Simpli.fi Leverages Unstructured Data to Target Auto Buyers on a Granular Level
Using a local business’s inventory management software to serve dynamic ads in real-time sounds good in theory, but the process can quickly get gummed up, with unnecessary friction for companies that simply want to promote the products they currently have in-stock at brick-and-mortar stores.
In an effort to streamline that process, the local programmatic advertising and DSP platform Simpli.fi is releasing an upper funnel dynamic creative solution that leverages unstructured data to target buyers at a granular level and serves dynamic ads showing actual inventory without requiring integration to the business’ inventory management system.
While the solution is available exclusively to auto dealers right now, Simpli.fi CEO Frost Prioleau says the company plans to start rolling it out to other industries — including retail, QSR, real estate, and financial services — in the coming months.
“Auto is the first vertical that we are rolling out, as we have done some integrations that make it extremely easy to set up a campaign that displays ads featuring a dealer’s inventory,” he says. “However, we think that applying dynamic creative to upper funnel tactics is applicable across many industries.”
Starting the rollout process with auto dealers was also a move to take advantage of advertising spending trends within the industry. U.S. digital ad spending in the automotive industry increased 22.4% from 2015 to 2016, up to $9.13 billion. With a slowdown in sales across the board in the second half of 2016, automakers are continuing to boost spending on online promotions.
Simpli.fi’s new upper funnel dynamic creative solution does not require buyers to visit an auto dealer’s website. Instead, it uses buyer characteristics, like keyword search and contextual targeting, to identify a buyer’s interests and serve dynamic ads that show actual inventory from local dealers in real-time. The turn-key solution does not require any integration to an advertiser’s inventory management software, which has been a barrier in the past for auto dealers that didn’t feel comfortable allowing the software integration or were not capable because of outside technical issues.
So how does Simpli.fi serve ads that show actual inventory in real-time, without integrating with a local dealer’s inventory software? Prioleau explains that Simpli.fi has completed integrations with partners who have licensed access to the inventory data, so the company doesn’t need to directly integrate with the dealers individually.
The new setup makes the Simpli.fi’s solution more efficient for auto dealers that don’t have time for lengthy setups or don’t feel comfortable giving others access to their systems for security reasons. At the same time, the new solution also gives local dealers access to better targeting and personalization, which should ultimately improve the return on investment from their digital advertising campaigns.
While Simpli.fi isn’t able to cite any users by name, Prioleau says the company has seen adoption by auto groups who want to take advantage of the ability to target prospects who haven’t visited the dealer websites or who are wanting to cut the time to market by removing the inventory management system integration steps.
“We are big believers in the benefits that advertisers see from localizing and personalizing both the targeting and the messaging of their advertising campaigns,” Prioleau says. “This release enables personalized messages to be delivered to automotive prospects, so is very much in line with our overall direction.”
Stephanie Miles is a senior editor at Street Fight.
