Digital campaigns were built on the back of cookies – small pieces of code that are placed on a user’s computer, allowing data gathers and marketers to provide better advertising to consumers. While great in concept, cookies have always carried drawbacks, which have handicapped marketers from communicating with audiences to the fullest potential.
Smartphones empower greater audience focus
As technology advances, so does the ability to observe consumer behavior. This allows marketers to serve ads that provide value to the consumer’s life. Smartphones have long been the norm in most people’s daily life, and the capabilities of these devices keep them tied to our person 24/7. Along with that pervasiveness comes the ability to use mobile device IDs to observe consumer behavior with the goal of improving how marketers present messages to consumers.
What are Mobile Device IDs?
By its name, mobile device IDs revolve around the smartphones we’re addicted to. They are unique identifiers attributed to an individual device, which is typically accessed through opt-in apps. Having solid access to accurate mobile device data has always been a shortcoming of cookies. Today, the capacity to see non-PII (personally identifiable information) data among users provides insight into how people communicate, what they’re searching for or watching, their shopping habits and more. Due to the preponderance of smartphones in the U.S., this has been a significant leap from cookies, which traditionally were limited to desktop user information only.
A better view comes from mobility
A huge windfall of mobile device IDs, again, lies within its name – mobile. The ability to track consumers’ movements, at the exact same time of their habits, is massive, to say the least. This mobile looking-glass provides the ability to see where people go at points of time throughout the day. For a recent consumer focused client, Morgan & Co. used such technology to see where people were 2 hours before they visited a client’s establishment. We also analyzed other brands they frequented and where their device “rested” at night. By aligning these other brands and locations to a visit to our client’s place of business, the Morgan & Co. planning team can analyze audience brand interests and lifestyles. Smarter insight = more successful marketing.
Deeper insight exists in the apps
Building on consumer brand interest and lifestyles, mobile device IDs also interact not just with a browser (the sole feature of a cookie), but also activity within apps on the device. Imagine the depth of knowledge in knowing which apps consumers are interacting with, what programs they’re streaming or following, and what they are purchasing. This detailed audience insight is exactly what brands need to create meaningful connections with consumers, providing value and benefit. This information continues to build as long as the consumer owns that mobile device.
Get help leveraging deeper audience insight
While cookies still play a significant role in audience insight and media strategies, at Morgan & Co. we cannot ignore the power that mobile device IDs bring to the discussion. Leveraging technology, tracking and audience insight to build smarter media strategies equate to better media campaign performance. Technology is empowering brands to have a more significant and valuable interaction with customers. Get it right and reap the benefits. Come up short, and you’ve closed the door on sales opportunities. If your media strategy could use a little help leveraging audience insight and lifestyle knowledge through mobile device IDs, give Morgan & Co. a call.
