Facebook ads are effective within Facebook, but how good are they within a mixed-media campaign, or when assessed over the entire customer journey?
That’s the fundamental paradox of the walled garden: Marketers get great data inside of it, but hardly any outside.
But Facebook is trying to shed its reputation for impenetrability. The company has been working with advertisers directly on “clean room” data solutions.
And Facebook is doubling down on efforts to demonstrate its value across the entire shopper journey, especially for struggling CPG and retail companies in the lead up the holiday season. That was the message at its Discover Growth event Wednesday in New York City, the first in a series of events for a broader B2B marketing campaign targeted at brand and agency employees who buy Facebook ads.
“All the touch points matter and we want practitioners to see how we engage with off-platform channels,” Facebook North America marketing director Michelle Klein told AdExchanger.
Much of the content at the Discover Growth event focused on how Facebook advertising is a necessity for marketers whether or not it connects to a fully integrated campaign.
Marketers need to bet on new channels like Facebook Live before there’s necessarily data or ROI to justify the investment, said Deanna Bershad, VP of media and user acquisition at CPG startup The Honest Co.
“If you don’t take advantage of the technology immediately you lose the opportunity,” she said. “The big brands come in, drive up prices and we can’t convert at our CPA (cost per acquisition).”
The Honest Co. is using a lot of Facebook data to personalize in real time, Bershad said. “Why would I use all this data to understand you and then show you and everyone else the same ad?”
Unfortunately, that reliance comes with some loss of control and ownership over the customer relationship.
During a Q&A session, a marketing executive from The New York Times with a “complicated platform relationship” asked Lucinda Newcomb, Sephora’s VP of digital product, how the retailer prioritizes direct consumer relationships or shared user relationships, like shoppers asking questions and setting appointments via Facebook Messenger instead of through a store associate.
“It’s no longer the case that someone needs to be in your aisle to buy your product or in an environment where your messaging will be controlled,” Newcomb said. “You need to give up on that sense of control.”
