The cookie crunch is definitely on everyone’s radar – from advertiser to publisher. All parties are evaluating how to circumvent the lack of third-party cookies, what the impact will be, and what it means to their business. These challenges have allowed The Globe and Mail to become stronger by refining its programmatic offering and building a platform that drives multiple solutions.
Because reaching an audience is only part of the equation, The Globe invested in its own customer data platform to help model all components of its audience info in a way that’s accessible within its DMP.
Brian Batenburg, head of programmatic sales for The Globe and Mail, explains that to enable more effective planning, “we incorporated our data strategy within our programmatic solution so that our partners can take advantage of our unique first-party audience.”
The insights are modelled using data that can’t be found elsewhere, based on the largest digital newspaper subscription platform in Canada, incorporating declared and behavioural data built from subscribers, registered readers, and traffic across all Globe owned and operated platforms.
Having the data strategy overlay means campaigns are designed and optimized based on reader consumption, interests, engagement and activations.
While the ability to target contextually is critical to achieving business results, since efficiency and the environment ads appear in are also of increased brand importance, in partnership with IAS, The Globe developed a campaign-building toolkit to address advertiser’s unique needs, whether that’s specific to an optimization plan or to address brand safety.
Batenburg says the enhanced programmatic offering is sparking a continued shift from auction-based buying to guaranteed placements. “It’s allowing our advertisers to take advantage of the full value of our complete inventory set,” says Batenburg. “This first-look practise is driving business results for our partners and we’re able to further develop our offerings through premium programmatic engagement.”
An expanded roster of ad formats – from large format display to video ads – also offer more flexibility and customization.
To extend campaign reach, advertisers are also taking advantage of the growing Globe Alliance – a network of the world’s best news, business and lifestyle titles represented by The Globe in Canada. The Alliance includes The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Fast Company and INC, and The Guardian.
The network delivers strong contextual targeting at scale, and campaigns are targeted and optimized using advanced algorithms – all done in a transparent model so advertisers know exactly where ads are running.
Batenburg says the interest-based audience segmentation adds to, or compliments, what’s available in the marketplace. “When it comes to niche segments like Advisors, Small Business, and Decision Makers, our Alliance partners help deliver scale. And we humanize our insights with our Globe Insiders Panel, where we get feedback from our readers directly about our products, advertisements and their engagement.”
The Globe’s expanded programmatic platform has led to deeper conversations with advertiser and agency partners. The need to align and deliver on KPIs is critical, so programs are being designed to address specific targets and aspects of measurement, spanning engagement to acquisition goals. “These are the conversations our programmatic team are excited to engage in,” says Batenburg.
“We can deliver on KPIs at all levels of the funnel – brand, engagement, and acquisition. If it’s an awareness play, we can tweak the viewability, scale and frequency to optimize within our audience. Not all campaigns should be designed the same; the more insight we have will drive better results.”
**Please note this piece is branded content. It was produced by Globe Media Group, which is the advertising arm of The Globe and Mail, Canada’s top national news publisher. It offers an expanded portfolio of products and services, built on the same values and integrity of The Globe and Mail and designed for a modern 360° marketing experience. Learn more about the Globe Media Group at globemediagroup.ca.**
