Celtra announced a $15 million investment led by WPP and Unilever Ventures this week. WPP and Unilever have positioned themselves to use Celtra’s creative technology throughout Unilever’s global marketing group, as well as extending Celtra’s expertise to Unilever’s service providers, technology vendors and media suppliers.
Unilever brands now have access to Celtra’s cloud-based Creative Management Platform, which aims to jumpstart a creative transformation in the digital advertising landscape.
"Creative is the conduit for the marketer's message," said Mihael Mikek, founder and CEO of Celtra.
"Creative is an increasingly complex challenge for large advertisers and one that is constantly changing due to rapid evolution of media consumption,” said Keith Weed, chief marketing officer at Unilever. “People deserve advertising that feels native to each medium and delivers emotional value." Celtra, said Weed, will play a central role in providing these capabilities on a global scale.
Unilever has been an early adopter of creative-driven digital
advertising strategies. Ensuring that any creative served is appropriate for the medium and platform is singularly important at a time when consumers are constantly changing devices throughout the
day.
Studies have shown that vertical video is perfectly suited for
mobile devices. Ensuring the creatives are device and platform appropriate can enhance ROI and provide upward pressure on engagement.
"We believe the market is due for a creative management solution that can deliver real-time data driven creative at scale and tailored for every individual, across media channels,” stated Sir Martin Sorrell, Chief Executive Officer at WPP. “This investment is in line with WPP's commitment to technology, data and content, which, along with horizontality, new markets and new media, comprise the Group's four strategic priorities."