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Digital tracking firms moving to Dubai

Thursday, May 03, 2012

Gulf News

Dubai Digital media and the ads it has spawned are just about everywhere, and now specialist firms are setting up local bases to help advertisers determine if they are catching eyes.

In recent weeks, Millward Brown, a unit of the marketing communications powerhouse WPP, has opened an office in Dubai, while Zenithmedia, part of Publicis Groupe, has rolled out Performics, a performance marketing agency.

They have plenty of evidence to sift through with advertisers expected to fork out more than $200 million (Dh735.6 million) on digital campaigns this year, which still represents less than 10 per cent of the overall ad spend.

While digital tracking measurements are still a work in progress, they do come with some in-built advantages.

Meaningful engagement

“The internet is an actively engaging medium as opposed to, say, TV, which is viewed more passively,” said Prasun Basu, regional head at Millward Brown.

“Hence, it is not enough to catch eyeballs on the internet; brands need to be able to engage in a meaningful way with their core target groups.”

Advertisers wanting quantifiable feedback on what their ads are generating has always been the case. Whereas earlier they were fobbed off by fancy numbers, now they insist on seeing the facts to judge for themselves.

And when such facts are not proffered, advertisers are ready to pull out. One reason why TV advertising in the UAE saw a marked dip during the first quarter had to do with the delay in the installing of TV meters, according to some industry sources.

All the more reason why the significant gains made by way of digital ads requires the backing of measurement processes to satisfy advertisers.

But there are challenges to surmount. “Unlike traditional media, digital is not the lead media for a campaign; hence [it’s] not easy to disentangle its impact,” Basu said.

“The other challenge is that online content consumption behaviour itself is changing rapidly.

“Therefore, measuring the level of exposure, reach and frequency to online advertising becomes that much more complicated.”

The likes of Millward Brown and Zenithmedia’s Performics are making a case for their proprietary measurement processes to make the difference. The latter is making a case out for ‘OneSearch’, which it says will help ensure an optimal marketing investment across channels, devices and screens.

Accountability

“As demand for search and performance marketing solutions grow around the world, in particular in the Mena region, our clients require more accountability and integration,” said Daina Middleton, global CEO of Performics.

“Performics enable our clients to make more informed marketing decisions and, ultimately, increase RoI [return on investment].”

Consequently, Zenithmedia’s existing digital media operations under Zed Digital have been aligned with Performics.

Advertisers, at the same time, should be patient with the evolving digital measurement process, Basu said.

But patience on the part of advertisers is a virtue in short supply.

By Manoj Nair?Associate Editor

© Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.

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