What is the ideal approach of data-driven digital campaigns?

In the realm of modern marketing, effective targeting and personalized messaging for specific audience segments have taken precedence over mass marketing. The focus has shifted towards striking a balance between salience and differentiation in brand building, as well as understanding the significance of long-term brand building in advertising.?

?Salience and differentiation are two marketing concepts that are often seen as mutually exclusive, but the optimal approach lies in combining both. This balanced approach, known as "Bothism," emphasizes the importance of brand salience and distinctive brand assets to create strong brands. Marketers are encouraged to adopt a strategy that incorporates both salience and differentiation for effective marketing outcomes.?

?The significance of long-term brand building is highlighted in the discussion surrounding the 10th anniversary of the book "The Long and the Short of It" by Peter Field and Les Binet. The book explores the delicate equilibrium between long-term brand building and short-term sales activation in advertising. It reveals that while sales-driven ads have limited long-term effects, brand advertising can deliver both short and long-term results.?

?Marketers are urged to discern the difference between long and short-term approaches in their campaigns. Both strategies are essential for commercial success and should be appropriately balanced. However, the rise of digital media and the focus on return on investment (ROI) has resulted in a bias towards short-term thinking in marketing. This shift has led to a decline in long-term brand-building efforts, which require more time and advanced statistical skills.?

?The optimal balance between long and short-term investment is suggested to be around 60% for brand building and 40% for short-term activations, though this ratio may vary based on factors such as brand size, maturity, and category. Additionally, the concept of "double-duty" ads, which aim to fulfill both long and short-term objectives within a single ad, is introduced. While these ads can achieve some success, it is statistically more effective to separate long and short-term objectives and employ different ads to accomplish them.?

?Recent research emphasizes the asymmetry of long and short-term effects, revealing that ads focused on short-term activation generally do not contribute to long-term brand building. Conversely, ads prioritizing long-term brand building often have a significant short-term sales impact as well. Thus, it is essential for marketers to continue investing in short-term sales activation while not neglecting the long-term brand building, as it delivers both short and long-term benefits that should not be underestimated.??

?The Wavemaker Precision division has set its flag to support its clients in data-driven optimization of their short-term activities while keeping long-term brand strategy in mind.?