Algorithmic attribution modelling data from Visual IQ had shown that digital display was a significant contributor on the path toward conversion; the initial challenge was to improve performance further and bring it in line with other channels such as paid search and affiliates. But the scope quickly increased as we saw the first results of our approach to include existing customer comms.

Ultimately we needed to better utilise our creative assets and serve them in timely and contextually relevant ways based on the data we hold or could acquire in order to increase overall digital performance.

The entire purpose of Precision was less about being relevant to a product but rather being relevant to the consumer. Our hypothesis was that these more targeted messages would improve overall performance.

Once we had targeted our audiences and contexts, and modelled site and customer behaviour against consumer mind-sets, the propensity models are constantly run to segment and re-segment our base and the decision engine ensures that tailored messages are deployed across our owned and paid channels.

Throughout the entire Precision Marketing programme, this decision and communications framework was heavily optimised based upon existing and new data points, and creative performance.

With that framework in place, we were able to ensure we were nudging consumers further down the funnel and closer to the point of purchase.

Working again with visual IQ we ascertained the true attributable worth of our efforts.

When viewed in this context, we witnessed a 61% improvement in overall display “True CPA“ (when measured from an algorithmic attribution perspective, not simply last-click conversion).

At a prospecting level we saw CTR’s increase 33%, whilst overall, our combined efforts led to an 18% increase in display sales.

In email we saw an equally dramatic effect, open rates increased by 20.7%, which led to an additional 1.13m emails being opened over a 6 month period.

The results bear testament to the holistic approach of O2’s digital marketing, and have delivered a step change in performance with both owned and paid working together in unison to deliver targeted messages to both prospects and customers alike.