Non-visible impressions, the bête noire of digital marketing

Visibility has long been the cornerstone of marketing for businesses.
Now, however, what are known as “hidden impressions” are the most feared phenomenon among advertisers, printing companies and publishing agencies. This dilemma has grown and is alarming advertisers.
These impressions are produced by the fraudulent actions of a few players in the value chain.

They have become so widespread that they account for between 40 and 60% of all advertising impressions.
These practices are a huge waste of money. To counter this waste, the digital marketing ecosystem has launched a “visibility indicator”, which will be applied to all media. Digital advertising is currently an important channel for boosting a brand’s image. The aim of these so-called “branding” campaigns is to arouse the interest and even raise the awareness of Internet users. The practice, based on immediate response processes, needs to evolve and adapt to today’s customer base, to focus on the audience, engagement, sympathy and awareness, etc.

Publishers and advertisers are reacting to these changes. Publishers are monetising their content (improving ad loading times), and the amount advertisers are spending on advertising, combined with more expensive formats, has led to a rise in average CPM prices, encouraging fraud.

For manufacturers, the challenge is to reach the 100% visibility threshold. However, visibility is not enough, because visibility is seen as a prerequisite, and it is not a marketing objective, because advertisers spend to be seen. The ultimate goal is to trigger sales, not to place a large number of advertisements. A brand must be able to take risks and influence consumer behaviour, so advertising must contain a relevant and convincing message above all else.

Digital marketing: the spearhead of marketing strategy

For 2017, the priority for marketers is digital marketing, and also the semantic extension of digital marketing. There is a panoply of tools available and unlimited possibilities, and the value chain is very close to digital marketing, a real fusion of the two worlds.

This evolution is necessary because of changes in buying behaviour and the expectations of B2B decision-makers. Approaches such as social selling are helping to adapt to these new habits and trends. Companies and marketers are adapting to the challenges of the digital revolution. Social selling: a new promotional tool and an opportunity generator, according to professionals. Meeting high expectations in terms of personalisation, responsiveness, proximity and authenticity is the key to delivering the “best customer experience”.

Digital culture: a pillar of marketing

This concept is essential to the marketing profession. Digital marketing is 100% integrated into a company’s overall strategy. The skills currently required include mastery of analysis tools and social networks, data management, marketing automation, SEO, writing skills, big data solutions, etc. This evolution is leading to the emergence of new skills, for example, current marketing practices must include the activities of community managers.

New marketing tools such as ABM are helping to align sales and recognition.

Digital gives us the opportunity to track interactions with the audience, quotes, likes, shares on social networks, unique visitors. The audience can be qualified by IP tracking. The Marketing Director must use objective KPIs that are measurable and achievable, while respecting budgets.

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