The rich-media ad unit recommends recipes based on the user's preferences as part of a master brand campaign. The Problem: Decision Fatigue For many families, deciding what to make for dinner is an ongoing battle. We’re rushed and distracted, and everywhere we look, we’re presented with alternatives to home-cooked food. Fast-casual restaurants, expensive takeout, and boxed meal kits are ready to step in and provide a quick dinner-time fix. But putting food on a plate—no matter how delicious—isn’t the same thing as putting love on the table. Most quick fixes fill us up but don’t help us feel connected to the people around us. What takes a meal to the next level is the “you” you put into it. Our Solution: AI Chatbot Recommendations That’s why John Soules Foods (JSF) partnered with Exverus Media to launch a master brand campaign in 2023 called Soules Satisfying that exudes the confidence you’ll feel as you strut to the table with the perfect meal for your family. By far, the most technologically advanced and exciting part of the campaign was the AI Chatbot Recipe Picker. Our aim was to help families experience the joy of a great meal regardless of their time, ability, or inclination to cook on any given day. So with ad tech help from PadSquad, we built an AI Chatbot that asks a series of questions about your preferences (Beef or chicken? Healthy or indulgent? How much cook time? etc.) and generates a personalized list of recipe options using JSF's products. The recipe recommender showcases the convenience of JSF products and how they can help a busy family put a delicious and satisfying meal on the table in minutes. Try the demo here (it's fun!) As brands and agencies race to develop the biggest and fanciest use cases of AI possible, we zeroed in on a solution to the most pressing, daily question on all of our minds: what to make for dinner tonight. The campaign was featured in Digiday here. For more campaign inspiration, 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. What 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.

It's not just backpacks and paper; any CPG brand can tap into back-to-school spending. It's almost time for the kids to head BTS (back to school)! *Hold for applause* Beyond being the "most wonderful time of the year" for parents (remember that commercial?), it presents an incredible opportunity for a pre-holiday revenue bump for brands. In 2022, BTS shoppers shelled out $34.4 billion...more than pre-pandemic numbers! But how do you craft a marketing strategy that converts? Historically, most BTS shopping has taken place in brick-and-mortar stores. But in 2023, online shopping reigns supreme, so an omnichannel approach is imperative. Here are a few tips for leveraging digital tactics to give your BTS marketing an A+: 1. Tailor Your Message to Parents 2. Look Beyond Discounts 3. Don't Forget About the Kids 4. Leverage Data & Retail Sites 5. Start Early and Keep Going Tailor Your Message to Parents' Needs Put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Consider parents' challenges and concerns when sending their kids back to school. Tailor your message to meet their needs and create engaging content that builds excitement for the upcoming school year. After all, kids aren't the only ones with new schedules in the fall! Parents and caregivers adjust their weekday routines, too, so your messaging should reflect this. New solutions to save time or energy will surely be appreciated. For food and beverage brands, parents need on-the-go convenience for chaotic breakfasts, packable lunches, dinner between practices, and snacks. Brands that offer prepared or pre-cooked meals, ingredients that speed up or simplify the feeding process can capitalize on parents' needs through their messaging. Back to School Values > Discounts Though everyone is trying to save money amid inflation, offering discounts alone won't set your brand apart. The strong sales reports coming out of this year's Prime Day indicate that people are willing to spend right now! Instead, focus on a specific value that's important to your ideal buyers. For example, clothing brands could highlight their commitment to sustainable fashion or ethically-sourced materials. Or a food brand could boast "allergy-free" or "nontoxic", something important for most children. Highlight something unique that your competitors don't have. Don't Forget About the Kids! Over half of millennial parents say their kids influence their back-to-school purchases (relatable content right there). While much of your content should center on explaining to parents why your product should be their go-to, don't forget about co-viewing media opportunities like Connected TV and YouTube, so the kids know it, too. A mix of channels that speak to both parents and children will go a long way toward your success. Leverage Data & Retail Media CPG brands should focus their marketing budgets on retail media networks like Amazon, Walmart, and Target with sponsored search marketing. Adding back-to-school-related keywords to your search mix can boost visibility and drive sales. For example, 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. Start Early and Keep Going The back-to-school is a quick flash in the pan. Many consumers decide on purchases weeks before school actually starts, so don't wait too long to launch your campaigns. But don't cut it short, either! Different states start school in different months. And some families wait to get teacher supply lists or class schedules to buy supplies, so last-minute deals are a key component of the season. Stay active through September! Let us know in the comments how your brand or agency aces back-to-school season. 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.

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.

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.

The short-form video app is the epicenter of entertainment for the young-adult audience. How do you unwind after a long day of work? Do you curl up on the couch with a relaxing libation while streaming your favorite series on the flatscreen TV? Or, do you sit and scroll the For You Page (FYP) to catch up with your beloved content creators? If you're under 30, it's mostly the latter. Newly released data from Variety's "Demographic Divide" and GetWizer shows 31% of folks under 30 choose TikTok as the most entertaining media brand. That's 18% more than YouTube and 14% more than Netflix. And 30% more than the nearest traditional television network (ESPN). If you're a marketer or media buyer, you might way overspending on TV and way underspending on TikTok. A social media platform known for user-generated memes, dance routines, and quick bursts of information is outpacing media giants like Disney, NBC, and Fox by more than 30% with the next generations of buyers. And If we dig a little deeper, we can see that 92% of respondents choose digital platforms as their leading choice for entertainment. There's a clear disconnect between traditional media and young people, marking a powerful shift in entertainment. Perhaps this isn't so surprising. After all, scan any coffee shop, cafeteria, or airport terminal and you'll see countless thumbs swiping up on screens, creating a futuristic rhythm of media consumption. Yet, this study marks the first time YouTube, Netflix, and other CTV services aren't at the apex of entertainment. It seems like it's the next evolutionary stage in patterns we've been seeing in other age groups for years. There's more emphasis on non-traditional media than ever before. It's a seismic shift for brands looking to reach their audience and confirms what we already knew: new distribution formats are critical for brands and advertising. To avoid drifting into obscurity or becoming the next addition to "things only 2010s kids remember," brands need to embrace the emerging digital age -- and they need to do it now. With the current Writer's and Actor's Guild strikes, the future of traditional media - and certainly Hollywood - seems incredibly murky. What's more surprising, though, is that the next generation might not even notice it. 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.

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.

With Amazon Prime Day right around the corner, businesses (and shoppers) are busy prepping for the retail giant's crazy deals. Here's how brands can make the most of it. Amazon Prime Day: A National Holiday for Retailers Amazon is set to become the largest retailer in the US in 2024, and Prime Day (July 11-12, 2023) should be a major annual focus for brands. And with a projected 300 million Prime users by the end of the year, the retailer's yearly event will only get bigger. This year's event has already seen some new changes, such as adding "Invite-only" deals, where buyers need to request access before they can participate. There's a lot of buzz and excitement around Prime Day ($100 4K TV, anyone?), and it can be a marvelous revenue driver for businesses, offering a pre-holiday boost. But, while Prime Day is a great time for businesses to grab the spotlight and drive sales, there are some potential pitfalls to avoid. To ensure your business shines bright on Prime Day, here are four things your brand should look out for when planning your offers: 1. No Backup Plan In an ideal world, everything will run smoothly on Prime Day. All of your promos, ads, codes, and tracking analytics will go off without a hitch. But even Amazon's technology isn't impervious to glitches along the way. That's why it's crucial to have a backup plan in place and, if needed, quickly switch to it to prevent any losses. To get ahead of issues, have your team "walk the store" throughout Prime Day to spot any weak links. For example, back in 2022, a Black Friday technical outage resulted in inaccurate sales and advertising spending data. This resulted in some businesses overspending in certain areas and underperforming in others. Consider creating bulk sheets, so your team can quickly adjust promotions and pricing if needed or have a separate budget set aside for unexpected needs. 2. Not Having Enough Inventory Nothing is more disappointing (or damaging to Prime Day sales) than seeing a desired product only to find out it's not in stock. Ensure your inventory and supply chain can keep up with the influx of orders with Prime Day. The earlier, the better, too. If possible, start stocking up on inventory for Prime Day well in advance. Some retailers start increasing their stock for flagship items in March, leveraging Amazon Fulfillment Centers and other third-party logistics services. With the sheer number of shoppers expected on the day, you don't want to miss out on potential sales. 3. Not Promoting Products Strategically For any ad campaign, timing is everything. And this is especially true for frantic shopping days like Prime Day. We've heard many stories about incredible deals and campaigns falling flat due to poor time schedule planning, wasting precious dollars. To ensure your promotions and campaigns reach the right audience at the right time (without breaking the bank), carefully plan your campaigns with automated rules and ads targeting shoppers likely to be interested in your products. 4. Not Offering Insane Deals This one sounds obvious, but it's worth repeating: Prime Day deals should be amazing. Not just OK, not just average - really great deals no one can resist. Make sure your Prime Day offers are attractive enough to draw in those bargain-savvy shoppers who know how to get the most bang for their buck. No matter what you come up with, just make sure it's really worth it for customers -- otherwise, there's no point in even trying. It's a stressful endeavor for sure, but with Prime Day, you have the potential to increase your sales by 300%. That's worth the extra effort. 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.

Bittersweet News for Marketers Prime Video will soon roll out an ad-supported tier of its streaming service, according to the Wall Street Journal. This means a whole new set of ad inventory will be available to brands looking to reach over 100 million Prime Video subscribers on their living room couches. Unlock a massive audience Prime Video follows Netflix and Peacock in its introduction of ad-supported subscriptions — what distinguishes it, though, is that content isn’t Amazon’s only stream of revenue. It’s more like Disney, which has other, more lucrative income streams but is trying to bolster its streaming service. Amazon Prime had already begun adding some of its Prime Video content like A League of Their Own over to Freevee, its free ad-supported streaming (FAST) service. With this addition, Amazon is reinforcing its immunity to the deprecation of third-party data, between its booming retail media network, paid search ads, and now CTV. The Downside of Amazon Prime Video Ads Amazon is known as a walled garden, meaning the company keeps all of its first-party data within the Amazon Ads ecosystem, rather than sharing it with advertisers. Brands will enjoy the reach and scale of Prime Video, but not the granular, backend analytics. It’s unclear exactly when the new ad inventory will become available, but CEO Andy Jassy is reportedly eager to get things moving. What's next for brands? It remains undecided how the ad-supported tier will fit into the existing Prime membership structure – Prime members currently enjoy streaming video as part of the $15/month subscription, while anyone can purchase the streamer a la carte for $9/month. Maybe Amazon will serve Prime members more ads than usual and offer an ad-free upgrade? We’ll see. Brands that market to sports fans should be particularly excited, as Prime Video recently acquired the exclusive rights to stream NFL Thursday night football and is reportedly negotiating live NBA coverage. Food and beverage brands should also tap into this audience of couch snackers watching movies and TV on Prime Video. Consumers have responded with mixed reactions on social media, many saying the content on Prime Video isn’t worth another expense, but the programmatic marketing experts at Exverus will be keeping a sharp eye on its performance. This originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, & analysis, subscribe for free here.

For brands looking to take customer interactions to the next level, we're in a new era in conversational AI. If you've ever been on the receiving end of a wrong reply or misinterpreted AI command, you'll know it can make you question the validity of everything the bot has to say. ChatGPT is looking to bridge the gap between AI and direct customer engagement with its new plug-in architecture. How do brand plug-ins work? Companies like Instacart, Kayak, and Klarna are already using ChatGPT’s plug-ins to seamlessly integrate their platforms with users. With the Kayak plug-in enabled, a potential customer headed on a trip can ask ChatGPT open-ended questions like, "How much would it cost to travel to Bali in September?" and the system will relay Kayak's data. Or if a person is tasked with preparing a celebratory meal for their partner, they can ask ChatGPT, "What's the best meal to cook for my wife's birthday?" and receive recipe ideas with an ingredient list to turn into an Instacart order. In addition to driving more revenue for brands, plug-ins solve one of the most significant issues of AI-powered platforms: accuracy. With full knowledge of a brand's data in tow, ChatGPT will be able to effortlessly answer any question a potential customer may have. How should brands prepare? For starters, brainstorm ways to integrate your brand's digital experience with ChatGPT's plugin architecture. How can you provide personalized, contextual journeys for your customers within a conversational framework? Another way of thinking about it might be: what information do I wish I could more easily convey on my website without needing to rebuild or redesign my site? What would make the digital experience more user-friendly and dynamic? Next, examine how the early adopters are leveraging AI. Take note of the nuances that make their integrations successful and start mapping out ways to optimize your customers' experiences with your own plugin. But look before you leap. The first-to-market plugins are revealing issues with UI/UX on apps and websites. If you are pushing buyers to make a purchase - á la Instacart - ChatGPT can't process the purchase, it will redirect back to the brand's e-commerce platform. Lastly, there are security concerns. With plugins, ChatGPT can now interact with live websites, PDFs, and real-time information which has opened a whole new world of possibility and risk. Security researchers are warning ChatGPT users of "prompt injections," which essentially means that third parties can "hack" the AI responses by adding commands to content that would change the information the user receives without his knowledge. Is all of this terrifying, or terrifyingly exciting? It's surely a bit of both. Staying close to this topic is critical for understanding and preparing for the next chapter of how consumers will behave and businesses will operate. This originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, & analysis, subscribe for free here.

How often do you shop at the same stores? Do you choose one brand over another for its loyalty rewards program? Whether it's a grocery store, a favorite clothing brand, or a trendy cosmetics line, many customers are accustomed to loyalty rewards programs as part of their shopping experience. However, the future of these loyalty rewards programs is uncertain. Loyalty programs go both ways The data supports leaning in, as a 2022 McKinsey study showed that free loyalty program members spend 30% more with a brand after joining - and that number jumps to 60% for paid loyalty programs. Perhaps the problem isn't with loyalty rewards but with the offers themselves. Simply offering points or discounts may not be enough. A purely transactional "points for purchase" relationship trains customers for deal-seeking behavior rather than inspiring true brand loyalty. Loyalty rewards programs must evolve to remain relevant in today's ever-changing landscape - or else risk being left behind. And that's something no business can afford. So, do loyalty rewards have a place in an uncertain economic landscape, especially as costs are rising for both customer and supplier? The verdict We say yes, but let's rethink loyalty. Let's recognize that modern consumers often choose products based on a narrative around what a product stands for and what it signals about the people who own it. Brands that earn our love and devotion are the ones who create meaningful and symbolic expressions of identity that reinforce a buyer's sensibilities or aspirations. While doubling down on loyalty programs might not be right for everyone, it's a viable play in a competitive market. But take a step back and consider the bigger picture. What possibilities, beyond cash back or points, could your brand offer customers to spark action and nurture long-term relationships? 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.

Pinterest is one of the first places we look for fashion ideas, new recipes, design trends, or ways to decorate for a kid's birthday party. But beyond flipping through boards for inspo, how viable is it for brands looking to move the needle? Pinterest Ads is a thing? Up until recently, the answer has been: "Yes, kind of..." Pinterest’s ARPU (average revenue per user) stands at only $1.96 versus Meta's $10.86, and advertising spending from brands has trailed the other social nets. With 463 million monthly active users globally, and 87 million U.S., it feels like Pinterest is struggling to capture its share of ad revenue. However, everything could change with a new strategy. Pinterest has been hard at work over the last quarter, crafting a compelling "challenger" position to take on the likes of TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook -- and they're not holding back. Pinterest CEO Bill Ready has called out social media as "the new big tobacco," accusing their (faster growing) competitors of utilizing AI in a destructive way, leaving the world "more distracted, more depressed, and more divided." It's an interesting approach, given Pinterest is a social platform itself, but it speaks to the company's dedication to creating a different kind of experience from its rivals -- one that is built around self-expression and discovery. A new attitude In a campaign last year, Pinterest championed the concept "Don't Don't Yourself" to encourage people to break out of their existing habits and routines. This shift to positivity and optimism presents an excellent opportunity for brands looking to associate themselves with inspiration. Social Commerce The second strategic move Pinterest is taking is leaning heavily into social commerce. The platform wants to make every pin—including video—shoppable for the consumer. Pinterest also hopes to deepen engagement through more personalized content and product recommendations and launched a feature in Q4 that automatically increases ad load when a user demonstrates purchase intent, allowing Pinterest to serve more relevant ads at key points in the customer journey. Data Privacy And finally, Pinterest announced a partnership with LiveRamp to deploy data clean rooms, which will allow marketers to safely use first-party data for targeted ads without needing to re-share that information with the social platform. This is huge, especially in light of Meta's massive data privacy fine and more data privacy restrictions still to come. As advertisers, we find Pinterest's new position in the market very compelling. It's tough to tell if these initiatives will be powerful enough to elevate Pinterest to the upper echelon of social. But for now, it should be a sign to brands to explore new marketing options and consider Pinterest a real contender. 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.