Recently,  Google hosted their annual Think Finance conference, focused on a variety of relevant topics including the role online video plays in brand campaigns, and the offerings of more sophisticated attribution models that can help leverage data across platforms, thus making the most of your dollar.

There were a few key takeaways that reinforced what we do at Deutsch NY: Be where your target is, know their behaviors, adapt your media and message to be impactful across all channels, and be mindful that data as attribution cannot be solely given to one channel and you must start thinking about what all of them can do for you.

How do you find out where your target is and make your message mean something? Be smart with what analytics are telling you. Discover what the target is engaging with, and frame your message towards their interests, across all platforms.  Be where you know they are, and they will see you. Be relevant, and they will listen.

You are reaching them, now how do you judge what attributed to their action or conversion? In digital advertising, attribution is a tricky nut to crack.  It might be a blend of video, social, display and search that helped the viewer make their decision to engage.  There are multi-touch attribution methods now which help to leverage data across channels and gives the brand a better idea of the path and influence of each interaction that led to the conversion.

A highlight of the day was “The Reinvention of Travel and Marketing for Virgin America,” presented by Virgin VP of Marketing, Luanne Calvert.  Luanne gave the room a sneak peek at their latest engagement-driven video campaign that will run online (and in-cabin, of course). Virgin is bringing their in-flight features to life through entertaining interactive content. It’s interesting, it’s relevant, it’s smart, and it’s the future of our industry – content that touches people, that makes people feel things, that makes people want to talk about it, all while discreetly featuring a signature product or service.

By leveraging data and the use of more sophisticated attribution models, combined with rock-solid creative rooted in deep human insights of the consumer is what will help us all make the most out of our client’s marketing dollars.  That’s something to ‘think’ about.

I must add that Google, as always, was a very generous host, but this year brought a twist on the typical conference “swag” bag with their life-size Google Wallet.  With the help of a Google liaison’s phone, attendees could simply tap the image of the product on the “Mobile Shopping Wall” and add gifts to their virtual bag (later picked up at cocktail hour).  I went for the Google knee-high sport socks and tablet neoprene case.  All in a day’s work.