The
More-Than-metrics
manifesto
Why Brand and Banners Count
by @sthommes

 
Disclaimer: this post is my personal opinion only and in no way (I hope maybe part way) reflects the views of my employer.

“Not everything that can be counted counts, not everything that counts can be counted” – Einstein

I love Banners. And you should too. Yes. Banner ads. B-A-Double-N-E-R. Display. And online advertising using richer media like expandables or in-stream video, widgets, wadgets and mastheads. Why? Because of story. They tell a story. They build your brand.

No. Not search, not retargeting, not behavioral, not audience aggregation and real time bidding using enhanced third party targeting data on a demand side platform.

So, how can I utter such circa-1995-2003 blasphemy? Let me tell you –this- story: I've been on the road quite a bit lately. I love being on the road because it means I'm face to face with my customers rather than on the phone. It does make a huge difference. And we've been talking about a lot.

A lot is about online marketing. Online strategy. Business objectives. Online customer acquisition. Fun stuff that always finds the conversation coming back to a few key ideas: ROI. Incrementality (I do love this made up word - thank you Awesome Retailer). Attribution. Efficient media spend allocation. Optimization. Upper vs. lower funnel, cross-channel visibility, social media (or conversational marketing). On and on and on. So, before we get into it, let me say that I used to believe in these ideas. I sold (and still sell) these ideas. These resonate with my customers. But - and this is the truth-opinion-fact - there is way more to this story.

Google vs. Quinstreet

Let me again preface: this is not the view of my employer. And also, I love Quinstreet. I really do. The people there are ridiculously smart. The company has a stellar reputation (like NexTag) of incubating elite online marketing talent who in turn spread their wings in key digital marketing roles across the Bay Area. But, their IPO hasn't taken off. And I wonder why (you, maybe haven’t). You've heard of them if you're Industry, but I asked the Starbucks girl this morning (a Starbucks that Quinstreet employees likely patronize) and she directed me to the "Quin Street Shopping Mall". Awesome. By the way, notice I didn't pay $5 a cup at Great Coffee Place (.com).

For a variety of arcane reasons, I'm interested in big picture. I'm pretty good at my job because of this. You want a .16% (in finance we call that 16 basis points (shouldn’t we use basis points in online metrics too, sounds better, bigger…but I digress) click rate to impress your boss? Check. An up-lift over baseline conversions attributed to view through? I got that tool too. But...wait for it...the big picture is way, way more important.

I work at Google. Think that's a baby toy? Of course not, not since 1998. Because people know Google. People love Google. I met someone who has a Google tattoo on her thigh. But, and this is really important (if just an opinion) Google is beloved because Larry and Sergey are really smart. And, consequently, they stumbled on two key pieces early on. First, Page Rank - an algo that translates to great, relevant search results. Delighted users. Check.

Second, a useful twist on the Generalized Second Price auction. Flashback Googler conversation circa, I don't know, 2000-2001 or so:

"Ok, let's do DoubleClick, and put leaderboards on the home page of Google.com". 

"Hmmm. Do you think that will affect the user experience (more authentic: read "post-Javascript DOM page load"

"What about these GoTo, I mean Overture guys? That auction-y thing seems to be working, according to their 10K. Someday we should call our internal shortcuts “goto” just for giggles.

"Now you're on to something. But what if X10 bids the most for every keyword? If we're charging per click, we'll never make any money.

"Wait a minute, Craig, oh, this is genius like you...what if we make it more relevant to our (more delighted) users by factoring in the click rate as well. A great, relevant and useful ad with a lower bid but higher click rate will trump. And we make way more money."

"Nice!"

A ridiculously profitable business model. Check.

My modus operandi in sales is to never say anything about the other great participants in our ecosystem. The reality is you don't need a Decision Engine. Ding! That's right - You - in the mirror - are the decision engine. You -  just want the best information to use as the basis for making the best decision. Google and decide yourself. But a keyword doesn’t tell the whole story. Quinstreet helps people make decisions by inserting their sites as a filter, guiding users down-funnel, and converting traffic to leads. Useful certainly. A good business. Definitely. But Quinstreet, the brand, is invisible to users and not impressing (like ad impression) their millions of users to embrace and love them.

Everyday, a brand’s influence and resonance comes from great products and delighted customers. And, this is important, them knowing your story. You can also point this out, impress upon them, and tell your story with advertising. TV Advertising. A Super Bowl Ad about Paris. Print advertising. Display Advertising. Yes. Banners.

Now I'm simplifying a bit; but, the bottom line is that Google is Google because we delight our users, exceed their expectations and blow their minds. Ironically, you don't get that in a keyword. Or by picking one of 41 shades of blue.

But online ads? Isn't that the 21st century version of selling "sugar water"? The way I think of it: we make the ENTIRE INTERNET mostly free to users. So, online advertising is necessary, useful and even noble when looked at through that lens. And finally, metrics do count. But not as much as, in our Industry, they do. So I, for one, have added more to my arsenal than just metrics. I believe in and am ridiculously passionate about banner ads.

That’s my story. Print your story. Take it to Kinkos – now known as Fed Ex Office unfortunately  -  laminate it, buy a dry erase marker, and then sit down face to face with your customers. Cross out the word ROI and talk to them about their brand, their story and how they're going to win in a noisy market and a noisy world. How are they going to be beloved? 

So, change the conversation. As Jeff Hayzlett, the ridiculously smart, and funny, and imaginative CMO of Kodak waives his arms and proclaims: “ROI? Tell me this smarty pants: what's your Return on Ignoring?". Or for that matter, what's your company's Return on Imagination? 

P.S. That Awesome Retailer? They'd be a lot less awesome if –that– was their name. Instead, they have a brand. One of the best, because they are beloved.

 
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