Going (Creatively) Digital

Pinterest Introduces Search Ads with Keyword and Shopping Campaigns
Pinterest launched Search Ads to expand ad inventory across monthly searches. The update will include Keyword campaigns and Shopping campaigns. Keywords can be grouped within campaigns in themed ad groups, and advertisers can optimize bids at the keyword level. The ads are visual Pins, and how users save Pins reveals insight into keyword use. Pinterest will partner with Kenshoo for online attribution, Oracle Datacloud for in-store sales lift, and Millward Brown for brand affinity measurement.

Snapchat Launches New Facebook-inspired Ad Technology Platform
Snapchat launches a Facebook-inspired ad platform out of beta with several partnerships with the intention of reaching a wider user base and allowing buys directly on the social network. Snapchat has introduced a video feature through a “creative API” letting partners including ReFUEL4, Vidmob and Spredfast, to manage video content to achieve certain marketing objectives. The tools will allow creative production, asset management, A/B testing, creative analysis, etc.

In A First, Facebook Overtakes Google Mobile Ad Network In ROI
Singular published a study focused on mobile analytics, The Mobile ROI index, which ranks ad networks for mobile devices based on campaign ROI generation. According to the study, during the second half of 2016 Facebook’s mobile ad network was the top-performing ad network, giving campaigns on Android devices a higher ROI than Google AdWords. Susan Kuo, Singular co-founder said “This is the first time Facebook overtook AdWords on the Android platform, until now, Android has been seen as the mothership platform for AdWords.” The index seeks to give marketers transparency into mobile ads by focusing on ad networks that drive high revenue into mobile apps at low cost. It also considers market adoption as measured by the total ad spend it attracts.

Buick, Google, KFC, Mercedes Fumble Paid Search For Super Bowl Ads
Merkle released its Digital Bowl Report analyzing how Super Bowl TV advertisers used search, social, and video. The report highlights brand efforts to maximize digital presence of campaigns. Kia was #12 for SEO, WeatherTech at #11, and H&R Block and Tide tied for #10. WeatherTech had a “noindex” tag on its landing page which made the URL undiscoverable in organic search. Buick, Google, KFC, Mercedes-Benz, and National Geographic tied for #10 in paid search rankings. Bai tied at #4 with Bud Light, T-Mobile, Lexus, Mr. Clean, and Wendy’s. Bai received positive feedback for its TV commercial, but broke the continuity by not using the same message on social. Merkle notes title tags, h1, descriptions, content, and internal linking optimized and dedicated to the Super Bowl featured on landing page, among other tactics.