When Facebook acquired Atlas from Microsoft for nearly $100 million in 2013, it was a head-scratcher for many industry observers. After all, what strategic value would a legacy ad server have for the world’s largest social network? Last week we learned the answer to that question when Facebook unveiled its Atlas relaunch.
Originally acquired by Microsoft as part of its $6.3 billion deal for aQuantive in 2007, Atlas served principally as an alternative to Google‘s DART tracking system. Atlas was foremost about measurement, and it was used by advertisers and agencies for tracking display ad efficacy.
So what does Facebook intend to use it for now, and what does its relaunch mean? First, it’s important to understand that Atlas’ tracking and measurement DNA is what initially made it so appealing to Mr. Zuckerberg. Starting with Atlas’ DNA and then rewriting it from the ground up allows Facebook to use Atlas as part of its push to measure cross-device and cross-platform and to leverage display targeting capabilities powered by Facebook ID.
This is a big move for Facebook, and it has more significant implications for brands and agencies than anyone could have predicted 18 months ago. Atlas opens up two new and extremely powerful capabilities for brands and agencies: It lets them measure ad campaigns across screens by solving the cookie problem; and it lets them target real people across mobile and the web.
Here’s how brands and agencies can use Facebook and Atlas to conquer a changing digital advertising ecosystem:
Solving the cookie problem
First and foremost, Facebook, like most marketers, understands that cookies aren’t working. On average, cookies have a 59% tracking success rate, and they overstate frequency by 41%, according to executives on an Atlas launch panel at Advertising Week last week. What’s worse, as the internet shifts to mobile, cookies fail to connect users across devices and do nothing to solve the challenge of mobile conversion tracking.
According to Erik Johnson, managing director of Atlas, 41% of all purchases start on one device and move to another (typically moving smaller to larger — phone to tablet or laptop). Today, advertisers typically lose the thread on this device sequence chain when measuring media ROI. The new Atlas will go a long way towards fixing this with new cross-device reporting capabilities.
How does Atlas fix the cookie problem? It uses Facebook’s persistent ID rather than a cookie, allowing Atlas to measure user activity on mobile and desktop, including mobile conversion and desktop conversion tracking. Atlas also enables media mix modeling, helping advertisers understand how to allocate their budgets across devices. This may have the most impact we’ve seen in years for solving cross-device reporting and cross-channel issues, dramatically opening up the mobile market.
Targeting real people vs. phantom people on the web and mobile
While the tracking is fantastic, Facebook’s ability to target real people across devices is even more powerful. This opens up a tremendous opportunity for brands and their agencies. Facebook’s Audience Network already enables advertisers to find appropriate audiences on a whole new set of inventory by using signals such as demographic, psychographic and behavioral data. Now, Atlas gives advertisers access to Facebook’s targeting precision across the entire web, wherever consumers access it.
Consider this use case: Marketers could leverage Facebook targeting to reach a consumer on ESPN.com, and then use Facebook’s Audience Network to reach that same consumer on ESPN’s SportsCenter app. This is incredibly powerful, and it’s a real shot across the bow at Google and every other vendor still trying to break mobile and desktop targeting out of separate silos.
Facebook is pushing beyond the restrictive label of “social” and rewriting the rules of the game in digital marketing along the way. The new Atlas capabilities are a substantial step in this direction. If nothing else, it highlights that social is not just a channel. Rather, social is a fundamentally different way to understand and execute digital marketing. It is far more about data than platform, and Facebook is making this vision a reality. Success in digital marketing should be about finding precise consumer audiences and identities, not abstractions like campaigns and line items. Atlas is making Facebook more people-focused than ever before, and brands and agencies would be smart to follow suit.
Well maybe not bike trash. Went through Breck had a crepe and got hailed on. And yes that does hurt doing 60 when hail hits you. Spending the night in Glenwood. Great pasta.
I loved this. A father holding his son after winning the most important game of his career. And here is the best part, Drew could of cared less. Look at the intensity as his eyes met his sons eyes. Wow. Here is a man that has spent the last 20 plus years preparing for this, just to
accept the success. The real excitement was to be with his son. We believe that Drew’s love demonstrates God’s love for us.
At Denver Advertising, this is what we believe is real living. Yes, it’s important to win the Super Bowls in life (that’s why you hire us) but more importantly is your success with your family. We care about each one of our clients family as much as we care about helping their business grow. We want to help our clients be so successful that they can spend more time at home. And if need be, we will pick up the slack so they can be home more.
We want to assist our clients in being successful
Spiritually
Financially
Physically
Relationally
……..and enjoy life.
Creative people have to get out and get their mojo back quite often. Our clients hire Denver Advertising to be creative so it’s mandatory to keep the creative juices high. We were down in Littleton today and both Steve and I enjoy BBQn’ so we stopped by the Savory Spice Shop. They do retail well there. Check them out. Plus if you like amazing spices to Q with, they have the best. This weekend I’ll be smoking Jerk Chicken’ for most of Sunday, just like in the Islands baby.
When it comes to competitors vs. Denver Advertising, there are so many to look at. When you are dealing with Denver Advertising, you are getting a advertising agency that has been recognized by The Denver Business Journal as One of the Top 25 Largest Ad Agencies, recently featured on the front page of The Denver Post and won many awards; but most importantly have helped businesses grow for over 19 years.
We believe when choosing an agency make sure you consider:
1. Do you like your agency personally? Whoever said business is not personal was lying. Your agency and you will spend a lot of time and as the client you are going to need to be able to trust that your agency “has got your back”. What can be more personal then when you are writing checks to your agency and either getting the results you expected or worse, not getting the results and still writing the check. I guarantee, it gets personal then!
2. Do they have your vision? Not theirs! Our job is to make you successful with your vision. Now our approaches might be different then yours, that is where number one (above) is so important when it comes to trust. Denver Advertising will fulfill your vision successfully.
3. Is the agency out for you or them? It’s a business and yes, we need to make sure the bottom line is solid and we are not taken advantage of, but at Denver Advertising, we are here to serve you. We will be there with our swords drawn and swinging to win the battle of building your business.
4. Is the creative fresh and well thought out? Look there are many freelancers and one-man bands that have great ideas but have no clue how to fulfill them. We have over 19 years of helping businesses grow throughout the nation. There is no sense in introducing campaigns that we can’t fulfill.
5. Do they know Search Engine Marketing? If not, stop what you are doing and pick up the phone and call us. In today’s competitive market, your agency has to be a full service agency that can fulfill every aspect of your marketing and advertising including and especially THE INTERNET. This way you receive a comprehensive advertising and marketing approach that looks and operates congruently.
6. Are you growing? At the end of the day, is your business growing? Bottom line. We don’t care how great the campaign looks, how perfect the copy was or how well the navigation on your site functioned at the end of the day, did we build you more business?
Here is a list of ad agencies to compare. We hope you find the perfect agency to meet your needs and we hope it is us.
