How Revenue Science is different and BT campaign recommendations
Park: How does Revenue Science's network differ from other behavioral targeting networks?
Hirsch: We are creating an open network environment and, through combining the domain expertise Revenue Science has in behavioral technology with the network domain expertise our expanding management team brings to the table, we will deliver higher levels of value for all parties from advertisers, to behavior providers, to publishers. With an open environment, we will play the role of facilitator and will perform in the field by providing true market value.
Park: When should advertisers consider a network BT campaign rather than a publisher-only BT campaign?
Hirsch: That's a great question and I think that one of the key components in our strategy is that this is usually NOT an "or" question, but an "and" question. How can an advertiser benefit from utilizing BOTH a publisher-only BT campaign and a higher reach network BT campaign? Through the development of best practices, we are beginning to communicate this value proposition to the marketplace. I think that this is where you will see Revenue Science clearly differentiate itself in the marketplace-- we can provide and/or facilitate the best of both. This is consistent with our commitment to our publisher-side business and consistent with providing a greater breadth of opportunities to our expanding publisher base and to our advertiser clients.
Park: There has been controversy recently over BT and privacy. What is your take on this?
Hirsch: As with all of our behavioral targeting, data is tracked and stored in one of our proprietary data centers for 90 days. We comply with the security certifications of the NAI and eTrust and we also have a security task force in place. To prevent information from being paired with personally identifiable information, Revenue Science adds a layer of abstraction by using an Revenue Science identifier in third party cookies.
Park: Given your earlier experiences, what other technologies and best practices should advertisers layer on top of BT in order to maximize ROI?
Hirsch: The number one thing that advertisers need to pay attention to is metrics. It is amazing how many advertisers in this space expect a magic wand around response. Advertisers need to work with their trusted partners to research and measure ROI performance. This is a joint effort. BT is a targeting method, and even if it is the most powerful, it is not the only tool to utilize. Careful attention to reach and frequency, lifetime value of customers, etc. are all important factors to take into consideration when planning your campaign and maximizing ROI.
Park: BT done in a vacuum is good, but what's the ideal combo platter of technology and creative?
Hirsch: The appropriate use of BT is to leverage what behavior you know about a user and marry that with the right message to that user. Obviously, it is difficult to do a one-to-one message and creative to a specific user, so the key is to find groupings of consumer behaviors that you can tailor your message and create to WITH scale.
Park: Where do you see behavioral targeting headed in 2007?
Hirsch: I see behavioral targeting being a key component in most online advertising campaigns in 2007 and beyond. That's not to say that behavioral is the only targeting strategy, however it is clearly an advantage for an advertiser to truly reach an individual who has expressed an affinity for their product and/or service through their actions. This type of recognizing and relating to consumers is what the Internet has been about since advertising started playing a role online. I believe that we will see BT involved in the successful campaigns and, through coordinating the capabilities of BT across other targeting and optimization strategies, we will see highly leveraged results. BT will be a key component in driving ad spending from more mass media to the one-to-one opportunities available on the web.
Roger Park is news editor at iMedia. Read full bio.