FreshDirect Tests 'Halo Effect' of Programmatic Ads
Digital activations and promotions are critical to New York-based FreshDirect's marketing strategy as an online grocery delivery service.
Objective
FreshDirect recently tested a "halo effect" theory of whether programmatic display and video ads create brand awareness that benefits ads run on social and search.
Working with its advertising agency partner Tombras, FreshDirect has been leveraging The Trade Desk’s demand-side platform (DSP) to buy and place ads programmatically on the open internet (i.e., on websites, apps and digital platforms outside of walled gardens, such as Google and Facebook).
Solutions
To measure the effectiveness of display and online video ads delivered programmatically on non-programmatic media, The Trade Desk placed a universal pixel on FreshDirect’s website to understand user behavior across the site, according to a case study on The Trade Desk’s website.
Additionally, custom pixel mapping provided the grocer with insight on customers’ paths to purchase, including exposure to programmatic ads, visits to the website from a paid search or social ad and conversions.
- Universal pixel: A tracking code placed across FreshDirect’s site to collect data on user behavior, tracking where visitors came from and what actions they took.
- Custom pixel mapping: Mapping different touchpoints in the customer journey, helping FreshDirect understand how different ads influence shopping behavior.
To measure success, Tombras compared the conversion rates for people exposed to paid search or social ads only against users exposed to paid search or social ads and ads delivered by The Trade Desk platform.
Results
According to The Trade Desk, the retail media campaign resulted in a 388% jump in conversions for people who saw programmatic ads delivered by its platform on top of paid search. And conversions rose 274% among people exposed to ads delivered by The Trade Desk’s platform in addition to paid social.
