The holidays are almost here and as those jingle bells start jangling their way to us, we want to take a quick moment to chat about what you’re doing with your holiday ads.Â
Listen, the market is a little crazy right now. We need to be thinking beyond reaching consumers. Is buying on lower CPMs a win if what you’re buying is spray-and-pray tactics?Â
Of course, it’s not. But you do need to make sure you’re reaching the consumer. You just want to make sure you’re using the right partners and technology to reach the right consumer, and that you’re doing so efficiently.Â
What we’re saying is this: If you’re not working with KERV, you’re missing out on some pretty big opportunities to maximize your ad spend.Â
Social is a direct path to purchase
Thinking about how big social commerce is right now? Us too.Â
According to eMarketer, the number of social commerce buyers is set to reach 102.6 million by the end of 2022 (holy sh*t, right?). It also turns out that 40% of Gen Z prefer using TikTok (and Instagram) for search over Google.Â
Usually, advertisers think of social as an upper funnel tactic. It’s a place of discovery, where consumers see and hear about products that might pique their interest.Â
We’re saying it’s time to scrap that way of thinking. Sure, discovery is still a big part of the consumer experience on social. We’re not denying that. But with interactive and shoppable capabilities, the impact of social media just got a lot bigger (remember—102.6 million $$).Â
Of course, only KERV’s technology allows advertisers to make a real impact on the purchasing funnel with social. Due to our patented technology, our TikTok integration is the only one that can correlate user interactions with products to optimize TikTok ads in real time, insights that can also be used beyond TikTok.
So if a consumer interacts with a sweater in a brand video, the advertiser can glean insights that not only improves their TikTok ad optimizations but can also be used to inform campaigns on any platform or site outside of TikTok. Why does that matter? Because a consumer choosing to interact with a specific item in a video shows a level of intent that you don’t get from simply using views to guide campaign strategies.  Â
CTV ads should be about more than reach
This philosophy on consumer intent is the guiding force behind KERV’s products, including CTV. As we discussed, interactive and shoppable technology has changed consumer behavior on social—but don’t sleep on CTV.Â
Audiences have always wanted to shop the items they see on screen. Fun fact—a Pottery Barn representative confirmed in a 2004 interview that sales go up for them every time the notorious Friends episode airs where Rachel buys every piece of furniture for her and Phoebe’s apartment from the famous furniture brand.Â
Which is great confirmation for advertisers. (Woo! Product placement works!) But imagine how many more sales you could get if viewers had a frictionless shopping experience directly from the show they’re watching.Â
The thing is, they can—as long as the industry leans into interactive and shoppable innovations.Â
Right now, the industry focuses too much on attention. These reach-based measurements treat all views as though they’re equal, and we know they’re not. Interactive and shoppable capabilities have the power to unlock new insights because it captures authentic consumer actions, so let’s use that power wisely.Â
With KERV TV, for example, advertisers are able to see what scenes and objects each viewer is engaging with and use these insights to inform stronger sequential messaging. Consumers get a seamless shopping experience at the exact moment they want to shop for an item. And publishers get more opportunities to monetize their content. Everyone wins.Â
Do you understand the digital consumer? KERV does
At the heart of it all, advertisers need to create consumer-first experiences. It’s the why behind everything we do at KERV—from online video to social to CTV. We see interactive technology as the gateway to implementing campaigns that actually address consumer wants and needs.Â
We look at the how and why behind consumer shopping habits and build our product features around them.Â
For example, we know this holiday season is going to be different. Inflation is at an all-time high and we know that means changes in consumer spending. They’ll be scouring stores for the best prices they can find. So it was a no-brainer for us to introduce the Verified Lowest Price feature to KERV Shop.Â
And inflation isn’t the only heavy hitter this season (of course not, it couldn’t be that easy!). Consumers and brands alike are also being hit by supply chain issues. Enter KERV’s Companion Cluster feature, which uses customer parameters (location, day-parting, weather triggers—you get the gist) to determine which product tiles to load for that consumer. So say the store near them is sold out of a specific product shown in the video. No big deal—we’ll just swap in a similar product that is available instead.Â
The point is consumer expectations and experiences change as rapidly as the latest social media trends. And historically, advertisers have been slow to adapt. In fact, we’d say the industry is overdue for a change in approach.Â
What’s the solution? Partnering with the kind of technology that stays ahead of the trends. Yes, we’re talking about KERV. Not to brag (okay, kind of to brag) but we’re creating solutions that empower consumers and brands. It’s a big deal.Â
So if you’re ready to make a true impact with your holiday ads, give us a shout.