Author name: Krishna

If you are from an MNC and have led or done advertising in any format with ad billings above 50,000/month in ads and likely used programmatic advertising, then you might be familiar with the transparency concerns in more advanced advertising formats. If so, skip this blog.  While serving SME brands from Singapore, Japan, India, and China, I found a severe lack of awareness of advertising’s transparency and its negative impact on the hardworking SME ecosystem. We are discussing advertising, not marketing; the difference is quite simple.  This resource from the American Marketing Association defines the difference as:  “Marketing is the process of identifying customer needs and determining how best to meet those needs. In contrast, advertising is the exercise of promoting a company and its products or services through paid channels. In other words, advertising is a component of marketing.”  The key to getting this blog right is “paid channels,” i.e. if I pay someone to get exposure for my message, then such activities are considered advertising.  Digital advertising and its scope SMEs often pay for advertising on platforms such as Google, Meta Ads (for Facebook/Instagram advertising), TikTok, and LinkedIn (mostly B2B). One could also advertise in marketplaces such as Shopee, Lazada, and Amazon. Other sophisticated technologies are often referred to as “programmatic advertising” could be used and with the evolution of digital technology, several more might appear, such as DirectTV. Generally, these ads are delivered online using digital devices, hence the name “Digital advertising.” Impacts of transparency that Singaporean SMEs suffer from In the process of building Mister Marketeer and offering pro-bono consultation, I found these kinds of brand owners to suffer the most:   These buying profiles are typically less savvy, unwilling to learn, and often skimp on due diligence. To scale a business, one does have to let go and leave it to the experts. However, will you logically take the same step if the part you let go is an important business activity or a major part of your operating framework? Should you explore starting a major business activity using the above frameworks? While this creates marketplace offerings that fit the buyer profile, the long-term impact is quite dangerous. Remember, buyers create marketplaces, and supply simply follows.  The access problem  Depending on the client’s objective, an agency typically delivers a results sheet, PowerPoint presentation, or PDF showcasing the total advertising monies spent versus results (impressions/ clicks/ leads/ revenue).  The key issue associated with an inability to audit will cost you more than the cash value of the transaction. As we progress through the article, keep reading to learn more about it.  Suggested solution: Get access to your ads platforms. Besides audibility, there are other benefits that I will touch upon later.  The who problem Digital ad platforms are consistently under consumer fire about transparency, which is relatively less known to SMEs. Ad platforms offer machine learning and algorithms (AI), which is a great starting solution. Frankly, AI and machine learning campaigns have been around since 2010, and my experience is that these mechanics work to certain maxima and need human guidance and judgment to push further. Representatives of ad platforms offer great onboarding support and various campaign opportunities to new advertisers, and they will follow good practices including informing you that platform representatives do not take liability for the impact of their recommendations. This works well with agencies, too; however, they may not be great for a humble advertiser putting in most of his operational cash flow to grow.  Key issues here: Suggested solution: Ask an agency to create an ad platform under the brand’s ownership (please do pay for the agency’s work). Check associated work contracts/scopes and get clauses to protect the brand’s data and platforms.  The WHEN problem One has just spoken to an account manager about key changes or the application of certain recommendations made. You want to know the results of a test campaign that was executed (messaging, target audience, audience journey or offer). Without transparency, your key issues are:  Suggested solution: Access to the platform forces alignment. Such transparency also improves operational efficiency at every level of the organization across all parties.  The WHAT problem While offering advertising audits, I found several reports showing clients that ads targeted “high-net-worth individuals.” On follow-ups for exactly “what” the configuration was, the answer often came back as “proprietary targeting” that had been gathered over the years. This so-called gathered information was from several websites, all feeding an ad platform that does not belong to these website owners. So, this does allow targeted ad platforms to work well. Others didn’t have any particular configuration at all (we found out via our own techniques). So the key issues are: Suggested solution: Hire well-trained professionals, protect your interests, and use your own ad platforms. Data is the new oil and has been so since 2009. The WHY problem Curiosity killed the cat, and satisfaction brought it back to life, giving it nine lives. As an ever-curious person, I ask myself why something works versus something that does not. Often, the answers arrive by combining insights and data from multiple sources.  If your advertising budget and activities are a major part of your business, get in control. So, HOW does one solve it? Educated buyers demand better marketplaces, which is good for everyone. This is especially true for advertising. A generic machine-driven campaign will also automatically target your competitors, and so will their ads target yours. A generic, show my ad to everyone campaign is too broad and makes advertising expensive. Why: we operate in a world where we bid in auctions on each ad, and more auctioneers imply more cost. Read these resources from Google and Meta to deepen your knowledge. We do our bit to offer the best-of-the-class transparency to our clients using these processes:  It is easier for our prospects to think of Mister Marketeer as an advertising agency, but our behaviors are otherwise. We are a marketing consultancy with an advertising forte. We act