In this series, we’ll introduce you to a VDX.tv expert who will help navigate the nuances of digital advertising within a unique industry vertical.
Meet: Mackenzie Wiedecker
Mackenzie, tell us which industry vertical you lead at VDX.tv.
I lead the Consumer Goods vertical at VDX.tv, which covers a very diverse portfolio. Speaking generally, the vertical supports advertisers that sell goods for the average consumer – just as the name says!
We have internally organized the vertical into different sub-verticals, which include: Packaged Goods, Clothing, Shoes & Accessories, Home, Toys & Games, Baby, Health & Personal Care, Sports, Fitness, Outdoor, Auto & Tires, Consumer Electronics
Within each sub-vertical, we support multiple lines of related business. Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) tends to be our highest volume sub-vertical, hosting the greatest number of brands. The CPG sub-vertical is home to everything from food, beverages, pet supplies and household goods, to alcohol.
What makes the customer journey in this vertical market different or unique compared to other verticals? How can brands in the vertical account for this?
Products within the Consumer Goods vertical can usually be purchased through a variety of different channels. For example, a brand’s products may be purchased from brick-and-mortar store locations or ecommerce retailers. The same brand may also be available for purchase through brand-specific flagship stores, department stores, and discount stores. Additionally, the brand may be sold through independent retailers or sold through large scale wholesalers. Many times, we see a combination of all the above.
Given that many Consumer Goods brands can be accessed a variety of ways, the consumer journey can progress along a “choose your own adventure” path. It is crucial that the advertiser understand all available channels, recognize the differences in the audience’s behavior within each, and identify how to drive success within each channel and audience pairing. VDX.tv’s vertical team can help to identify the best fit for creative build, user targeting, and measurement method to implement given the campaign qualifiers.
What are some of the biggest challenges that Consumer Goods advertisers currently face?
The Consumer Goods space has always been crowded, with heated direct competition between like-advertisers, and continual indirect competition from substitute offerings. It is crucial that advertisers within the Consumer Goods space stay relevant and top of mind by adapting to the ever-changing shifts in shopping behavior and trends, particularly in a post-pandemic market.
Another challenge for advertisers within the Consumer Goods vertical is finding the best full-funnel approach to both educate consumers about their product and drive purchases. With a variety of purchase methods available to consumers, advertisers may have a hard time directly linking their ad spend to sales.
What makes VDX an effective solution for Consumer Goods advertisers?
The vertical solutions created by the Consumer Goods teams are specific to the brand’s needs and vary greatly in terms of creative build and targeting methodology.
Our creative team does an excellent job of hand-selecting unit features that are most aligned to the campaign goals. The multi-tab functionality of our VDX video ad units can incorporate features to best support full-funnel needs. For the CPG sub-vertical, we are able to include tabs like a shoppable product gallery, a “where to buy” store locator map, and even a recommended recipes and pairings educational piece.
When it comes to targeting, we can cater our setup to differentiate between similar user profiles. Using the CPG sub-vertical as a reference point again, we know how to effectively build audience profiles to separate vodka drinkers from whiskey drinkers, or beer drinkers from wine drinkers. Our access to extensive proprietary and third-party data, paired with the knowledge of vertical team specialists, helps to locate the right user, in the right place, at the right time for each individual brand.
What trends can Consumer Goods advertisers expect to see in the next six months?
This vertical observes shorter-term, cyclical advertising to showcase calendar-based promotions and seasonal-specific products.
In the new year, we are seeing consumer confidence return with the recent release of a COVD-19 vaccine. Many buyers are poised to spend after accumulating nearly a full year’s worth of personal savings gained through travel, entertainment, and activity-based reserves. As consumers continue to become more comfortable adapting to a post-pandemic market, we are also expecting to see buyer behavior shift from making predominantly online purchase to beginning to purchase in stores again.
For Q1 2021, we are seeing advertising focus heavily on health and fitness, to capitalize on consumer’s investing in their New Year’s resolutions. In the coming months, we expect to see a heavy focus on outdoor entertainment.
To learn more about how VDX.tv can work with you on the most effective solutions for your advertising objectives, contact us here.
