The precise, contextual targeting and emotional resonance of programmatic audio advertising are a big hit with brands. Did you know the vast reach and effectiveness of audio advertising can now be matched with the efficiency of programmatic buying? Popular music and podcast platforms like Spotify and iHeartRadio can now be bought programmatically, which lets advertisers target precisely defined audiences with the automation of AI. According to data from eMarketer, digital audio ad spend in the US alone is expected to grow by nearly 44% from 2023 to 2027! That’s a booming business. If you've been on the fence about allocating media spend to audio ads, now's the time to dive in strategically and hand your brand the microphone. Are audio ads effective? In short: yes. Audio ads  have the ability to reach well-targeted audiences and capture a listener's attention. They can thoroughly convey a brand's message, values, and identity  and resonate with a listener emotionally if you employ a strategic sonic branding  strategy ahead of time. Repeated exposure to a consistent audio branding strategy helps reinforce brand recognition and recall , and by associating itself with a listener's favorite podcast hosts, musical artists, or radio shows, a brand can build credibility, relevance, and trust  among its intended demographic. How does programmatic audio work? Just like with CTV, display, or any other programmatically bought channel, programmatic audio advertising is the process of buying audio inventory (radio, streaming music apps, podcasts, etc) through automated means  using a demand-side platform (DSP) and a supply-side platform (SSP). Audio SSPs include Spotify and iHeartRadio, and audio DSPs include Basis Technologies and SmartyAds. A good media agency has partnerships with various ad tech vendors to get your brand the most functionality for the least investment possible. Programmatic Advertising: FAQs for CMOs What are the advantages of programmatic audio advertising? A. Unparalleled Reach and Engagement Audio is an intimate medium. People listen to music and podcasts while they’re driving, cooking, or exercising – it’s a part of their daily routine. If your brand can reach listeners while they’re engaged in daily activities and listening to content they already enjoy, they’ll likely receive and recall your message in a positive light . And you may be surprised to know that the majority of audio listeners are not paying for the premium, ad-free versions! B. Contextual Targeting Programmatic buying goes beyond basic demographics. You can target listeners based on specific content genres, interests, and even the time of day  they're most likely to be listening. Imagine reaching fitness enthusiasts during their morning workout session or targeting foodies while they tune into a cooking podcast. This level of contextual relevance ensures your message resonates deeply with the audience, maximizing its impact. C. Retargeting and Amplification By leveraging insights gleaned from audio campaigns, you can retarget listeners in an omnichannel marketing strategy. For instance, a listener engaged with a sports podcast ad can be retargeted with social media ads or CTV commercials highlighting your brand's athletic wear or sports drinks. This creates a "halo effect,"  reinforcing your brand presence across various touchpoints and driving conversions. D. Data-Driven Campaign Optimization In the age of privacy regulations and the decline of third-party cookies, programmatic audio offers a valuable solution. It empowers brands to collect first-party data  and track campaign performance metrics  with precision. This data allows you to optimize campaigns in real-time, ensuring your budget is maximized and your message reaches the most receptive audiences. Every single one of your target consumers is likely listening to something – music, podcasts, audiobooks – every day. W ith programmatic audio buying, the right ones can hear your message, too. For more media buying news and tips, subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights  newsletter.

Dec. 4, 2022 (LOS ANGELES) Exverus Media, Inc. welcomes Melissa Andraos to her newly created role of Senior Vice President of Media Strategy, bridging the gap between planning and performance media activation. Melissa brings 20 years of ad agency experience building integrated digital strategies that drive media value, cultivate innovative partnerships, and leverage data-driven insights to evolve brands across various industries. Before joining Exverus Media, Melissa led the development of digital media strategy for notable brands like Lexus, Honda, Cedars Sinai, Pocky, and CoStar, among others. She has earned numerous industry accolades including Adweek Media Plan of the Year, ThinkLA Innovator Category, and Webby awards. Follow her on LinkedIn here . Exverus Media is a data-driven media agency based in Los Angeles, amplifying global, growth-stage brands through CTV, video, out-of-home, experiential, retail media, paid social, paid search, and programmatic advertising since 2014. Our omnichannel media campaigns combine precise research with creative ideas to confidently allocate every ad dollar for the maximum return. Named for the Latin phrase "from the truth", Exverus is dedicated to transparency and long-term client trust. For all press inquiries, contact: Michelle.Andrade@exverus.com

Too many CMOs think of IMC as a vague theory or a checklist, but it's a crucial mindset for planning all your media campaigns. Here's how to adapt for 2025. Photo by Olia Danilevich What is integrated marketing communications? Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is commonly known as the coherence of visual cues, narratives, and messaging about a brand across multiple media channels like search, social, and PR . Thanks to Channel V Media for this handy visual! For our purposes as a paid media agency , it's about unifying audience data, building sequential purchase journeys, and analyzing performance from several different advertising  channels holistically, both traditional and digital. But IMC is so much more than brand colors and boilerplates -- it's a mindset to adopt in every touchpoint of your brand's interactions with the world. When planning your marketing and advertising campaigns for 2025, rise above these common misconceptions to leave a lasting impression with your audience and crush your competition! 5 things marketers get wrong about integrated marketing communications (IMC): Consistency isn't just visual branding Many marketers think IMC is just about maintaining consistent logos and color schemes across channels. While that's certainly part of it, IMC is also about creating a unified narrative and emotional experience that resonates consistently across every touchpoint. This means your messaging, tone, and core value proposition must feel seamless whether a customer encounters your brand on social media , through a podcast ad, on TV , or on a billboard . Data integration is more important than channel-specific execution Some marketers focus too narrowly on the tactics and performance of each channel, comparing one to another, but true IMC success hinges on sophisticated data integration. Your customer data from one platform should inform another, allowing you to create truly personalized, contextual experiences. This means breaking down silos between marketing, sales, customer service, and product teams to create a 360-degree view of the customer journey . The 2024 Salesforce State of Marketing Report showed that fully integrated data is more common among high performers, meaning that investing in unification gives marketers an edge. Attribution is often fundamentally misunderstood Traditional, last-click attribution models are so outdated. Modern IMC requires understanding complex, multi-touchpoint customer journeys. You need advanced attribution models that can track and evaluate interactions across channels, recognizing that a podcast might spark initial interest, while a retargeting display ad might nurture consideration, and a personalized email might drive the final conversion. Marketing mix modeling (MMM) or multi-touch attribution (MTA): Which model is best for your campaign? Emotional continuity is just as important as tactical messaging Brands often get trapped in short-term , tactical messaging tied to specific goals or deals, like limited-time offers (LTOs), immediate calls-to-action, or "try it today", rather than communicating broader brand values for long-term positioning. Effective IMC creates an emotional through-line that makes consumers feel consistently understood, regardless of where they interact with your brand. This means developing a deep, nuanced understanding of your brand's emotional promise and ensuring every communication reinforces that core emotional experience. Why media planning is a marathon, not a sprint Tech stack alignment is a strategic imperative Your martech (or, in our case, adtech) stack is more than just a collection of tools -- it's the engine driving your IMC strategy. So they need to be aligned with your goals! For our media plans, we partner with adtech vendors who provide us with rich consumer data and real-time insights for mid-campaign optimizations as needed. Overall, the key is to view integrated marketing communications as not just a tactical checklist, but as the mindset required to build long-term customer relationships. For more ad buying news and tips, join our free, weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter.

What brands need to know about generative engine optimization (GEO) to drive sales rather than traffic Artificial Intelligence (AI) has wedged its way into our daily lives, revolutionizing how we work. From Gmail's suggested replies to HubSpot's AI Assistant, AI has simplified tasks such as responding to emails and planning our schedules. However, its impact on business marketing is more profound and is poised to reshape the digital landscape. What's next for AI-powered search marketing? Google keeps pace While generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Perplexity challenge Google's long-held search dominance, Google is keeping pace with a flurry of new developments  like AI Overviews in search results, Multimodal AI, Gemini 3, Meridian , and PMAX, just to name a few.  In fact, Exverus Associate Director of Paid Search Michael Robbins predicted to ADWEEK in 2025: "Google Gemini will even the field with ChatGPT in 2026. ChatGPT struggles to keep pace on quality and profitability because it doesn’t have the advertising infrastructure Google does." As a media buying agency, we're keeping a sharp eye Google and other AI platforms piloting ad offerings for our clients. Agentic commerce AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Perplexity and retailers like Amazon and Walmart began rolling out AI shopping assistants in 2025, helping online shoppers discover brands, recommend products, and compare prices. Brands, in turn, have begun plugging their product info and marketing activations directly into AI App SDKs to meet and convert consumers right where they search . We expect agentic discovery and shopping to quickly develop and transform e-commerce marketing in 2026 and beyond. Click to learn how your brand can get recommended to shoppers by AI chatbots & shopping assistants. Optimizing for conversion value, not just visibility or clicks Google processes 16.4 billion searches daily versus ChatGPT's 800 million queries—a volume gap that seems insurmountable. But here's what the market share charts don't show: AI search visitors demonstrate 4.4x higher conversion rates than traditional organic search visitors , according to a June 2025 SEMRush study . Since we can't buy AI search ads yet, brands must treat AI Overview citations as their competitive moat, shifting focus from traditional rankings and traffic to authority and brand visibility. FAQs about GEO What is generative engine optimization (GEO)? According to SEO.com , generative engine optimization (GEO) is the practice of optimizing your brand to be more visible in generative AI search engines. To appear in generative engines, you need to create good content, answer questions directly, and build your brand visibility. The emerging generative models of search engines prioritize speed and efficiency, resembling chatbots more than the conventional keyword-driven search model. To align with these changes, content must be easily digestible and provide direct answers to users' queries. Why are my click-through rates dropping? AI Overviews (AIOs) are fundamentally altering search result layouts. Recent research  confirms a significant shift in search behavior: both organic and paid CTRs have reached historic lows, especially for queries featuring AIOs. AIOs contribute to "zero-click" searches, where users get answers directly in the search results, reducing website visits.   While CTRs drop, search marketing remains critical for brand authority, trust, and engagement. Your content can still drive awareness and consideration for your business; it just needs to evolve away from optimizing for clicks and toward optimizing for sourcing in AI-generated answers . Plus, your brand website is already writing your ad copy : PMAX, Advantage+, and TikTok Smart Creative all scrape brand sites to generate ad copy.  PMAX optimizes across Google's entire ecosystem, not just traditional search placements. Our clients see optimal results when deploying multiple campaigns with robust creative assets  and comprehensive audience data.    How do I optimize my content for GEO? Answer frequently asked questions (FAQs). Instead of writing around keywords, answer questions your audience is likely to ask about the topic in natural language (no fluffy corporate speak!) Structured data. Schema markup makes a website 6x more likely to appear in rich snippets and reduces the cost per acquisition (CPA) by an average of 23%! First-party data fuel. High-performing first-party data strategies begin with observed on-site behavior. Sites with strong event tracking see 2.8x higher conversion rates! Keep it up to date. Google scans your site every 24–48 hours to optimize ads. Outdated content means outdated targeting. Technical hygiene is non-negotiable. Web vitals, schema markup, load speed, mobile responsiveness—these now determine media performance. Test different ad formats  to maintain visibility. While AI Overviews don’t allow direct ad placement, Google says other formats like PMAX and Shopping Ads can still be included in AIOs if they're aligned with the searcher's intent. Additionally, Google's Demand Gen campaigns deliver immersive, discovery-focused ads designed for upper-funnel objectives.  While some tactics are universally beneficial, it's crucial to tailor them to the specific needs of each business. For instance, a clothing company might prioritize "Gen Z fashion tips" over technical jargon, while health snack food brands may focus on authoritative content and statistics instead of excessive keyword use. How can my brand reach information-seekers outside of traditional search engines? Reddit If you're still pouring all your ad dollars into Meta and Google while ignoring Reddit, you're missing one of the most compelling opportunities in digital advertising right now. The platform has quietly evolved from a niche community hub into a marketing powerhouse that's reshaping how consumers make decisions—and how AI answers their questions. Reddit was the #1 most cited domain for AI across all models in Q2 2025 , according to data from analytics platform Profound.  It was cited twice as often as Wikipedia in the top ten most cited domains. Why do searchers and AI chatbots alike love Reddit so much? Trust, authenticity, & peer influence. Someone browsing r/fitness or r/personalfinance isn't passively scrolling; they're deeply invested in that interest and actively seeking recommendations. A word of caution, though: If if you're coming in to Reddit sounding like a brand advertisement to get AI visibility, everyone will see right through that. The AI chatbots might prioritize relevance over upvotes, but people don't. And you might be turning off the very people who would be most interested in your topic.  First spend time reading Reddit forums to "learn the language" and get a feel for the culture before blazing in with your brand features. Be a good citizen and you might be welcomed back. Reddit is now a marketing hub reaching both AI LLMs and consumers with trust and ease. Learn how to best utilize it as a media channel for your brand. Demand Gen demands attention Google's Demand Generation  campaigns are also gaining traction as a vital tool for driving upper-funnel engagement. This format delivers immersive, discovery-focused ads across multiple Alphabet properties including YouTube Shorts, Discover, and Gmail. Campaigns are specifically designed to optimize for awareness and consideration metrics, making them particularly attractive for businesses looking to expand their reach and build brand equity. Early adopters of Demand Gen   report impressive engagement rates, with particularly strong results when campaigns incorporate high-quality video assets and curated image collections. Their success underscores the importance of investing in diverse creative assets  to maximize campaign effectiveness.   Social is the new search engine Social media platforms like TikTok and retailers like Amazon are now the preferred search engines for many Gen Z consumers, so social-search  and retail-search   must  be part of your integrated media strategy to reach them effectively. S ocial media is overtaking traditional search engines as the first choice for product and trend discovery among Gen Z and Millennials. Learn how to create demand for full-funnel results. While AI tools offer powerful awareness-building capabilities, success in using them still hinges on human direction and high-quality data inputs. Fortunately, we're all stocked up on both. Curious what we could do for your brand? Drop us a line below! For more ad buying news and tips, join our free weekly   Paid Media Insights  newsletter.

The Festival of Media North America Awards celebrate excellence in marketing, advertising, and media campaigns from agencies large and small. Exverus Media has won the Best Retail Media category at the Festival of Media North America (FOMNA) Awards for Premier Nutrition: Winning Prime Big Deals Day . The honors were given at a ceremony at the Sky Theatre in New York City the evening of December 5, 2024. Premier Nutrition: Winning Prime Big Deals Day was a multichannel paid media campaign that made Premier Protein Shakes the #1 top-selling item across Amazon on Prime Big Deals Day in October 2023! We achieved retail media success by designing a new path to purchase , meeting our target Gen Z and Millennial "Healthy Strivers" where they actually discover and consider brands: social media. Social influencers created engaging videos showcasing our products in their daily lives, resonating with our audience personally. Simultaneously, we employed an Amazon daypart strategy to prioritize ad spend during the historically optimal times of day and a sponsored display remarketing strategy to nurture past Premier Nutrition page viewers down the funnel. The record-breaking sales achievement garnered millions of press impressions. "The final judging session was a dynamic exchange of ideas with jurors thoroughly assessing the outstanding media work that defined North America last year. The level of strategic thinking and execution has set a new bar for media working in the region. What truly stands out is the growing focus on creating campaigns that not only resonate with audiences but also drive lasting impact, reflecting the industry's commitment to pushing boundaries and shaping the future of media." - Leah Mellard, Awards Manager, Festival of Media See all the 2024 winners here ! Founded in 2014, Exverus is a Los Angeles media agency elevating growth-stage brands through full-funnel media planning, traditional and programmatic advertising, retail media & e-commerce, paid search, paid social, and analytics. Our data-driven media plans combine precise market research with creative ideas to confidently allocate every ad dollar for the maximum return. Named for the Latin phrase "from the truth", Exverus is dedicated to transparency and long-term client trust.

Los Angeles based media agency wins the MediaPost Online Media & Marketing Award for New Belgium's Voodoo Ranger Megabrand campaign. (OCTOBER 11, 2024) Exverus Media won the 2024 MediaPost Online Media & Marketing Award (OMMA) Best Alcoholic Beverage Marketing Campaign for its work with New Belgium Brewing's Voodoo Ranger IPAs Megabrand. The 360 digital media campaign brought the brand’s visually stunning, edgy creative assets (designed by creative agency Fact & Fiction ) to a carefully chosen mix of programmatically bought premium CTV, Snapchat, Reddit, YouTube, and more. As a result, brand awareness and perceptions lifted exponentially, and the product line surpassed its sales goals for the year. See all the 2024 winners  here .   Exverus Media's New Belgium team is led by Media Director Shelby Dolan and supported by Georgia Schreiner (2023 Ad Age Media Planner of the Year , Marlee Thompson , Anna Acuna , and Kris Chen . Sean Edwards oversaw the programmatic advertising portion of the campaign, while Aaron Silva handled Ad Ops and Charles Lai directed the data analysis. Founded in 2014, Exverus is a Los Angeles headquartered media agency elevating growth-stage brands through full-funnel media planning, traditional and programmatic advertising, retail media & e-commerce, paid search, paid social, and analytics. Our data-driven media plans combine precise market research with creative ideas to confidently allocate every ad dollar for the maximum return. Named for the Latin phrase "from the truth", Exverus is dedicated to transparency and long-term client trust. Follow us on LinkedIn here . New Belgium Brewing was co-founded in 1991 in Fort Collins, Colo., by Kim Jordan, a social worker, who built her company the only way a social worker would: People first. Over the past three decades, New Belgium has turned that ethos into a unique Human-Powered Business model through practices that were and still are rare in the business world: fully paid healthcare premiums for coworkers who need the support, living wage compensation, open-book management, renewable energy sourcing, a free onsite medical clinic and physician, a deep commitment to philanthropy and advocacy, and much more.  Learn more at newbelgium.com . PRESS INQUIRIES: Michelle Andrade michelle.andrade@exverus.com For more media buying news and tips, subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights  newsletter.

(NEW YORK, NY) January 17, 2024 — The fifth annual Campaign US Agency of the Year awards judging has closed, and the finalists are in. The Agency of the Year awards recognize inspiring leadership, creative excellence, and outstanding business performance at agencies across the U.S. This year’s program garnered a stellar crop of entries from agencies making groundbreaking and business-moving work for clients. “Congratulations to our finalists, who have already demonstrated their excellence by standing out to a jury of senior marketers among hundreds of their peers. We look forward to celebrating with all of you at the awards dinner this spring,” said Alison Weissbrot , editor-in-chief of Campaign US. "Wow! Amazing to see that we've been named one of Campaign 's finalists for Media Agency of the Year. We're honored to be listed alongside so many renowned agencies", says Exverus Media cofounder and president Bill Durrant . "Even more exciting, our beloved Tasha Day is named a finalist for Media Buyer/Planner of the Year!" - Bill Durrant Entries were evaluated by a panel of brand marketers, led by our jury chair Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, CMO at Doordash. As clients, these marketers work with agencies daily and are in the best position to evaluate their successes in the past year. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at a reception event in New York City. For more information about the 2024 Campaign US Agency of the Year awards, visit: https://www.aoyawardsus.com/ About Campaign US: Campaign US captures the evolution of professional creative services, focusing on the U.S. We serve as a resource to creative and marketing professionals adapting to a fast-changing industry while offering a community where creative talent can share their opinions and celebrate their work and achievements.

Adweek awarded the multichannel CPG campaign for Best Use of Mobile Media. (August 20, 2024) Exverus Media's CPG marketing campaign for Stella & Chewy's, " America's Next Top Petfluencer" , has been awarded Adweek Media Plan of the Year 2024 for Best Use of Mobile among campaigns of its size. The raw pet food brand needed to expand into big-box retailers while maintaining strong relationships with the neighborhood pet stores that launched it. So their longtime media planning team at Exverus designed a multi-channel sweepstakes that would drive customers into their local pet stores. Excerpt from Adweek: Digital ads encouraged people to submit their cutest pet photos for a chance to win a prize package. Exverus worked with social influencers and boosted posts targeting pet parents...while QR codes sent people on scavenger hunts to their neighborhood pet shops. Contest participation reached 75%, triple the benchmark. The campaign reached 16.8 million target consumers and lifted foot traffic by 33%! Thousands of entrants opted in to future promotions, collecting invaluable first-party data. To see more of our work with Stella & Chewy's, check out this AR-integrated campaign next: About Exverus Media Founded in 2014, Exverus is a Los Angeles media agency elevating growth-stage brands through full-funnel media planning, traditional and programmatic advertising, retail media & e-commerce, paid search, paid social, and analytics. Our data-driven media plans combine precise market research with creative ideas to confidently allocate every ad dollar for the maximum return. Named for the Latin phrase "from the truth", Exverus is dedicated to transparency and long-term client trust. For more media buying news and tips, subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights  newsletter.

Former Exverus VP Sifat Ullah published a full article in Adweek on the pros and cons of retail and social media buying. Learn how to make the most of each! This news appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, & analysis, subscribe for free here .

The annual awards are given for excellence and innovation in media planning and buying. (LOS ANGELES) May 14, 2024 -- Talia Arnold , cofounder and managing director of Los Angeles media agency Exverus Media, has been named one of Adweek 's 2024 Media All-Stars. The annual awards are given for excellence and innovation and media planning, buying, and strategy. According to Adweek , "As AI continues to influence media buying and the industry overall, these stars are making the best of the technology and finding new ways to help clients maximize their dollars and gain market share. "For the 2024 Media All-Stars, technology is a key tool to crafting the best strategy while navigating markets and audiences that are increasingly diverse, creator-led, and shoppable." Talia’s 20 years of expertise in advertising, media strategy, and data analysis have secured long-term relationships with growth-stage brands like Premier Protein & Dymatize, New Belgium & Bell's Brewery, and Honey Stinger, just to name a few. In addition to overseeing a dozen media planning & performance teams and pitching new business, Talia regularly publishes original whitepapers and speaks at industry conferences . As a result of her leadership and creativity, Exverus is Adweek's 2024 Breakthrough Agency of the Year and among LA Times B2B's Best Workplaces of 2023 . For more media buying news and tips from Talia, subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights  newsletter.

Our media buying experts' key takeaways from the Snap Partner Summit 2024 Did you know Snapchat (the social media platform owned by Snap, Inc.) has a user base of 850 million users worldwide?! If you thought Snapchat was just a small niche app for kids, it's time to start thinking of it as a bona fide advertising platform that can grow your business. But how do Snapchat ads work? Fun facts: 75% of people come to Snapchat to interact with their closest circle of family and friends, and... 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising! That's a really significant opportunity to influence your target audience, especially if they're predominantly Gen Z. Snapchat offers two ad creation options : Instant Create:  For quick and easy ads, upload your creative and select your audience and budget. Create your ad in just a few minutes. Advanced Create:  For more complex campaigns, use this option to create multiple ad sets with advanced targeting and bidding capabilities. To measure and optimize your campaigns, use the Snap Pixel to track performance and make data-driven decisions. At Exverus, our professional social media advertisers have close relationships with Snap to build the most comprehensive and effective campaigns for our clients. Snap Partner Summit 2024 Highlights Our VP of performance marketing and paid social director attended the 2024 Snap Partner Summit in the Bay Area and came back with invaluable learnings for media buyers and brand marketers: Snap highlighted their growing user base of 850 million users worldwide, who send more than 1 billion monthly snaps to each other. Company executives unveiled their new  Simple Snapchat  User Interface, which looks to simplify the design of the Snapchat mobile app to make the user experience seamless and easy to navigate. Snap also announced development of their proprietary AI tools for designers/developers to easily create AR lenses and filters on the platform. Most notably, the company unveiled their 5th generation of  Snapchat Spectacles , which create a unique VR user experience that blends Snap's AR technology into the user's real world surroundings. "For the first time in history, we've made transition lenses cool." -- Evan Spiegel, CEO Snap Inc. Key Snapchat Ads Partnerships Hulu x SambaTV x Snapchat Ads Hulu and SambaTV showcased their partnership to drive a full funnel measurement approach with Snapchat ads , allowing Hulu to target new-to-brand users on Snapchat while measuring tune-in lift on the backend using SambaTVs automated content recognition (ACR) technology. Sports & AR Snap highlighted the wide application capability of their AR Lens technology with partnerships across professional sports, including the NBA, LA Rams, and Suni Lee (American Gold Medal Gymnast). Snap is enhancing the fan experiences with athletes behind the scenes, in stadium, and everywhere fans are engaging with sports. Live Music Snap discussed partnerships with Live Nation and artists (including Billie Eilish and Partynextdoor), showcasing how the platform allows users to intimately engage with their favorite artist, strengthening that bond and driving a deeper connection for advertisers in the music industry. Snapchat extends the reach of concerts beyond attendees and allows artists to communicate authentically with their audiences. 3 Things marketers should know about Snapchat Creativity is alive and well!  Authentic and fun experiences make Snapchat unique. Creators and developers continue to raise the bar for content and experiences on the platform, which will provide better media innovation and new opportunities for brands. Add Snapchat to your existing social media mix:  Snapchat is a key part of social media -- it's not a replacement for other platforms, but rather an additive to build brands and deliver business results.  Run A/B tests and connect ads to retailers for driving lower-funnel conversions after capturing upper-funnel attention. Our own social media advertisers are excited to brainstorm ideas of new Snap activations for Exverus clients in 2025 & beyond! What will your team create? For more media buying news and tips, subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights  newsletter.

Mastering your retail media search strategy can persuade shoppers already in a purchasing mindset. As the Google antitrust trial unfolds, a new set of challengers is rising up to steal share from the search giant. And they’re not Bing or ChatGPT – they’re retail media networks (RMNs).  While social media takes the reins of brand discovery, RMNs are becoming a mid-funnel consideration-driver where consumers go to learn more about brands they discover. Amazon is now the most popular place  for US adults to start a product search, according to a February 2024 Jungle Scout survey, and EMARKETER  predicts retail media ad spend will more than double over the next five years, reaching $129.93 billion by 2028. So, how can your brand influence customers right where they already shop?  First, what is retail media search marketing? Retail media search marketing is a strategy that helps brands appear prominently on the search results pages of retailers’ e-commerce websites and mobile apps. It can be achieved by organic or paid media tactics, onsite or off-site, leveraging the value of the immense first-party purchase data retailers hold.  In other words, it’s applying the principles of search marketing to e-commerce sites and retail media networks (RMNs).  What is the difference between onsite and offsite retail media? Onsite  is a retail media solution that displays advertisements for brands within a retailer’s website or mobile app. An example is opening Walmart’s shopping app and seeing an ad for Premier Protein displayed at the top of the search results page for “protein shakes”.  Off-site  is media published by a brand on external advertising platforms, including traditional search engines, social media, display, video, mobile, audio ads, and more. Currently, the biggest driver of off-site retail media growth is Connected TV (CTV)!  Learn more about the relationship between CTV and retail media here Is that the same thing as Google Retail Search?   Not exactly. Retail Search is a specific service provided by Google Cloud  that some retailers use to employ similar Google Search type capabilities but with the retailer’s own products. Most retail media search ads are bought through RMNs or demand-side platforms (DSPs).  Why is retail media search so important? High purchase intent Sponsored search advertising  has exploded in the last couple of years because consumers come to retailer sites or apps already in a purchasing mindset – no demand generation required.  Precise targeting capabilities Social media networks may have data on what you’ve shown interest in before, but retailers know what you’ve actually bought  before. That makes their deep wells of first-party consumer data extremely valuable for efficient targeting and closed-loop measurement.  Trouble at Google Retail search poses a huge threat to the search market dominance of Google, which is currently on trial for antitrust behavior allegations and facing steep competition from AI-powered search bots. While retail media search spend grows like ivy, traditional search ad spending growth will slow to just 0.9% YoY  in 2028.  5 ways to sharpen your brand’s retail media search strategy Prioritize home page placements  The home page of a retailer’s site or app is a coveted placement for advertising because it’s the most visible with the widest reach, and it’s the most memorable thanks to the primacy effect. Here’s a good visualization of the purpose each page level of an e-commerce site serves:  Segment your audience If your feminine product ads are being served to biologically male customers, those wasted impressions are wasted ad dollars. Every product isn’t right for every consumer! To optimize your retail media budget, you’ll need to get precise with your targeting and segment your audiences. Fortunately, the first-party data provided by retail media networks solve this problem very well, if you’re putting in the right audience parameters. Check out this excellent list of audience segments put together by the IAB:  Dominate your niche Our own Senior Search Specialist, Michael Robbins, advises: “Find the long-tail search terms that resonate with your consumers best, and aim to own those key terms. Be specific; do not take your hands off the wheel, going broad-match and letting the ‘algorithm’ do the work.” Take this example from our back-to-school marketing  guide: Adding contextual keywords  to your search mix can boost visibility and drive sales. For instance, a granola bar company could add long-tail keywords like “granola bars for school lunches”, or “healthy after-school snacks” to their current bidding strategy.  Consider the whole customer journey Despite the popularity of e-commerce and online shopping, most consumers in 2024 are operating in a “ click-and-mortar ” style: either buying online and picking up in store, buying online and returning in store, or discovering brands in-store and following on social media. To beat the competition, you’ll need to meet your target customer at each point along their nonlinear journey.  Don't forget to influence them BEFORE they start shopping - using tactics like TV, video, audio and OOH to improve brand perception and credibility. Check your metrics As with any media tactic, it’s imperative to use the right metrics for your brand’s specific campaign goals. The report below from IAB Europe shows there’s still a discrepancy between the information sought by media buyers and what’s provided by media sellers. For CPG brands advertising on retail media networks, of course, the most important result is growth in business sales. But over what timeline? And by what means? Which channels are worth continuing to invest in, and which aren’t?  These kinds of questions are more complex, and they’re answered with help from tools like:  Holistic measurement tools like DISQO Marketing mix modeling Multi-touch attribution Brand lift studies (which predict next year’s growth) The right performance marketing agency can help you figure out what goals and metrics make the most sense for your business and how you can exceed them! Your retail media search strategy is a key part of eclipsing your business objectives. For more media buying news and tips, subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights  newsletter.