Google nixes open-door policy for advertising data
As Facebook released its ad platform Atlas, Google is limiting the access that marketers have to its advertising data. Specifically, the search giant is prohibiting certain companies from embedding pixels into ads, which previously helped marketers see the number of times a specific user viewed a message. "One of the potential impacts is that marketers won't be able to effectively track campaigns that run across the Web from Google to AOL to Yahoo — they might not be able to connect the dots and efficiently allocate marketing dollars," Garett Sloane writes on AdWeek. The data that Google provides or withholds from companies could change the way that marketers operate and rely on data.
Read more at AdWeek
4 rules to avoid personalization disasters
Personalization is the name of the game for many marketers, but to avoid sending a tailored message that isn't relevant to a customer, marketers should follow these four rules, notes Sonpreet Bhatia, co-founder and chief technology office of MobileROI:
Read more at Entrepreneur
Data fuels marketing programs
In addition to having amazing communication chops, marketers must have an appetite and understanding for data. Yet many marketers struggle with this because the analytics strategy focuses on customer insights instead of data, or the executives haven't adopted an analytics mindset, says Raj Venkatesan, an analytics professor at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. For Venkatesan, analytics is the engine that powers marketing efforts. To put customers first, marketers must tap into the insights that data provides and make data analysis an integral part of marketing operations.
Read more at Forbes
Automotive industry revs up digital marketing efforts
Digital marketing is regularly top of mind for retail and travel brands, but as of late, automotive companies are realizing the importance of reaching customers on digital channels. eMarketer estimates that the auto industry will be the second biggest spender on digital advertising in 2015, right behind retail. When customers buy expensive items like cars, online research is part of the purchase process, and therefore marketers have a huge opportunity to message customers on mobile and other digital screens.
Read more at Marketing Land
Mobile to create a digital marketing revolution
Mobile marketing is taking off at lightning speed, and while marketers are embracing its opportunity now, that hasn't always been the case. Initially, marketers thought mobile was going to draw attention and sales away from the brick-and-mortar store. After getting past the beginning fear, brands are using mobile to provide a better customer experience from outside the store to the minute customers step through the door to post-purchase. As Josh Marti, co-founder and CEO of Point Inside, says, "We’re only at the beginning of what’s possible in-store, and are on the brink of a retail smartphone revolution."
Read more at Forbes