Despite the legislative, cultural, or technical obstacles that still exist, the digitization of "traditional" media is becoming more remarkable each day. Three major historical giants are particularly affected: radio, outdoor advertising, and TV. This transformation is likely to leave behind the fans of "probabilistic" GRP and unique massive creations. But above all, it promises a bright future and new playgrounds for media planners and digital native creatives. And thus, for their clients!
The historical leader in outdoor advertising, JCDecaux, announced a few weeks ago that by 2019, it aims at achieving "several million euros" in revenue through programmatic advertising. This type of advertising automates the sale of digital billboards based on various criteria. So, besides DOOH, programmatic TV, targeted digital radio, and audio streaming... all traditional media are becoming digital. Transitioning to programmatic buying allows choosing and planning the purchase of media based on multiple criteria, impacting and deeply influencing media buying and creation practices. It will especially strengthen the need for closer alignment between media strategies and content to fully leverage these new capabilities. And that's great!
Impact #1: Targeting Capabilities
First and foremost, but certainly the most important: refined targeting capabilities. While outdoor advertising can hardly be targeted "individually," geographically-based and time-based targeting are particularly suitable. For radio and soon for TV, targeting based on individual or household profiles is, or will be, possible. TV still has limitations on individual targeting, remaining one of the few media that can gather the whole family on the couch. But media, once called "mass," are also becoming precision media.
Impact #2: Real-time Responsiveness
Implementing digital technologies for buying and distributing campaigns will, quite obviously, make triggering and adapting campaigns in real-time much easier. Adapted based on the target audience, season, time of day, current events, geographical location... and all these factors combined!
Impact #3: Context/Message Personalization
The era when employer brands were rigid, top-down, and monolithic is over. General Management, Human Resources, and Employer Brand departments must take a "Double Step" to the side, in other words, dare to switch to the world of Personality and Personalization, Authenticity and Argumentation, Simplicity and true Service logic. This is how we can make your employer brand a more recognized and valuable lever in driving business growth.
To Achieve This, Willingness and Method Are Key!
We can already measure it concretely on digital media: customizing messages to the target's context and distribution results in greater impact, engagement, and connection than "mass" messaging. "Advertising intrusiveness" becomes more elegant and relatable. I'm surprised to hear sometimes that creatives from other "major agencies" present, for example, DOOH as having less creative potential than traditional outdoor advertising. I believe it will require creatives to seriously invest in more nuanced adaptation of their messages. No longer sticking to "mass" ideas. And stop thinking "digitization" only rhymes with "animation" of their messages.
Impact #4: Accessibility to Smaller Advertisers
Being able to buy media presence more precisely, "in detail," will increasingly make these media accessible to smaller budgets. Therefore, it will mechanically encourage the emergence of new advertisers who previously couldn't afford this category of "mass media." Just like the Gafa model: being available to both Unilever and the small corner shop. Many "traditional" media are innovating in this area. TF1 Advertising already offers its "Business Box," making TV accessible to advertisers from as little as 5,000 EUR in media purchases. All of it can be bought online, like an "online" campaign. No need for media agency, no intermediaries, no large budget required. We can also imagine that auction systems, which have become the digital standard, will further develop in these media.
Impact #5: In-house Purchasing by Advertisers
Due to its operational accessibility and often continuous use, many advertisers have already decided to internalize their digital media purchasing. We sometimes offer to train our clients, who wish to and for whom it is relevant, to become independent in their purchasing. It's highly probable that this trend, already very present on digital media, will spread to traditional media.
Let's not be idealistic either. Mechanically, this digitization of media might also present pitfalls, much like it did for digital media:
Firstly, issues of transparency in programmatic purchasing. Assuming historical media buying practices were transparent.
Challenges around "brand safety" depending on the context of broadcasting. Hopefully, the "old media," now digitized, will learn from the past mistakes of digital media. It's up to them to "digital ad trust".
With increased accessibility to media, the quality of creations could potentially plummet, risking less engagement from targets and degrading media value. All studies show it: consumers rate online ads as lower quality compared to offline creations. Simply because the resources aren't always there! Advertisers must remain vigilant about the resources they provide creatives to continue designing and producing quality creations.
Targeting possibilities, real-time responsiveness, adapting to context, media accessibility, purchase systems, and technologies used... This digitization will transpose to "traditional" media the characteristics, practices, and possibilities of "historically digital" media. Tools and concepts already well mastered by "digital native" service providers and advertisers. Thus, it's clear that they will be much better equipped to capitalize on these developments than traditional specialists in offline media planning and creation.
I don't know about you, but we're excited for this digitization to pick up speed!
