When it comes to online advertising, paid search is not enough. While online marketers have many tactics in their arsenal, display advertising has the versatility to span the spectrum of branding and direct response.

Display advertising allows marketers to target their audience:

  • Demographically
  • Geographically
  • Behaviorally
  • Psychographically

So which type of targeting is right for your objectives and what's the right balance between branding <=> direct response?

The short answer is: It depends on a myriad of factors and goals.

To determine the right balance, first let's define them:

  • Branding: Often called awareness, the immediate image, emotion, or message people experience when they think of a company or product
  • Direct Response: Also called “Acquisition Campaign”, solicits an action which is specific and quantifiable

What's the right allocation between branding and direct response?

  1. Start with determining your goals: Are you trying to create awareness for a product or service, or do you want the audience to take action?
  2. Assess your target audience: What does your research tell you about how familiar your audience segments are with your brand and offering?
  3. Develop a media strategy: Based on your goals and opportunity, develop a strategy to move your audience through the buying cycle.  You may have opportunities to segment so that you can deliver the right mix type to the right audience.
  4. Develop your media plan: Align your campaign goals and strategy with your execution plan to ensure your targeting hits the mark.
  5. Test, analyze and adjust: Determine what's performing and what levers can be adjusted to improve performance.  Ensure your success metrics are aligned with the mix type (branding vs. direct response) so you can optimize correctly.  

What's your learning when it comes to the right display advertising mix? And has segmentation been a key part of your strategy or not?