Is Retargeting Ready to go Mainstream? (Part 2)

By Duncan Parry, Search Engine Watch, Jun 4, 2010

In part one, we talked about factors that should drive the adoption of retargeting (also

referred to by Google as "remarketing"). Now we'll examine the limitations of Google's

offering, other tools, and some thoughts on how marketers can embrace retargeting.

Digital Getting Wiser

The growing maturity of the digital industry, and the level of knowledge within agencies and

marketing departments, is an important factor here, too.

Retargeting & Paid Search

Google Made A Major Move To Behavioral Targeting This Week! Did You Miss It?

Go to: http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/100328-171613

Remarketing Rated as Most Underutilized Technology in Advertise.com/SEMPO Survey

Go to: http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/091201-092502

The Rise of Universal Paid Search

Go to: http://searchenginewatch.com/3636449

Most marketing departments have an awareness, if not in-depth knowledge, of search and

display. Increasingly, campaigns are analyzed across channels as tools like MediaPlex, tag

carriers, and a number of independents provide the ability to analyze the consumers full

journey path during a cookie period -- from first impression, to first search, to last search,

and the traditional last click.

Once marketers know consumers visiting Site A are likely to search and buy their products

and have planned their display and search campaigns to leverage this trend, the next

obvious step is to look at where drop-offs are occurring -- which consumers are searching,

but then not buying -- and what sites can they be reached on with retargeting?

Third-Party Tools

Google's offering enables this sort of tactic, but only for sites with AdSense ad units on them.

Using a third-party tool like MediaPlex or DoubleClick Boomerang as well, brands can run

this sort of activity web-wide. Not just retargeting to "lost" prospects who didn't convert, but

targeting existing customers with cross sells.

Once you've dropped a cookie that tells you things about the visitor/customer, your only

constraints are your budget and ideas. No doubt, other tools providers are scrambling to

introduce this functionality if they don't already have it.

Display's New Best Friend?

Google's announcement also included one other piece of important information: it's not just

for search. Once you've added a piece of code to pages on your website, you can retarget

consumers who visit the site through any source:

• Sending a customer CRM e-mail out? Retarget customers who click but don't buy

with a display ad.

• Have a members-only area? Retarget recent log-ins with a new product.

• Receiving a lot of direct traffic as a result of a new TV campaign? Don't let your

competitors suck up sales from the interest you've generated -- run a display

campaign featuring the TV ad tailored to people who have visited the site but

dropped out mid-shopping cart, with your order line phone number in the

advertisement.

All of these options could make retargeting display advertising's new best friend, a shot in

the arm that could cause brands to fundamentally re-examine the interaction of search and

display, and to remember a basic fact when planning: consumers don't operate in silos, and

neither should we as marketers.

For information on retargeting services and applications, contact:

Steven Bogue @ 401-484-2400 or sbogue@recruemedia.com

Mark Landon @ 310-517-1818 or mlandon@recruemedia.com