The online marketing site
Remember what I was just saying about context? It's slightly humorous to see the phrase "Always On" next to a bra ad, but this doesn't belong here.
What went wrong: Let's start with what went right. Most of the above examples are either premium sites or very specific to the audience the brand is trying to reach. This example shows a brand willing to explore smaller, long-tail niche sites to reach consumers. That's a tactic that can pay huge dividends for display advertisers, who can very well put their ads in front of interested consumers while paying less per impression. The problem, again, is simply bad context.
How to prevent it: At this point, frequency capping might be the best defense. But brand marketers using any kind of targeting -- whether it's an agency trading desk, a demand-side platform, an ad exchange, or a retargeting network -- need to ask their ad partners for environmental targeting. Don't be afraid to buy impressions in the long tail. Just make sure you're factoring in what's on the page.
Andy Ellenthal is CEO of Peer39.
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