The internet completely changed advertising, but how did we get people to embrace it?
The history of modern advertising
Internet advertising (read: digital advertising) is now considered the "norm" amongst marketers, but that wasn't always the case. At some point there was a shift from traditional advertising to digital advertising, but how did it happen?
In 1993, the 1st clickable ad was introduced by the Global Network Navigator (GNN). These ads are now known as banner ads and are extremely common, but this was revolutionary for marketers in the early 90's. So revolutionary that AOL acquired GNN just a few years later.
Fast forward to 1996 and there was another major milestone for banner ads. DoubleClick created a way to track banner ads that gave insight into consumer behavior and return on investment (ROI). This provided advertisers with the ability to customize campaigns depending on their performance.
By the mid 2000s, internet advertising was a clear winner and in 2007 Google acquired DoubleClick. The acquisition gave Google access to DoubleClick's software, customers, and network.
Today, most of Google's revenue comes from advertising. But here's the big question, how did they encourage a new way of thinking and drive adoption by brands and advertisers? The short answer is that they demonstrated value, ease of use, and long-term impact for brands and advertisers.
So how can we use this lesson to encourage your clients' adoption of programmatic media solutions? Here are a few ways you can simplify the adoption of programmatic radio:
Break things down
Change can be intimidating, especially when it comes to technology in what was previously an almost tech-free environment. Breaking things down in a way that is easy to digest, relatable, and demonstrates value will encourage prospects to keep an open mind.
Show don't tell
We appreciate how well you market programmatic radio for us, but we want to emphasize the importance of sharing the benefits early on in your pitch to clients. Show them how programmatic buying can help. Demonstrate increases in things like reach and ROI, show them the data and analytics that programmatic solutions provide, or walk them through a case study.
Build a programmatic strategy
Your clients might not understand the impact that programmatic tech has on a media campaign, but if you build a marketing strategy that includes things like automatic event triggers (i.e. weather or sports) and highly targeted audiences (i.e. Organic Moms or Auto Intenders) you will spark their interest.
These are a few simple ways to encourage new advertising strategies without overwhelming your clients. Keep in mind that the first digital marketers faced similar road blocks early on, but today nobody bats an eye when they hear about banner ads and click through rates. Advances in technology will allow your campaigns to reach more people than ever, but the first step is adoption.
To learn more about programmatic radio, check out our Marketer's Guide to Programmatic Radio.
