Dentsu is launching a new Contextual Intelligence tool across its U.S. media agencies. Contextual targeting has gained relevance as Apple and Google take moves to limit web monitoring.
Contextual Intelligence uses unique algorithms to link brand targets with content across Carat, Dentsu X, and iProspect.
Five clients have already utilized the tool. Dentsu reports that the return on investment for one company, the luxury jewelry store Pandora, was 24 times larger than any other Valentine's Day test advertising technique. Katie Nevin, Pandora's paid social and programmatic coordinator, referred to Contextual Intelligence as "a competitive advantage as we strive to earn increasingly limited attention in the market."
Akash Jairath, chief product officer of Dentsu Media, U.S., said, "The tool starts by assigning content labels to URLs based on users inputting keywords, phrases and other URLs they've identified as relevant to their customers. The Competitive Intelligence tool fine-tunes those targets and pushes a list target URLs to demand-side platforms for programmatic buys."
Akash Jairath, chief product officer of Dentsu Media, U.S., said, "The tool starts by assigning content labels to URLs based on users inputting keywords, phrases and other URLs they've identified as relevant to their customers. The Competitive Intelligence tool fine-tunes those targets and pushes a list target URLs to demand-side platforms for programmatic buys."
Jairath further stated, "Given the impending loss of cookies in Chrome and restrictions on targeting in the Apple ecosystem, contextual targeting is definitely getting more interest from clients."
Much of this sophistication and data science is contextual, so it has become a more precise instrument than a crude one. Yet another advantage of contextual targeting is when it misses the mark, maybe not reaching a known client or past website visitor, but instead reaching those with similar interests who may become new customers for a company.
Akash Jairath, chief product officer of Dentsu Media, U.S., said, "It started out with people thinking of it as waste, but it's really a halo effect. That's thought to work well for branding, but even from a performance standpoint, it certainly has a halo effect."