crafting narratives that resonate uniquely with specific audiences. Creative diversification, the art of embracing a variety of ad formats and concepts, emerges as the catalyst for reaching new audiences, rejuvenating engagement, and spurring action. One such example is Meta's Advantage+ solutions and their impact on campaign efficiencies. It's creativity that holds the power to drive results and business outcomes. The statistics bear witness to the power of diversification. Ads with diversified creatives report up to a 32% improvement in CPA and a 9% enhancement in incremental reach. It's more than just eye-catching visuals; it's about telling the right story to the right audience. Kelly aptly underscores, "Creative is the vehicle to authentically engage with your audience." So, what can marketers glean from this creative awakening? 63% of 18–34-year-olds trust what influencers say about a brand more than the brand itself. 5 strategies for upgrading your ad creative: Visual Distinctiveness: To attract a broader audience, consider visualizations that resonate with less-reached demographics. Tailor your creative with diverse imagery and messaging. Humanized Content: In an era where relatability reigns supreme, embrace user-generated content (UGC) and "lo-fi" creative alongside polished brand assets. Being not only true-to-brand but True-to-Life speaks volumes in a world bored of polished perfection. Collaborate with Creators: Harness the trust creators have already built with their audiences. 63% of 18–34-year-olds trust what influencers say about a brand more than the brand itself. Their unique perspectives can breathe life into your brand narratives, expanding your reach and deepening affinity. Experiment with Placements: Customize creatives for different placements, tailoring them to audience behavior and platform-specific best practices to maximize your brand's exposure. Embrace AI: In this age of AI, relinquishing some control over brand assets can yield remarkable results. AI can optimize and personalize ad content at scale, tailoring messages to individual preferences. Embrace AI-driven creative strategies, allowing the algorithms to identify the most effective messaging, visuals, and placements to engage your audience. The message is clear: the era of creativity has dawned on advertising. By embracing creative diversification, influencers, and AI, you can navigate the dynamic digital landscape and gain a competitive edge. It's not just about catching eyes; it's about captivating hearts and minds. As you embark on your advertising journey, remember: in this realm, creative is indeed the new black. This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here .

Exverus' Associate Director of Programmatic Marketing, Sean Edwards, published a full article on Adweek explaining why food and beverage brands should advertise on YouTube. For more marketing & advertising tips, research, & analysis, subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter here .

Disproportionately focusing on short-term performance over long-term brand-building will hurt your overall success. The Long and Short of It If you took any marketing classes in college over the last decade, chances are good that you've read that reliable staple The Long and Short of It (TLASOI) by Peter Field and Les Binet. On the book's 10th anniversary, the concepts inside still feel fresh and relevant to our brand campaigns today. Nationwide, brands have been cutting their marketing budgets due to inflation and fears of recession. When times are tight, many marketers feel the pressure to close the sale and place a disproportionate emphasis on short-term performance metrics -- that's understandable! But be careful not to lose sight of the long-term brand trajectory. While the immediate ROI metrics can look attractive and seem to reinforce this approach, we caution marketers not to get short-sighted and overlook the importance of long-term brand-building. This mistake is called short-termism -- here's why it must be overcome to ensure brand success. W hat is Short-Termism? The Difference Between Long and Short Tactics Any Channel Can Support Long or Short Goals Balancing the Duality What is Short-Termism? In TLASOI, Field and Binet identified two distinct yet interconnected communication approaches. The "long" refers to a focus on brand-building over a three-year-plus timeframe, while the "short" emphasizes sales activation within a 12-month horizon. Short-termism is the marketing fallacy of focusing too heavily on acquiring new customers and activating sales, at the expense of building long-term customer retention and loyalty . Forces such as the rise of digital media suppliers, the emphasis on proving advertising value, and a lack of statistical skills can steer marketers toward shortsighted strategies. The Difference Between Long and Short Tactics Identifying what constitutes the "long" and the "short" in real-world scenarios can be challenging. It's important to recognize that both share the same overarching purpose but operate at different speeds. The short-term, sales activation component is evident in calls to action like visiting a website, purchasing a product, or responding to limited-time offers. In contrast, long-term initiatives aim to create lasting memories that drive enduring changes in behavior, such as building awareness among new consumers or driving consideration for premium products. Both long-term brand building and short-term sales activation contribute significantly to commercial success. The key lies in striking the right balance between these approaches for optimal results. Any Channel Can Support Long or Short Goals Misconceptions often arise when assigning media exclusively to one approach or the other. While certain media may align more closely with either the long or the short, any medium can serve both purposes effectively. Digital media, often seen as a short-term tool, can also be harnessed for long-term brand-building objectives. “You have to produce results in the short term. But you also have to produce results in the long term. And the long term is not simply the adding up of short terms.” - Peter Drucker, The Practice of Management Balancing the Duality The infamous 60:40 rule of marketing recommends 60% of a marketing budget be allocated to brand-building and 40% to sales activation. Though certainly oversimplified, the 60:40 rule still holds up as a general guideline to help marketers maintain a perspective of their overall goals and avoid short-termism. Of course, you should modify those percentages to serve your specific brand! The professional media planners and buyers at Exverus help CMOs and brand leaders overcome short-termism and set their brands up for lasting success every day. If you have questions about media strategy or balancing the many available channels, drop us a line on the contact page or comment below. We'd love to hear from you! This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here .

Social commerce (buying products directly thru social media apps) hasn't fully caught on in the West as it has in Asia. But we think it still can! Exverus President Bill Durrant explains how in a full-length op-ed published on MediaPost . For more marketing & advertising tips, research, & analysis, subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter here .

Exverus Media Director Ian Clark spoke to Lisa Lacy at Campaign about how post-cookie UX will (or won't change) for digital consumers as Google phases out its third-party cookie data. For more tips, research, & analysis, subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter here .

Digiday exclusively published our research on Generation Zennial, the microgeneration between millennials and Gen Z, which most marketers misunderstand. This news appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, & analysis, subscribe for free here .

Exverus President Bill Durrant wrote an op-ed in MediaPost about why performance media (or performance marketing) no longer works the way it used to. This news appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, & analysis, subscribe for free here .

Exverus received a glowing, feature-length review from Michael Burgi, Senior Editor at Digiday. We talked about our expansion into programmatic marketing, something not many small agencies can do. This news appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, & analysis, subscribe for free here .

Exverus Media is named the 2020 Silver Small Agency of the Year: Media by Ad Age ! Read our full-length editorial celebrating the win. This news appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, & analysis, subscribe for free here .