It's a tricky time to be a digital marketer. More engaging ad formats and more precise targeting capabilities make it easier than ever to reach the right audience, but that audience is constantly jumping between devices and channels, and switching up its goals. In addition, consumers do more research and encounter more options than ever before. All of which is creating a paradox: As ad quality and targeting get better, it's also getting harder for an ad to be seen, let alone remembered and acted upon.
It's no longer enough to reach someone right as they're about to make a...