Bull’s-eye: Targeting Audience Value

Behavioral targeting has made its case with most marketers. The technology and the rationale have earned a place at the table. Now what? We’re all chasing “audiences, not just pages” now, just as the inventors of behavioral tracking technologies envisioned. Almost a third of marketers have used BT in their campaigns a recent Forbes survey finds, and the latest SEMPO poll of search marketers shows more interest in behavioral targeting even than in demographic targeting. But now that BT is part of the marketing mix it is also part of the increasingly complex technology mix. Google came out this year with a BT product. Most ad networks, ad exchanges, CMS systems, and email services offer a behavioral layer as part of a lengthy menu of targeting and audience aggregation options. The approach has to show its value in locating and extracting the most value from digital audiences. It also needs to contend with growing concerns over who owns the data around those audiences and who is responsible for protecting the user and her data.

As we bring OMMA Behavioral to the heart of America’s silicon belt we explore the value that behavioral technologies are bringing to this new marketing focus on audience. For years, BT promised higher CPMs for publishers by monetizing them outside of premium inventory. Where and how are they finding that value? At the same time, for a few pennies more, these targeting approaches claimed to bring more efficiency and rationality to media buying by leveraging an audience’s state of mind rather than its composition. But are marketers really making the most of this opportunity even in a down market? Social media, where users are famously oblivious to ads, may be the ultimate test for targeting audiences rather than environments. Is it helping to crack that code?

OMMA Behavioral takes a unique look at how the behavioral layer is now a part of an increasingly complex marketing and technology “stack” of targeting tactics. What have we learned about its best place in the mix and the special value it brings to finding and understanding targets, not pages.

Testimonials

“I just wanted to let MediaPost and the OMMA team know how productive I found the OMMA Behavioral program to be.  Really thought provoking, and WHAT A TURNOUT!!!  Congrats on a very successful event – I look forward to the next one!”

Richard Vogt
Vice President
Ipsos Mendelsohn
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"In an industry jam packed full of events, the level of attendance and quality of presentations at the OMMA Behavioral events have remained very high.  We find tremendous value in being part of a group that brings together the leading companies in the behavioral targeting space to participate in an open dialogue about the state of the industry, as well as the challenges and opportunities we are faced with. Thank you to MediaPost for continuing to host such events.
Jeffrey K. Hirsch
President & CEO
AudienceScience

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"The OMMA Behavioral Marketing Conference delivered quality content on a timely subject. The speakers were opinionated and well-informed. We look forward to discussing the evolution of BT at future events."
Brian Lesser
Director of Product Marketing
24/7 Real Media
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“Your one day event was filled with excellent guest speakers who provided valuable information and opinions within an enjoyable environment which allowed for unlimited professional networking. Congratulations to your entire staff.”
Gerry Goldberg
Partner
Travel Amaura Corp.
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“An excellent job on this conference. Steve Smith was right on target and I applaud all the content planning and hard work that went into the forum. Please continue to do this show. It is well worth the effort!”
Kristina Joukhadar
Managing Editor
Circulation Management magazine
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“This event was proof (if any needed) that Behavioral Targeting has moved into the mainstream. An insightful and informative conference that covered all the bases.”
David McMurtrie
Optimization Sales Director International
Google
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“I always find the events that MediaPost puts on to be relevant and a great place to meet new people.”
Ephraim Diament
Director of Sales & Marketing
MoPhap
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“The forum was a brilliant overview of what is working and what is still problematic in BT. Passionate and engaged experts both on the platform and on the floor. And a nice lunch (thanks to Zachary Britton, and the Front Porch folks). Lots of people stayed for the afternoon sessions - a nice compliment.”
Michael Pollock
President
Pollock Spark, Founder of The Cyrano Project