From The Vault:: Retargeting, An Overview

From The Vault:: Retargeting, An Overview

Behavioral Retargeting

By posting an unobtrusive coded identifier, or “pixel,” on a user’s browser, we can identify them as someone who has taken a specified action (seen an ad, clicked on an ad, visited a landing page, completed a form, etc..). We can then serve that same user an ad specifically targeted to the action taken as they visit any of the more than 3,200 websites across the CPX Network. In this way, targeted ads can virtually “follow” a desired user as they go about surfing the web, based on their actual behavior.

A client’s campaign may utilize as many distinct pixels as can be imagined and, likewise, may utilize an unlimited number of “next level” ads to be served to those pixeled users.

For example:

1)     A user fills out a request for a used Chevy truck quote

2)     Upon completing the request, he is presented a “thank you” page

3)     On this page there is a “used vehicle” pixel, a “Chevy” pixel, and “filled out form” pixel

4)     This user will now specifically (and seamlessly) be served ads targeted to any these behavioral “buckets” as they continue surfing the web

Segment retargeting

Websites across the CPX publisher network are classified by “segments.” We regularly pixel visitors to any of the sites within a given segment with that specific “segment pixel” and allow clients to serve targeted ads to previous visitors of a desired segment. This means that GM Planworks could identify all users that have visited any of the sites within our “automotive segment’ within the past month. GM could decide what ad to serve these users and reach them as they visit any of the more than 6,000 websites across the CPX network.

Similarly, GM could design two sub-campaigns – one with creative focused on “safety” and another with creative focused on “power.” GM may decide to tag all users that have visited sites within the CPX “Women’s Interest” segment within the last month and serve these users the “safety” ad , while serving the “power” ad to those users who have visited sites within the CPX “Men’s Interest” segment within the last month.

Site retargeting

Another benefit of pixeling and retargeting users is the ability to target users who have already expressed an interest in your product or service. To do this, we tag visitors to a specific site (or landing page) with a unique pixel and serve ads to them that “remind them of their interest” as they visit any of the more than 6,000 websites across the CPX network.  This can be used to recapture visitors that have begun to fill out a form but abandoned before completing, or to simply identify users ready for “next-level” campaign messaging. These pixels can be placed on any page within a client’s website or on any landing page that may be designed as part of a specific campaign strategy.

Ad-based retargeting

In addition to being placed within the code of a website or landing page, a pixel can be placed within the html code of an actual ad. This allows a client to identify and retarget any user that has seen, or clicked, on a specific ad. One powerful way to use this tool is to identify users on a “premium” or “high profile” website (where CPMs may be high) and to then reach the same user again at a significantly lower cost on sites across the web. After all, the user that sees your ad on “Cars.com” will soon be visiting his favorite social network or game site…why not tag him and retarget him there as well?

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