Much is written about the creative side of advertising and the visual representation of brands via logos, color palettes, and website design. But one crucial element is often overlooked and underutilized: audio. According to a 2023 report by sonic branding agency amp, more than half of Gen Z can correctly identify a brand solely based on a viral sound. And 81% could name a brand with a sound associated with a meme. With TikTok's popularity and social media's virality, brands have a chance to create memorable moments that will stick in consumers' ears long after they've stopped scrolling. Sonic branding definition and examples for marketers to get inspired Sonic branding, sometimes called audio or sound branding, is the use of sound or music to reinforce a brand's identity and create a memorable experience for target consumers. It involves the strategic use of sound elements such as jingles, sound logos, or brand anthems to evoke emotions, convey messages, and establish a brand's personality. This is not a new concept -- jingles and audio signatures have been around for decades, with some of the earliest examples dating back to the 1920s when radio advertising became popular. However, technological advancements and the rise of digital media have made sonic branding more important than ever before. How effective is sonic branding? Sonic branding offers several key benefits to help marketers maximize the effects of their campaigns. First, it helps to differentiate a brand from its competitors. In today's crowded marketplace where consumers are bombarded with advertising messages from multiple devices, having a distinct sonic identity can help a brand stand out and be remembered. Second, sonic branding can evoke strong emotions and create a deeper connection with consumers. Gen Z's connection to branded audio goes beyond simple consumerism -- they take ownership of the sounds they feel connected with, making them their own and sharing them with their peers. A 2019 study by PHMG showed 74% of young adults say they develop a better understanding of a company's personality through music. This has opened up a new avenue for brands to reach younger audiences more authentically. By tapping into the right beats, rhythms, and melodies, companies can connect with consumers beyond just making them want to buy something. Thirdly, sonic branding can improve brand recognition and recall. A catchy jingle or a memorable sound logo can become ingrained in consumers' minds, making it easier for them to remember the brand when making purchasing decisions. A 2008 study performed at Leicester University revealed that brands that use music aligned with the brand identity are 96% more likely to be remembered by the consumer than brands that use unfit music or no music at all. Sonic Branding Examples When I say "Nationwide is on your side", what do you hear? Probably the same thing I do. Whether it's a catchy jingle (think McDonald's "Ba da ba ba ba"), a distinct sound effect (like the Nintendo Switch 'click' sound), or even a memorable voiceover, sonic branding can stick with people for years to come. Defining the streaming age is Netflix's "ta dum", and what American kid didn't grow up on Tony the Tiger's "They're grrrrreat!"? These earworms step over the short-termism of landing an immediate sale and instead lay the foundation for long-term brand recall and loyalty. In sum, audio branding is a crucial element of building a holistic consumer experience to lift brand recall in a fun and easy way. And in an increasingly voice-activated digital ecosystem (Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri), it makes sense to exploit every aural component of your brand activations. Hear me? This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.

Not just for content creation, generative AI could soon optimize ad personalization, predictive analytics, and real-time data monitoring. Generative AI, the advertising industry's buzziest buzzword, is emerging as a powerful tool that could potentially reshape the way we as advertisers strategize our campaigns. But for media planners, it can be difficult to see how generative AI can actually help in day-to-day tasks. When you're constantly planning, launching, and optimizing campaigns, it's easy to dismiss anything that doesn't immediately improve efficiency or increase ROI. But the truth is, generative AI is already proving its worth in media planning and will only become more important in the future. Initial findings show that when AI-based media buying is employed the ROAS can double or triple compared to previous efforts. So: How Could Gen AI Transform Media Planning? Here are a few applications available TODAY that we're testing for our clients. Enhanced Ad Targeting AI's Deep Learning enables a breadth and depth of knowledge in how targeting is applied to ad campaigns. Instead of broad audience targeting segments like "in-market auto shoppers", AI unlocks the nuances of an individual's consumer journey and has a much deeper understanding of the context of the ad. It analyzes customer data and third-party signals to provide segmentation recommendations, making data-based strategies more effective and efficient. Ad Curation and Creation Generative AI can be used to create custom ads based on the viewer. This capability is so much more than the "dynamic" ads of the past. Imagine the ability to deliver custom video ads - yes, video! - informed by the viewer's demographics and location, and those decisions being made in real time and at a fraction of the cost of producing multiple video commercials for different markets/regions. Improved Programmatic Campaign Performance AI is driving improvement in programmatic campaign performance by powering recommendation engines based on past performance and enhanced audience targeting. Unlike its human counterparts, AI never sleeps. This makes real-time bidding and programmatic buys a breeze. Automated Planning Documentation The generation of crucial planning documentation such as investment plans, campaign parameters, creative assets, and media placement selection is being automated by AI, leveraging campaign-level insights in the process. Data-Driven Virtual Assistants Tools like Omni Assist provide data-driven insights, notifications, and recommendations throughout the planning and buying workflow, reducing discovery time and accelerating learning. But as with any tool, generative AI is only as good as the data and inputs it receives. The onus is still on us to provide the strategy, prompts, brand information, and feedback to make sure the tech is working for us, and not the other way around. This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.

What are your key marketing metrics? Or, in other words, how do you measure the success of a campaign? With data coming in from so many different channels and sources simultaneously, understanding the true impact of your media campaigns can be tricky. Traditional metrics like clicks, impressions, and view completion rates -- some of the most commonly used marketing metrics -- are now little more than distractions. We report on them to verify that the ads are running and functioning properly. But beyond that, what value does a 0.10% click-through rate really serve? The goal of most ad campaigns is to drive sales. As such, the number of clicks or times a video ad is viewed is an inadequate measurement of success if they don't lead to actual conversions. Instead, implement advanced measurement techniques that go beyond the surface-level metrics and dive deeper into understanding the true impact of your campaigns. Better Marketing Metrics: Brand Lift Studies Track whether your ads enhance the audience's perception of your brand. It's not just about ensuring people see your ads but ensuring they leave a positive impression. Tracking brand lift can help you understand whether your ads are enhancing the audience's perception of your brand. This may require third-party data to measure accurately, but it can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your campaigns. Align Digital Channels to Investigate Sales Drivers Understand where your sales are coming from. Integration and collaboration across channels can offer richer customer insights and help identify key sales drivers. Eliminating data silos and maximizing visibility into the customer journey is crucial to understanding how your omnichannel marketing campaigns are performing. Adopt Multitouch Attribution Don't solely credit the first or last impression. Instead, trace all touchpoints and assign credit accordingly. This way, you gain a more comprehensive understanding of your customer journey. Admittedly, in a cookie-less world, this is a bit more complicated, but with the right tools and technology, it's possible. Exverus VP Tasha Day explains how to leverage first-party data for better campaigns This doesn't mean that traditional marketing metrics are wholly meaningless. Clicks, impressions, and views are still indicators of reach and engagement -- which do play a role in building brand awareness and nurturing customer relationships. However, they should be complemented by advanced measurement strategies that provide a more in-depth understanding of your campaign's true impact on sales and overall business success. Advanced measurement strategies may not guarantee a successful campaign, but they provide a more nuanced understanding of ad performance. And, by defining desired outcomes and a measurement plan before a campaign launches, brands can ensure that the reporting they get back is truly relevant to the business expectations. This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.

The prestigious honor goes to agencies who have shown significant growth & innovation in the last 5 years. We are honored to be named Adweek’s Breakthrough Media Agency of the Year!! 🏆 Our talented team and brave clients earned this award through their creativity, tenacity, and honesty. “Exverus clients appreciate the customization and personalized attention they get from the agency, as is evidenced by the brand Stella & Chewy’s, a raw pet food company that found Exverus because it could help the brand punch above its weight in the crowded pet food market. ‘They have the years of experience, but they also are incredibly nimble and are able to be reactive in the moment and adjust to suit our needs in a really thoughtful way”, Betsy Radue, senior director of media, PR, and digital marketing for Stella & Chewy’s told Adweek. ‘One of the best things about Exverus is how they really focus on prioritization and keep us honest about the metrics that matter to our business goals.." - Doug Cornille, chief growth officer at BellRing Brands [parent company of Premier Nutrition Company] Cornille added that the Exverus team is extremely proactive, challenging the brand and ensuring it has the best media plans.” Read more about our decade of successful campaigns for brands like CLIF Bar, New Belgium & Bell’s Brewery, and Kum & Go here: https://www.adweek.com/agencies/adweek-breakthrough-media-agency-of-the-year-exverus-media/ For media strategy tips, research, and analysis; subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter for free here.

Gen Z shoppers have been skipping digital ads since they were born. They grew up in a world where social media and technology are ubiquitous, making it harder for traditional advertisements to capture their attention. This presents a unique challenge for brands: How can you create memorable experiences that resonate with your target audience? The answer: think outside the screen and build better experiences. What are experiential marketing campaigns? Experiential marketing is about creating immersive experiences that engage consumers on a deeper level. Unlike traditional advertising, which focuses on pushing products, experiential marketing seeks to pull consumers in with memorable moments. It's about establishing an emotional connection with the customer before asking for a sale. One key aspect of experiential marketing is offering opportunities for real-world interactions. It's bringing advertising to life, appealing to more than just visual or auditory senses, as most ads do. Whether it's a pop-up event, a branded installation, or an interactive campaign, experiential marketing seeks to bring people together in the physical world, where they can touch, feel, and sense the brand in a tangible way. These one-off events are a lot of work and can be expensive, so why should brands bother? Why is experiential marketing so successful? As mentioned above, the multisensory nature of brand activations and the opportunities for authentic connection they offer make them more memorable (meaning higher brand recall) than just seeing a digital ad on a screen. Second, brands looking to capture the attention of Gen Z shoppers should know that this generation values experiences over material objects -- they would rather show off a cool place or event they attended than a room full of stuff. Furthermore, experiential marketing can explode social media engagement. Gen Z is highly active on social media, and they love to share experiences with their friends and followers. By creating memorable experiences that are worth sharing, brands can tap into their attendees' influence and reach a wider audience. Insider Intelligence estimates that 60.7% of US adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are expected to be social buyers in 2024, making the need for experiential marketing paired with social media increasingly important. Finally, well-executed experiential marketing campaigns have a higher chance of getting free publicity for your brand than a standard ad. Publications like Campaign and Ad Age love to cover creative ideas that bring a brand to life. Experiential marketing examples The 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas was filled with fun, experiential activations. Ashley Furniture, for example, took over the Dawg House Saloon & Sports Book inside Resorts World casino, replacing tables and chairs with Ashley sofas and loveseats for watching the game. They placed QR codes on the coffee tables, sending visitors to the Ashley website to view inventory and specs for future consideration. Meanwhile, Gatorade built an immersive, invite-only experience to launch its Gatorade iD membership. Upon signing up for the membership, invitees got an access card to the event, where they could use touch-screen kiosks to customize a Gatorade water bottle, answer questions to be matched with one of Gatorade’s Hydration products, or sit for a photo shoot with a robotic camera—the same technology Beyonce embedded into her Renaissance tour routine last year. And, Exverus' own 2018 Living Wall out-of-home (OOH) activation for SUJA won an Adweek Media Plan of the Year Award! For that campaign, we partnered with NPRP Media and Humanaut to create a painted wall with real plants popping out in a trendy part of LA where Instagrammers flock. Experiential marketing fulfills the need for more holistic and interactive buyer experiences. Innovative strategies like these blur the traditional boundaries of retail, offering an experientially rich, seamless shopping journey that resonates with Gen Z's preference for novelty and convenience. Moving forward, paid media advertisers should explore similar ways to integrate social commerce strategies into their campaigns. Even if you don't have big-game budgets to work with, we can get creative and think of ways to meet potential customers IRL. Is your brand ready to explore experiential marketing? This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.

The newest e-commerce platform boasts the full funnel, but not all brands are on board. It's undeniable that TikTok has swiftly evolved from a source of entertainment to a bustling marketplace. With users in the US alone spending over $363 million on TikTok Shop purchases in November, it's evident that the platform's direction has taken a seismic shift. But what does this mean for marketers and advertisers? Is TikTok Shop the New Mall? For many, the transition of TikTok into a shopping destination might feel abrupt -- we're accustomed to scrolling through dance challenges and recipe videos, not virtual storefronts. But with over 150 million users in the US, the potential customer base is too ripe for many brands to ignore. However, despite the allure of tapping into this massive audience, some brands are hesitant to jump on the TikTok Shop bandwagon. Concerns about the proliferation of low-cost, low-quality products flooding the platform may deter those who want to maintain a luxurious, exclusive brand image. Combining Entertainment with E-Commerce For brands contemplating their next move, it's crucial to recognize that TikTok's identity is evolving. Rather than viewing TikTok Shop as a separate entity from the platform's core functionality, it's more productive to see it as an extension. It's a seamless integration of discovery and entertainment with tangible product purchases. TikTok Shop is the full funnel: awareness, influence, and purchase on one page. While it's true that the TikTok Shop hasn't yet translated into profits for parent company ByteDance, its pivot towards e-commerce signals long-term sustainability. This shift underscores the platform's potential as a lucrative marketplace. Crafting a TikTok Shop Strategy So, what's the optimal strategy for marketers in this evolving landscape? Rather than shying away from the TikTok Shop, there's a way to embrace it strategically. By carefully curating products and implementing effective paid media campaigns, brands can strike a balance between leveraging TikTok's popularity and preserving their brand image. Finding success on TikTok requires understanding both of its "faces": the entertainment side and the commerce side. Whether you're creating your own social content or working with influencers, the content can't be siloed from the sales. TikTok is reportedly planning to make all videos shoppable one day, so they must be considered in tandem. As the platform strengthens the relationship between social media and commerce, savvy marketers have an opportunity to carve out their niche in this new ecosystem. In conclusion, while TikTok's transformation into a virtual shopping mall may feel unfamiliar, it presents an exciting opportunity for marketers willing to navigate this new terrain. By embracing strategic adaptation and leveraging the platform's immense reach, brands can position themselves for success in the ever-evolving world of e-commerce. This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.

Cinematic trailer-style ads play in theaters where craft IPAs are poured (LOS ANGELES) Feb 14, 2024 – Just in time for Valentine's Day movie dates, New Belgium Brewing Voodoo Ranger is launching Tropic Force IPA with a media campaign targeting beer drinkers across the nation with a cinematic twist. As part of an end-to-end customer experience, movie trailer-style TV spots will run across streaming video, online ticketing sites, and even play in theaters where Voodoo Ranger is served. “Tropic Force is one of our most important innovations of 2024 and we wanted to launch the brand in a unique way”, says Dave Knospe, Senior Director of Brand for Voodoo Ranger. “We wanted to play up the cinematic nature of our new TV spot, so using cinema placements at theaters where drinkers can enjoy Voodoo Ranger beers was a natural fit.” Voodoo Ranger, made by New Belgium Brewing, is the #1 craft beer brand in the US. Tropic Force IPA is the latest addition to its Force line of beers and it features tropical natural flavors and a full-throttle 9.5% ABV. Voodoo Ranger works with Los Angeles-based media agency Exverus Media and Boulder-based creative agency Fact & Fiction. Exverus Media won the New Belgium & Bell’s brewery account in 2023. The Exverus Media team, led by Shelby Dolan, targeted theaters that serve Voodoo Ranger and placed the trailers just before the lights drop for maximum impact. To supplement the theater ads, the team purchased Homepage Takeovers on ticketing websites for the opening weekends of guaranteed hits. “Voodoo Ranger is a vibrant, energetic brand for adventurous, drinking-age adults, so meeting them on the big screen in winter makes total sense”, says Dolan. About Voodoo Ranger IPA Voodoo Ranger, made by New Belgium Brewing, is the fastest-growing and #1 brand in craft beer. Initially launched as three beers in 2017, Voodoo Ranger has released over 20 beers in the past few years including Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA and Juice Force IPA. About Exverus Media Exverus Media is an award-winning, data-driven media agency dedicated to growing modern brands. Our omnichannel strategies 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 dedicates itself to transparency and long-term client trust. Exverus is the 6x-winner of Adweek's Media Plan of the Year Award and 2x Ad Age Small Media Agency of the Year. Media Contact Michelle Andrade michelle.andrade@exverus.com | +1.919.219.3571

(LOS ANGELES) February 7, 2024 -- Exverus Media, Inc. welcomes Lisa Lindsay as the new Media Director on the Premier Nutrition Company accounts, overseeing the media planning and buying team for longtime brand clients Premier Protein and Dymatize. “I’m very excited to work with the smart and forward-thinking team at Exverus, and take on some new strategic challenges at such an innovative and growing agency”, says Lindsay. Lisa brings over 20 years of media planning expertise from several renowned agencies in Southern California. She also taught Digital Marketing courses at Chapman University for two years. Follow her on LinkedIn here. Exverus Media is an award-winning media agency based in Los Angeles, amplifying global, growth-stage brands through retail media, paid social, paid search, and programmatic advertising. Our omnichannel strategies 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 dedicates itself to transparency and long-term client trust. Exverus is the 6x-winner of Adweek's Media Plan of the Year Award and 2x Ad Age Small Media Agency of the Year. Learn more at www.exverus.com. For all press inquiries, contact: Michelle.Andrade@exverus.com

Interactive, shoppable ads provide brands with valuable insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and purchasing patterns. If predictions hold, 2024 will be the year CTV video ad spend in the US breaks $30 Billion, and you can be certain that spend is coming from advertising budgets of all shapes and sizes. Sophisticated advertisers are looking at ways of measuring sales conversions from those CTV investments, not just awareness-related metrics like impressions, reach, and frequency. As with e-commerce and omnichannel marketing, advertisers must bridge the gap between the traditional TV ad model and the point of purchase for the modern shopper. Shoppable CTV ads may be the solution. What is shoppable CTV? Shoppable Connected TV, sometimes referred to as T-Commerce (short for television commerce), is the newest evolution in television advertising, incorporating interactive or transactional features directly into television platforms. In other words, consumers can purchase products directly from a TV ad without ever leaving the couch. What is an example of T-Commerce? The actual functions can vary: It could be as simple as a call-to-action (CTA) with a text message discount code, or a TV ad could display a QR code to scan and checkout via mobile phone; or a voice-activated command to a smart speaker; or even check out right from the TV Are shoppable CTV ads effective? Sources say...yes! In a recent study by LG, 51% of the 1200 CTV users surveyed said they "wish they could shop online using their TV." Many TV watchers today have their phones closer at hand than their TV remotes! This strategy capitalizes upon the increasing trend of consumers turning to digital platforms for both entertainment and shopping (we see you, TikTok Shop). With T-commerce, consumers can seamlessly explore and purchase products with a simple click while watching their favorite shows. This frictionless experience eliminates traditional barriers between content consumption and commerce, providing consumers with a more simple and enjoyable path-to-purchase journey. Technological advancements such as smart TVs, interactive content overlays, and seamless payment gateways, have played a pivotal role in making T-commerce possible, and all the major TV players want a piece of the pie. Disney, NBCUniversal, Samsung, Paramount, and others have already rolled out shoppable ad features to advertisers. Last year, Walmart and Roku launched a shoppable TV ad experience, allowing viewers to purchase products in the Roku app. And Walmart revealed that "57% of Roku streamers have paused an ad to shop the product online," a promising sign for advertisers searching for ways to drive immediate action from their TV ads. Shoppable CTV enables data-driven personalization The rise of Shoppable CTV is reshaping traditional advertising models, offering brands the opportunity to engage with their audience in a more personalized and targeted way. T-Commerce relies on data analytics to provide a personalized and curated shopping experience. As consumers engage with shoppable content, their preferences and behaviors are tracked, allowing for targeted product recommendations. This data-driven personalization benefits consumers by presenting them with relevant offerings and empowers advertisers to optimize their inventory and media strategies going forward. This shift from conventional TV commercials to shoppable content: benefits advertisers in measuring and optimizing campaigns, enhances the viewing experience for consumers, and creates new revenue streams for content creators and streaming platforms A common concern, however, is that with the ease and convenience of shoppable TV comes the responsibility of understanding data sharing and privacy. As consumers engage with shoppable content, they need to be mindful of the information they share and the permissions granted to platforms. With the expansion of CTV ad formats and interactive capabilities, paired with premium streaming video content and audiences hungry to buy, we predict this space will transform in the next three to five years. Our clients who are already testing into this will be ahead of the game. This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.

(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.

As the agency celebrates a decade in business, we look back at how the industry's changed. Get out the cake and candles because, in January 2024, Exverus Media celebrates 10 years in business! 🥳 William Durrant, Talia Arnold, and Jack Win founded Exverus in 2014 with a shared vision for the type of agency they wanted to work for. Fed up and burnt out from a decade each of grinding for ad agencies that put profit before people, the founding Exverians built a new kind of agency: one in which people could have families without hindering their careers, sleep 8 hours a night and take real breaks, see women and people of color in leadership positions, feel good about the deals they’re signing with clients. Named for the Latin phrase "from the truth", Exverus dedicates itself to transparency and long-term client trust. Our omnichannel media plans combine market research data with creative ideas to confidently allocate every ad dollar for the maximum return. Over the last decade, Exverus has served Fortune 500 companies like CLIF bar, Coca-Cola, Post, and MasterClass. Our specialty is sustainable, wellness brands like Premier Protein, Stella & Chewy's, New Belgium & Bell's Brewery. We’ve taken the Clean Creatives Pledge to never work with fossil fuel companies, and we’re proud of what we put into the world. In that time, we've won numerous industry awards, including: 2x Ad Age Small Agency of the Year: Media 2x Ad Age Media Planner of the Year 6x Adweek Media Plan of the Year 3x CANNES Lions Shortlist LA Times' Best Workplaces in SoCal 2023 But the advertising industry has changed dramatically from 2014 to 2024. Here are just a few of the ways things have changed, according to our executives: “While it's true that the more things change the more they stay the same, remote work has been an important change that's opened us up to new talent across the country.” - Bill Durrant, President & Founder “We've only begun to scratch the surface of what AI can do, but it's already made such a huge impact on every aspect of our work. It has revolutionized traditional processes and shifted our approach to all facets of problem-solving, strategy, and even operational efficiency.” - Jack Win, Head of Operations & Cofounder “The evolution of consumer privacy: this has included the introduction of new regulations such as GDPR, the growing global regulatory landscape, and the need for brands and companies to take a proactive stance on privacy all due to the rapid growth of social media, digital transactions, and digital marketing in the last several years.” - Melissa Andraos, SVP of Media Strategy “Targeting consumers based on programmatic audience data vs placing ads in context: there used to be way more emphasis on making a creative connection between ads and the environment across TV, print, and site direct partnerships. Now, more ads are placed in feed vs in context.” Tasha Day, VP of Media Strategy At Exverus Media, we pride ourselves on spearheading industry changes and technological evolutions to provide our clients with the most up-to-date best practices. Congratulations to all of our employees on ten years, and big thanks to everyone who has supported us along the way. Here's to ten more! 🥂

The decentralization of social media networks will require social marketers to adapt. Social media has long been under fire for creating echo chambers that keep users locked into their perspectives, spreading misinformation, and harming teens' mental health. The revolving door of trends, new platform features rolling out every week, and the inundation of advertisements are constant thorns in the craw of every social media user. But what if there was a way to break out of these limitations and create a decentralized, user-controlled social media experience? Enter the fediverse, a new ad tech word sandwich combining "federated" and "universe." What is the meaning of fediverse? What is the purpose of the fediverse? How does the fediverse affect marketers? What is the meaning of fediverse? The fediverse will be a large, decentralized social network that aims to re-connect and re-imagine what we know as social media. Instead of having a different user account for each centralized network (i.e., Instagram or TikTok), the Fediverse will allow you to have one user account for many interconnected platforms and communities. Mastodon, Bluesky, and Threads have already agreed to join and allow their users to communicate across platforms. Whether or not the fediverse actually comes into being depends upon other major platforms joining, too. What is the purpose of the fediverse? Decentralizing social media is all about ownership and control. When you use centralized social media platforms, you give up your data, content, and personal information to a corporation that commodifies it. For advertisers, that's a goldmine. But for users, it can lead to privacy breaches and data misuse. And it can be a barrier to sign-up and engagement. It's the reason Jack Dorsey started Bluesky. Even Mark Zuckerberg understands that users want more control over their data, recently stating, “Not everyone wants to use one product...and I think making it so that they can use an alternative but can still interact with people on the network will make [the] product more valuable.” How does the fediverse affect marketers? It's not all bad news for social media advertisers and brand marketers. As more and more people turn to the Fediverse for a more user-controlled social media experience, advertisers will have to adapt and find new ways to reach their target audience. This could mean creating sponsored content that is more relevant and less intrusive than traditional ads or collaborating with influencers through the fediverse. For inspiration, look at Reddit or Quora to understand how to craft natural, branded responses to questions being asked by users. This can position your company as a source that adds and builds upon the discourse on the network rather than an impediment. Perhaps if users are served ads on a platform they actually trust, they'll be more responsive. Ultimately, the goal of the fediverse is to create a more open internet, one where users have control over their data and content, and communities can thrive without fear of censorship or algorithms that prioritize profit over user experience. To learn more about the impact of the fediverse on the advertising industry, check out these excellent explainers by Ad Age and Digiday. This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.