"Major Website Provider" Cookie Dropping service??

[OmniQuest Enterprises]

An ISM friend of mine told me that a "Major website providers" rep pitched him on a new program that, "Only this 'Major website provider' has!" (Not sure if its OK to mention their name)

Apparently they have a service where they drop a cookie on a potential customers computer, while the customer is viewing a vehicle on the dealerships website. That cookie is tied in with a google ad campaign. The vehicle, or a similar vehicle in that dealerships inventory, will follow that person from site to site for 60 days showing up in google ads.

My initial thoughts of course are about ethics, what does everyone think? The program would probably only work with ie and maybe firefox. Then only on computers that haven't been cleaned and are not using a proxy IP address.

Is anyone currently using a program like this? If so, any complaints from customers? what is your ROI?

 

[Chris Moore]

My feeling is that anyone tech savvy, is either A. Not going to have an issue with it, as they either don't allow cookies, or cookies are cleared once they leave that site. B. They are going to piss away a lot of cash depending on how their spending is set. It's an interesting concept, but just thinking to my self, I can't fathom a reasonable return. If I go from site to site, and the same ad keeps showing up. I'd be annoyed by the engine, and the Co. forcing that as toi an extreme.

Just my thoughts.

Chris

 

[Jeff Kershner]

This is nothing more than site re-targeting / Behavioral Re-targeting or once called Re-messaging. It's happening all the time and many of the fortune 500 companies play in this arena and have been for awhile.

Now.. for a major website provider to say they are the only one to provide this...I guess it's possible they could be the only Industry website providers currently providing the service out of box so there is no need to go with a different provider but it's not the only way you can get it.

I believe you can now run this "re-targeting" piece with Google Ad Sense due to their acquisition of DoubleClick. DoubleClicks DART allows you to tailor message your previous website visitors based on their past interactions on your dealer website. There are a few other companies like Specific Media and FetchBack that provide their own patent technologies for behavioral / site re-targeting.

Being this is a Google/DoubleClick service..I would not see how it would be "exclusive" to this major website provider.

As for the ethics of this..when I first read about it awhile back, I had my own questions on that level but it's not like personal information is being passed. You visit a site, the site/program monitors your behavior on the website to decide if and when you visit another website (that offers ad space within that network) to "re-target" their message to you. I see no harm in that...If I'm going to be advertised to (and that is never going to stop) I would rather be advertised relevant ads to my previous behavior or shopping habits. Amazon ALWAYS gets me to bite on their "based your on your previous purchase..you might be interested in this book as well" email.

I have in the past and continue to use site re-targeting. I think it's a strong tool with some impressive numbers to back it up. I would NEVER be in Display Advertising without a site re-targeting piece.

Impressive numbers - when "going after the click". (IMO there is much more to Display Advertising than just the click, but that's another topic)

Example: visitor to your website - clicks through to several pages including inventory - customer leaves your site with never converting (form submission/phone call) but gets cookied - customer finds their way onto a webpage/site that is in your publishers ad network of websites - your Display Ad is re-targeting to this customer and the customer takes action by clicking on your ad and is now on your site again. This is a huge WIN and is where the numbers can make a strong statement. I'll keep the percentages broad here but I have seen upwards of 30-50% conversion on re-targeted visitors. Are the number of site re-targeted clicks high?? No..typically only about 10% of your campaign budget will go towards re-targeting but once you average out your campaign and you are buying your impressions right and you have a solid ad network, your cost per lead or cost per action (however you measure) can really make sense.

Like any online marketing there are many factors that go into this. Your website, ad network, your message and your creative (display ad/banner) to name a few.

Mr. Colby, I'm glad you brought this question to the forums. Display Advertising is something that is not talked about on the dealer level of this industry.

Here is a thread Alex Jefferson started a few weeks back that falls under this same topic. http://forum.dealerrefresh.com/f43/display-advertising-retargeting-276.html

A few resources on Behavioral and Re-Targeting:
DoubleClick.com || Products - DART for Advertisers
What is Retargeting? Learn About Retargeting Here.
Retargeting - Specific Media - Specific Media is an actual vendor that provides Display Behavioral and Re-targeting services.
BT's most overlooked issue - iMediaConnection.com
Four Guidelines for Behavioral Marketing Newbies - ClickZ
MediaPost Publications Specific Media: Display Ads Lift Searches 12/04/2008

Oh too...I have never had nor heard of a complaint from customers. Most people don't even realize it.

 

[OmniQuest Enterprises]

Great Info. I'm familiar with display ads and retargeting,(at least the concept of retargeting, not by name), but I wasn't aware that it was available on the dealership level.
I read through the suggested thread. I'm curious as to how things turned out for Alex.
As for the ethics end, I came to the same conclusion. It's just at first this concept seemed to be the ecommerce version of subliminal advertising.
In the early nineties I read a book by Bill Gates called "The Road Ahead" and he explained the concept of behavioral retargeting. He even took it a step further and explained another concept that we would probably call "behavioral repricing". The price of an item is adjusted per individual based on cookie gathered info of spending habits etc. It's probably already in effect.
At any rate a few questions. Aren't display ads and retargeting practically worthless to a dealership unless you Geo target? Why would anyone consider implementing a retargeting campaign if they didn't know what other sites their ads would be on? "We'll advertise for you but we're not going to tell you where"????
Does anyone have an approximate monthly cost for a moderate campaign?

 

[Jeff Kershner]

As far as I know Alex has not pulled the trigger yet but you would have to ask him.

Well, Victoria Secret I believe was on of the first larger companies that participated in a "behavioral price re-targeting" using traditional marketing. Depending on your previous orders and what neighborhood you lived in would determined what catalog/pricing you would receive.

Aren't display ads and retargeting practically worthless to a dealership unless you Geo target?

This is 100% the case. You need to geo target your ads but I believe this is the norm anymore and all publishers off the ability to geo-target one way or another. Some better than others.

Why would anyone consider implementing a retargeting campaign if they didn't know what other sites their ads would be on?

Most publishers will let you know what sites your ads will be displayed on. What I believe happens here is; smaller publishers work with the larger publishers and the larger publishers don't/can't always keep up with new added sites to the smaller publishers networks.

Example: I was working with a larger publisher that swore up and down our ads would not be on any social networks but time after time I would find our ads on myspace. NOW...at first I was a little pissed but from what I could gather this was a re-targeted ad and that I was OK with.

Does anyone have an approximate monthly cost for a moderate campaign?

Most ads are sold on a CPM Cost Per Thousand and this price can range all over the board. I have seen and worked with as low as $6.00 CPM to upwards in the $20.00 area.

The $20.00 CPM Publishers many times tout they can provide better "in-market" shoppers (due to the sites within their ad network).

 

[Stefan]

The major company is Cobalt. The price is $699.00 per month is you already have the Cobalt ProCare... if you don't its an additional $699.00.

My question is: Is the Cobalt ReMarketing worth $1,400.00 per month(With a $1,000.00 Set Up Fee (Doc Fee )?

Here is a short description of Cobalt ProCare:

Overview of Services Provided: With respect to each supported website, ProCare will provide you with the following:

• Marketing Alignment: Ensure your website supports the goals and objectives of your dealership

• Search Engine Optimization: Increase the ability for your website to be found via search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and MSN Live

• Website Performance Optimization: Drive visitor engagement and improve lead conversion rates

 

[DrewAment]

http://www.FetchBack.com is a retargeting company that I have been using for a few years now at the dealership level. Great product, good results (set up your campaign right), and low cost. Campaigns start at only $500/month - and you get a dedicated rep - my rep is:

Kelly Wielkopolski
Small Business Specialist
480.289.5593 (P) 480.289.5550 (F)
[email protected]

Who I am sure will answer any questions.

 

[Alex Snyder]

FetchBack - The Retargeting Company is a retargeting company that I have been using for a few years now at the dealership level. Great product, good results (set up your campaign right), and low cost. Campaigns start at only $500/month.

This is the company I've come the closest to signing up with for this type of advertising. I've spoken to a few others. CoBalt might be the only major site vendor offering it, but there are quite a few lead and SEM companies in the automotive arena offering it. I haven't signed up because it is so expensive.

$500 a month isn't something I'm seeing Drew, but I may be looking at things a little too "grand"....I have a tendency to do that.

 

[DrewAment]

The minimum campaign level is $500/month. But the actual cost varies based on your site traffic. I think the max unique users for the $500 level is 20k/month per site. I would guess your site(s) have alot more traffic? Or you are trying to segment each site separately?

--Drew

 

[Mitchell Brenner]

Now if Cobalt would have never lost focus on their core business as a website provider they might still be a "major" player but as a former Cobalt customer who lived through years of absolutely nothing new, including the same templates for 3 years, maybe they're trying to regain what they lost by coming up with these types of programs. I wonder if their websites have improved?