Brett Dawson believes Bohemia is close to dispelling John Wanamaker’s century-old adage about not knowing which half of his advertising was working. Dawson says that’s now more 75-25, but clients are pushing the agency, part owned by WPP, to make further gains next year.
“Our clients want to know what is working and why; what combinations are working and why. So let’s find pockets that are working and scale them; find pockets that aren’t working and drop them,” he told MCN’s Homefronts. “It is a pursuit of attribution.”
Attribution modelling is no cakewalk and Dawson admitted the agency – any agency – has its work cut out in determining both attribution and cause and effect.
“It’s a big investment of data and time, but you can find it,” said Dawson. “Is it perfect? No. Are we better than Wanamaker’s 50%? I reckon we are now at 70-80%. Our clients are asking us to get to 100%.”
Dawson said the agency was keen to apply a more attributive approach to multiplatform television, and applauded the “direction and huge ambition” of the networks pushing hardest into data-driven TV advertising.
But will that translate to higher spend for those media owners in 2017?
Video is high on client wish lists, said Dawson, indicating it may be a seller’s market for those that can prove their worth.
“[Spend] will go to what is working,” said Dawson. “What we see working at the moment is the power of video, location-based marketing and pure, brand-safe, viewable environments. They are all hot spots," he suggested.
"They are in demand, they are hard to buy – and the reason why? Because they are working.”
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Brett Dawson, Bohemia - MCN HomeFront & Personal from Multi Channel Network on Vimeo.
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