Do: Ask about dayparting
Not all budgets are created equally, but a smaller budget doesn't mean that a homepage takeover has to be out of the question. According to Kyle Johnson, product manager at Compete, advertisers should talk to publishers about running takeovers for twelve or six hours, rather than the whole day.
While dayparting will lower the total reach on a given site, it's likely that a publisher that has strong data on when the most engaged users typically visit the site will be able to steer the advertiser to its premium audience at the right time. Yes, the results may not be as spectacular, but according to Johnson, time-constrained takeovers are a good way for smaller advertisers to play in a bigger pond.
Don't: Assume that everything will happen as planned
A takeover isn't a simple endeavor. You can't just sign the contract and fire off the creative at the end of the day and expect perfection. And even when you work around the clock, you should expect some obstacles, says Lance Leasure, managing director for Catalysis.
"You may have a well seasoned crack team on your end, but often you're dealing with a disgruntled team on the other end who isn't necessarily eager to help make you look good," Leasure explains.
The solution, according to Leasure, is to remember that all parties involved need a good product at the end of the day. And that means the agency should always try to play nice with the publisher (and vice versa). But it also means that the agency -- when necessary -- might have to step in to help on all levels when obstacles present themselves, rather than stopping at the water's edge of its deliverables.
Don't: Let homepage takeovers fly solo
You get a lot of bang for your buck with a homepage takeover, but the tactic should never be used in isolation, according to Eyeblaster's Ross McNab.
Like any tactic, a homepage takeover needs to be part of a larger media strategy if it's going to succeed. Consider this example for the release of the "Tomb Raider Underworld" video game.
While it's easy to focus on the page, the effectiveness of the takeover owes a lot to timing (the takeover launched close to the game's release date) and a multiplatform media campaign that primed the audience to expect a full-throttle message by heightening the anticipation associated with the game's debut.
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