GLOBAL: Procter & Gamble is planning to increase investment in what Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer, calls one-to-one marketing at scale.
In an exclusive interview with WARC, Pritchard said he was encouraged by the progress on media transparency made by the digital industry during 2017 as he reported that all P&G’s agencies now have transparent contracts “because we’ve really gone through every one of them”. (WARC subscribers can read the full interview in WARC’s Toolkit 2018.)
He also welcomed the steps made by the major tech brands to improve viewability metrics and to open themselves up to third-party measurement.
The biggest outstanding issue, he added, is brand safety. “That has been a bit more challenging because we’re going to have to change the model,” he said.
As regards the state of the digital advertising generally, he suggested that “[W]e’re moving towards the end of the S-curve, so to speak, of ‘traditional digital’ – social media, videos, that kind of thing.
“And I think the next S-curve is starting, which is mass one-to-one marketing,” he continued.
P&G is already on this curve, with Pampers, for example, tapping into Google searches for ‘pregnancy’ made by expectant mothers and trying to connect with relevant information.
“So, we create a relationship and it becomes a much more one-to-one utility,” Pritchard explained.
“It’s not as reliant on mass marketing, it’s not reliant on mass advertising, it’s much more reliant on connecting with her – and then him, because dad becomes part of that process. I think that’s the future.”
The transition to the one-to-one marketing that Pritchard envisages will require a shift in how brands approach creativity, including a move into data management; “we need to think through data standards and the ways we operate,” he advised.
Beyond that, he also expects that the agency model will change, with a greater emphasis being put on simplicity.
“When you really think about what’s the most important piece of the value chain, it’s an insight that translates into a great creative idea that translates into great sales,” he stated.
“The agency model today has a lot of different touchpoints to get there. And it’s not fast.”
In an exclusive interview with WARC, Pritchard said he was encouraged by the progress on media transparency made by the digital industry during 2017 as he reported that all P&G’s agencies now have transparent contracts “because we’ve really gone through every one of them”. (WARC subscribers can read the full interview in WARC’s Toolkit 2018.)
He also welcomed the steps made by the major tech brands to improve viewability metrics and to open themselves up to third-party measurement.
The biggest outstanding issue, he added, is brand safety. “That has been a bit more challenging because we’re going to have to change the model,” he said.
As regards the state of the digital advertising generally, he suggested that “[W]e’re moving towards the end of the S-curve, so to speak, of ‘traditional digital’ – social media, videos, that kind of thing.
“And I think the next S-curve is starting, which is mass one-to-one marketing,” he continued.
P&G is already on this curve, with Pampers, for example, tapping into Google searches for ‘pregnancy’ made by expectant mothers and trying to connect with relevant information.
“So, we create a relationship and it becomes a much more one-to-one utility,” Pritchard explained.
“It’s not as reliant on mass marketing, it’s not reliant on mass advertising, it’s much more reliant on connecting with her – and then him, because dad becomes part of that process. I think that’s the future.”
The transition to the one-to-one marketing that Pritchard envisages will require a shift in how brands approach creativity, including a move into data management; “we need to think through data standards and the ways we operate,” he advised.
Beyond that, he also expects that the agency model will change, with a greater emphasis being put on simplicity.
“When you really think about what’s the most important piece of the value chain, it’s an insight that translates into a great creative idea that translates into great sales,” he stated.
“The agency model today has a lot of different touchpoints to get there. And it’s not fast.”
Sourced from WARC
