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Maria Skolgata 83
Stockholm, Sweden

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How to prove marketing is an investment, not a cost

July 25, 2022

Close up of two credit cards

Karen Chandler


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With global inflation increasing and the cost-of-living crisis dominating the news, it’s not a surprise that some companies are considering cutting their marketing budgets. In fact, the UK Government has even suggested that companies cut the prices for consumers using money they would otherwise use on marketing. For many businesses, both large and small, marketing is seen as a revenue-taking department; something that can be trimmed as and when required.

But this is a very short-term view, with long-term repercussions. The Harvard Business Review has examined these effects in companies that reduce spending in recessions, and come to the conclusion that firms that maintain their marketing spend while reallocating it to suit the context – be it in product developing, advertising and communication, or pricing – typically fare better than firms that cut their marketing investment”.

But knowing this, and being able to prove it to your CEO, MD, board of directors, or investors is different. So how do you do this? We can start with cold, hard data!

Prove your ROI.

Marketing Mix Modelling allows you to see which bits of media investment offer the best ROI right now, long-term, and which combinations give the best results. It takes all of your sales figures, media data, and general market trends, alongside any seasonal effects and macro trends. The data is modelled then put into a simulation where you can see what the optimal media mix is for your budget, or even if you should increase it in certain areas. It clearly demonstrates the impact these changes will have on short-term sales and long-term brand KPIs.

Track your brand.

Continuous brand tracking allows you to see exactly how your brand is doing in the wider world alongside your competitors. By understanding your brand’s strengths and weaknesses, you can be better equipped to deal with events such as the cost of living crisis or new market entrants. Brand tracking gives your marketing team the data they need to get your audience to listen. Nepa’s Brand Noise Reduction tools further strengthen continuous tracking to make this as accurate as possible.

Ensure your campaigns are as efficient as possible.

Relying on your gut feelings simply isn’t good enough in 2022. Campaign evaluations allow you to prove that the campaign you have put together will have the impact you want before you print your billboard posters or commit to costly tv slots. It allows you to prove to the budget owners that you’re targeting the right people, at the right time, in the right way.

When your competitors are cutting back, your share of voice will increase if you can maintain or increase your advertising budget, but in the right ways. Want to know more about dynamic marketing intelligence? Get in touch!

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Optimize your marketing budget with Marketing Mix Modeling

March 05, 2020

Nepa Marketing Mix Modeling

Sam Richardson


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In today’s world, making sure your marketing budget is optimally utilised across all channels and target groups is no small task. That’s why our Marketing Mix Modeling has a modern flair to ensure the best outcome for every campaign.

Today’s customers expect brands to use a personalized approach, catered to their specific needs. This not only means you need to have the correct message, but also need to reach them at the right time, and in the appropriate channels. Given that the number of possible channels have increased dramatically, customers have become accustomed to a higher standard when it comes to corporate communications. It’s hard to get this right every time and for every customer.

READ ALSO: Power-up your Marketing Mix with brand expertise and data science

Marketing Mix Modeling – a winning strategy

So how do you ensure that marketing efforts are managed in the most optimal way? Marketing Mix Modeling has been used for many years, but many of these are based on models created in the past. Digital channels made things much more complicated that is why we at Nepa decided to take a new and modern approach.

We built a modern Marketing Mix Model to ensure optimal performance across all channels, not just the traditional ones. Because let’s face it, when you start adding Google Ads, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and Pinterest to the mix of TV, radio and OoH, monitoring and optimizing your campaign performances becomes really tricky.

What makes our Marketing Mix Model different?

Well, let me tell you.

Firstly, we have exclusive partnerships with the world’s largest Digital Advertising Platforms – Google, Facebook, and Snap. This means that you get the best available data from your campaign performances, not only traditional, but also digital channels .

Secondly, our algorithms allow you to look at campaign performances for both long-term and short-term perspectives. This enables you to adapt your marketing strategies to drive sales over multiple intervals, not just for your next marketing campaign.

READ ALSO: Benefits och Path to Purchase Analysis

Thirdly, predicting your customers next move is crucial to ensure that you reach your audience with the right message, at the right time. Our prediction algorithms will definitely help you when it comes to understanding what your target audiences are going to do next.
How do I know that I will get a solution catered to my needs?

Nepa is a fully independent company, which means that we will help you find the best mix to reach your marketing goals based on actual performance.

Our system is designed to take both your internal factors (product changes, prices etc.) and external factors (weather, competitor activities, holidays etc.) into account. This ensures that the suggestions our system provides will always have your best interest in mind.

What should I do now?

That is an excellent question and here are two suggestions:

  1. Get in touch with one of our MMM Experts and start your projects today.
    Or
  2. If you want to learn more about Modern Marketing Mix Modeling you can download our e-book “The Future of Marketing Mix Modeling”  or read some success stories. Our MMM Experts are always available to answer your questions!

We look forward to helping you get the most out of your marketing budget!

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Consumer journeys become more and more complex

May 26, 2017

Robert Beatus


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And changes in behavior happen faster than ever. Consumers learn about products, compare prices, share opinions, consume content, and make their decisions where and when it best serves them on their consumer journey – their path to purchase. Different websites, devices, store channels and media types (both online and offline) interact to impact consumers throughout their journey. This forms the consumer experience that is ultimately decisive for the success or failure for brands and retailers.

To make things even more complex, consumers’ paths to purchase are highly different for different consumer segments, purchase channels and shopper missions. Most CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) giants and top retailers agree with the importance of an omnichannel perspective on the consumer experience. However, most of them have yet to move beyond single-channel tactics.

The gap between online and offline shopper insights

There is one big challenge that companies who do not choose to move into an omnichannel perspective face. It is the lack of easy-to-implement and robust research methods to ultimately measure consumers’ omnichannel paths to purchase. Which online and offline touchpoints should be prioritized for brand building and ultimately conversion? Currently, most CPG companies have a good understanding of how their shoppers are behaving; both online and offline. However, this understanding often does not link the online and the offline world together. It also does not link how shoppers are interacting and behaving across the entire Path to Purchase.

READ ALSO: Benefits of Path to Purchase analysis

There are several reasons why marketing research methods are not able to uncover the omnichannel path to purchase.

Let’s go through the most common approaches:

1. Self-stated surveys, after completed purchase

The most traditional way of researching path to purchase is asking consumers about their Path to Purchase, the touchpoints they’ve encountered leading up to purchase, and the impact they’ve had on them. This method allows for mapping of typical Paths to Purchase, including all types of touchpoints. However, it is difficult for people to simply tell which specific touchpoints made them take a specific action. Thus, this method gives very limited insight into the impact of different touchpoints.

2. Monitor consumers’ digital behavior

This method has a higher validity since it’s based on actual behavior. However, it only links to online behavior not capturing the interaction between online and offline interactions, missing the central omnichannel aspect of path to purchase. Moreover, in general companies do not have access to online purchase data from different e-retailers, making conversions impossible to capture. Another consideration for this approach is that it generates a TON of data – so be sure to probe an agency on their data engineering and data science chops.

READ ALSO: Brand research: What is it & why is it important?

3. Qualitative research

Focus groups, online diaries, or in-depth interviews enable research to dig deeper into consumers reasoning and motives behind behaviors. Qualitative methods are therefore widely used to understand Path to Purchase. The main problem with using a qualitative approach is that it does not quantify either your finding or measure the impact of individual touchpoints.

4. Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM):

In this method, advanced statistical modeling is applied on historical data on media spend and sales. Marketing Mix Modeling does not rely on surveys, and as such is free from any research biases. It also allows for understanding the impact of individual touchpoints which guides media planning. However, MMM requires high quality time series data of all relevant media spend and sales. This is difficult for media owners to get a hold of.

Further, relying on historical media spend, MMM can only assess the media channels used by the advertiser historically, not revealing anything about the potential of new media channels, nor touchpoints that can’t be quantified by media spend (e.g. recommendations from friends, or key category influencers). Moreover, interactions between and sequences of touchpoints are very difficult to capture with MMM.

Do you recognize the challenges above?

I understand if it’s hard to find a research methodology to capture Path to Purchase across channels. Please share how you have solved this situation by writing in the comments section. Otherwise, you’re most welcome to get in touch with me to discuss this subject.

What methods does your company use to understand Path to Purchase?

Nepa´s approach to map consumers’ omnichannel Path to Purchase is to use both monitored and self-stated data. We do this by collecting individual single source data (both attitudinal and behavioral) through a focused panel of respondents for a limited time period (via web scraping, browser monitoring, app monitoring, and a self-reporting portal).

This way we can capture all touchpoints that consumers interact with, as well as their actions (e.g. makes a store visit or purchase) not limited to bought media or owned channels. By modeling this data, we help our clients understand the impact of individual touchpoints and the combinations of them. As a bonus, we use trigger-based surveys to capture motivations behind actions and experiences of touchpoints. The output allows for:

  1. Optimizing marketing budget.
  2. Informing campaigns and content strategies.
  3. Informing retailer-specific insights. All insights are omnichannel context, and are not limited to bought media touchpoints.

“The output gives our clients an actionable framework to make market-by-market decisions about how to focus their media, marketing, and sales investments along the Path to Purchase.”

I help businesses to thrive with customer-centricity by utilizing the power of continuous consumer insights. There is no end to what you can achieve with real-time consumer insights, customer feedback, and footprints. Do you want to know more about our approach or share your view on these challenges? You’re most welcome to get in touch with us. 

Robert Beatus
Head of R&D at Nepa

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A study about the future of journalism

February 18, 2017

Robert Beatus


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Introducing the voice of the consumer

The major media players in Sweden have developed the prerequisites for the future of journalism. As a result, nine focus areas are identified of which lead to research projects at Stockholm School of Economics (HHS).

Shown in the media:

Dagens Nyheter 1

Dagens Nyheter 2

Resumé

Dagens Media

Nepa conducted a study of the future of journalism where different data sources combine.

The basis of the analysis has been on consumers´ actual behavior within the largest news sites in Sweden as well as their inner motivations to news consumption. In addition, these studies were based on editorial content; unlike most other panel studies based on the ad business.

The analysis is based on digital behavior of 38,000 unique individuals. Specifically, these individuals are from Aftonbladet, Dagens Nyheter, Expressen, Svenska Dagbladet, Sveriges Radio, Sveriges Television, and Upsala Nya Tidning; in other words, Sweden’s largest news sites.

The digital footprint was supplemented with survey studies with 4,000 participants. Specifically, they were interviewed about six topics; media attitudes, news consumption, privacy, sharing behavior in social media, news commitment, and quality associations.

The nationally representative sample were aged from 15-74 years old and were drawn from the Nepa panels. These panels are consisting of approximately 350,000 consumers in Sweden.

READ ALSO: Brand research: What is it & why is it important?

The research projects will continuously measure behavior given the new realities of the outside world

Nepa introduced the voice of the consumer in the discussion on the basis of six consumer-related focus areas. These include:

  • News consumption in different segments
    • What are the different target segments?
    • Where do they consume the news today and what motivates them?
    • What are the needs of news and news formats they have today?
  • Viral behavior
    • What content can be shared with others?
    • What drives sharing in social media?
    • How is the shared content be perceived?
  • Commitment
    • What kind of commitment is there?
    • What drives commitment?
  • Quality associations digital media
    • What quality associations create a will to pay high perceived value in journalism?
  • The future news format
    • What are the future consumer needs of news and news formats?
  • Personal integrity
    • How does the perception of integrity differ among different segments of the target audience?
    • How does the need for integrity change over time?
    • In what way do different media brands affect consumers’ attitude?
    • How much information will different target groups want to share in the future? What will be their counterclaims?

Summary of the study

The market for news consumption is traditionally based on age, gender, or lifestyle. Therefore, by using consumers’ actual behavior and underlying driving forces, new segments for news consumption can be identified.

The new segments reveal three different groups whose needs are not being addressed today by traditional media. The three new segments satisfy their needs digitally with new types of media formats. In addition, these segments represent approximately 50% of the Swedish population.

However, the segments have different reasons for being active on social media. Some segments are using social media to influence the opinions of others. This is opposed to others whom use social media to enhance the image of themselves in their own network.

Furthermore, the study shows that there is a no one single way to attract the groups that are currently not addressed by traditional media. For example, there are consumers who question the independence of traditional media. While other consumers question the ability to focus on personalized and interactive content. Additionally, there are also consumers looking for more depth and context. Therefore, all these consumers feel that they can’t find this in traditional media.

READ ALSO: Optimize your marketing budget with Markting Mix Modeling

New consumer segments

The market for news consumption traditionally has been segmented based on age, gender or lifestyle. However, this may be because of the advertising market’s way of dividing consumers based on communicative audiences.

Therefore, to find new insights about consumers’ news consumption, the basis for segmentation focuses on the attitude and the drive of news consumption. Additionally, there is also a focus on the actual behavior of the news sites.

Six different segments identified are:

The Enthusiastic 15%

  • Large news commitment
  • Consumes news in all channels but prefers analog channels

The Traditional 13%

  • Has a high commitment to innovation and community
  • Consumes mainly traditional media in the analog channels

The Dutiful 18%

  • Consumes news because they feel they have to keep up
  • Appreciates objectivity

The Following 13%

  • Has a high commitment to news
  • Inspired by news
  • Follows others on social forums in search of news

The Social 20%

  • Is the least present on digital services of traditional media
  • Socially driven in their news consumption
  • Inspired by news

The Distrust 21%

  • Is less present at digital services of traditional media
  • Socially driven in their news consumption
  • Distrusts traditional media
  • Appreciates objectivity

News consumption among segments

Within three of the segments, traditional media has a specific challenge; the Social, the Following and the Distrust. These segments together constitute to 50% of the Swedish population. In addition, this specific population satisfies their needs more and more just by the use of digital media alternatives and new types of formats. Therefore, the population uses the traditional news sites less. However, this is because of the result of links from search engines or social media.

There are also interesting differences in how social media is being used between the segments that traditional media finds difficult to reach. These include:

  • The Social gladly share news in social media to build and maintain relationships. Therefore, strengthening their own brand by appearing intelligent.
  • The Following consume a lot of news digitally, much like the Social. However, they are not sharing news as much as them.
  • The Distrust are happy to share news in social media. However, it is mainly to show their position or convince others of their opinion.

READ ALSO: What is brand tracking and why is it important?

Perceived value for the quality associations

The study shows that there are multiple ways to attract the groups that are currently not addressed by traditional media. The three most traditional segments appreciates three things the most; the depth of sources, the engagement of opinion-journalism, and having more context than the other. This is something that the segments feel they get today.

Therefore, in order to attract the three segments, traditional media needs enhancements of characteristics within the following areas:

  • The Distrust – “exclusiveness and context”, “depth of sources and references”, and “professional journalists/co-workers”
  • The Social –  “exclusiveness and personalized content,” “content via audio and video”, and “useful in everyday life and work”
  • The Following – “supplementary content services and benefits” and “depth and context”

Thomas Berthelsen
Head of R&D at Nepa

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Of course you should automate your insights work

January 22, 2017

Sam Richardson


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Actions speak louder than words

as we keep talking a lot about creating customer-centric organizations and the importance of bringing the customers to the center of your business. In order for your organization to get a significant commercial effect of your insights work, you have a lot to win by automating the entire process. If not, this is what you will be missing:

  1. The momentum in your business development throughout your organization
  2. The commitment from your organization
  3. The commercial drive that sets you apart from the competition

Importantly, these are all crucial accelerators in successful businesses. However, there are many and extensive benefits of insights automation.

READ ALSO: Power-up your Marketing Mix with brand expertise and data science

6 killer reasons to automate your customer insights work:

1. You will keep your customers close.

Knowledge will be fed to you with the latest and customer-based insights on a daily basis.

2. Your entire organization will keep running in the same direction.

A new customer insight might have a different meaning to different stakeholders in your organization. Imagine doing this continuously while using the automated insights process to always distribute relevant insights and the next best actions to relevant decision makers – where the point of action is.

READ ALSO: Brand tracking – your most valuable tracking tool

3. You will have a full understanding of the customer’s symptoms and the root-cause of problems.

Let’s call it a valuable by-product of every customer insight. This new insight can feed directly into product development teams to support continuous innovation and improvements. This often exterminates customer issues that would otherwise have gone unnoticed. You can iteratively prototype, build, test, and adjust accordingly to meet the changing consumer requirements. Iterating fast lets you economically test ideas and change them until you find the recipe to achieve better business outcomes.

4. Less costs and errors.

You substitute human weaknesses with the accuracy of smart and reliable machines. Therefore, you will bypass the expensive costs associated with manual errors and inefficiencies. In addition, automation done right also saves a number of administrative labor costs.

5. Stay updated of the ongoing process.

You will not only have a detailed view of each and every individual and their needs and footprints, but you will also have a bird’s-eye view of your whole insights process and results – wherever and whenever you like.

READ ALSO: Benefits of Path to Purchase analysis

6. Spend your time where it generates the best effect.

The automated process will save you a lot of manual hours because you can make changes more quickly and frequently. Therefore, you can spend more time on perfecting the business processes and empowering your colleagues about profit driving daily actions.

Constantly changing consumer habits calls for constantly new insights

The behavior of the consumers and the buying public has changed and will keep changing dramatically. Additionally, consumers can come from any part of the world and they all value very different things. Therefore, this will take a deep understanding of the consumer insights that shape the buying patterns of your customers.

Consequently, without gaining insights into these continuously changing individuals, groups, and their needs and behavior, your organization will never be able to efficiently develop the processes, products and services the consumers want from you. Hence, you risk spending vast amounts of money trying to promote offerings they don’t want in a way that won’t gain their attention.

A speedy process of automated insights supports more relevant decisions. So, you need to accept the fact that needs and behavior today changes often and fast.

7 insights proving the need of automated insights management:

  1. Social media has made the response from consumers quick and unrelenting.
  2. Social media influencers can swiftly “build up” a product that they like to their own circle of influence, or just as easily bring it down.
  3. What appeals to customers one day may not work the next. Consumer-centric marketing is not just a buzzword, it’s hardcore reality.
  4. There is a growing desire for multiplicity and customer experiences are expected to offer more than before. People are craving more active participation.
  5. We want to be hyper efficient. We are seeking ever-smarter and more efficient ways to manage our day and solve issues.
  6. There is a new appreciation of the digital as a source of inspiration. The means to create and participate are now in the hands of everyone.
  7. Personalization is booming. Advances in technology mean that products are able to read consumers and give them what they want; sometimes without even being asked.

READ ALSO: Optimise your marketing budget with Marketing Mix Modeling

To what level are your customer insights-actions automated today?

Launching products or services without digging into the reasons why consumers want them is putting you out of competition. To become a successful customer-centric business, there are of course a number of tricky tech issues, complex analysis, specific understanding of your industry and more to consider. We are good at that here at Nepa. So, why not get in touch with us and we promise to get you on track.

Ola Bergfeldt
Head of Global Communications