Contextually clever- MAG x Decathlon

Contextual advertising is multichannel and scalable, making it a reliable means for reaching audiences. According to research conducted by IAS (Integral Ad Science), almost two-thirds (65%) of UK consumers have a more favourable opinion of the brands that serve them contextually relevant ads. Additionally, more than eight in ten (81%) prefer to see ads that align with the content they are consuming.

It offers control over how a message is presented in various contexts, and advertisers now have far greater agility when it comes to planning and executing their campaigns.

It delivers unique benefits which make it a particularly effective strategy for campaign planning. For example, it gives marketers an opportunity to target niche contexts. Marketers can choose to target by a general topic, or for digital campaigns, use a collection of keywords for more precise targeting.

Today, we wanted to showcase just how simple it is to be contextual, with our national campaign for Decathlon! One of the cities it’s advertising it’s store openings is Liverpool. There are two levels to the relevant context here:

-          Firstly, the campaign is Liverpool based- so saying ‘ Hello Liverpool’ on the advert  is the brand introducing itself to the whole city- making it personal and friendly. It’s so easy and simple.

-          ‘Eight days a week’ is  a Beatles song, and the Beatles are from  Liverpool, by using the word eight ( albeit crossed out), it’s a nod to the fact the brand knows it’s stuff about the city, whilst also delivering the relevant message that the store is open all week.

-          The rest of the ad is clear and concise; it relies on the context to do the job and because it’s so clever it will have greater impact on the audience.

Looking ahead , now is the time for brands to tap into the power of emotion and semantics to deliver contextually relevant ads. This will be vital to develop long-term consumer relationships and drive competitive advantage.