Fresh from finalising a deal with Facebook, Quantium is open to more data partnerships according to director Tony Davis.
That’s good news for agencies, given CMOs are unlikely to be satisfied much longer with loose correlations between marketing spend and uplift. Causality is the new benchmark, says Davis. That is, how exactly did the marketing dollar move the sales needle?
By “understanding the causality between media investment and sales outcomes”, brands can better understand how customers will react to certain marketing levers, says Davis. “Once you know how to attribute sales with some certainty you can plan spend based on known media effects”.
The deal with Facebook is further proof that Quantium’s transaction data and intelligence is the benchmark. Davis says it sits well with the firm’s existing arrangement with MCN, which in some instances has seen targeting of qualified audiences double by overlaying subscriber data with shopping and other lifestyle indicators.
Davis suggests “relevant reach” is the new TV metric.
“Volume reach is important of course,” he says. “But if you can actually make sure that your message is targeted to more qualified audiences for your product type it is good news for everybody.”
Whether Network Ten is next to offer increased relevance of reach following the Foxtel deal remains a moot point. Either way, Davis says Quantium is open for business with partners who are looking to drive better outcomes from often vast media spend or bring “something different” to the table.
“We think increasingly collaborating with clients and their agencies is a very successful way to go and we are very open and democratic about that,” says Davis.
“We have often worked in isolation and directly with clients in the past, but we are increasingly clear how effective collaboration with those agencies who bring an open approach and additional skills, can drive better client outcomes and success.”
Does the deal with Facebook indicate where Quantium sees the balance of power shifting?
“The way advertisers are engaging traditional broadcast media is changing dramatically, but that doesn’t signal the demise of TV, press and other media staples,” says Davis.
“The way advertisers and agencies plan and buy has changed. It may be around smaller audiences, higher frequency and greater certainly around customer interest in your product or offer,” he says. “But that is a sophistication that has been coming down the track for some time. It isn’t all going to change overnight.”
Facebook, says Davis, has “astonishing” reach, frequency and engagement. “They are obviously a new and powerful option advertisers are employing. But other channels, including the huge reach of traditionally broadcast players, will increasingly offer powerful options in what is typically an inter-dependent mix of advertising messages.”
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