This week in martech

Epsilon launches real-time consumer intent solution 

Epsilon, the data-based performance marketing platform, this week announced the launch of Signals, a new solution within Epsilon PeopleCloud. Signals will enrich brand’s first-party data with real-time in-market intent signals based on browsing behavior, interests and demographics.

Signals’ optimized audiences can be activated outside the Epsilon platform to drive omnichannel campaigns. The solution aims at increasing customer lifetime value by identifying opportunities for cross-sell and up-sell. The Signals audiences will be updated and optimized regularly using machine learning models.

Why we care. In addition to knowing who your audience is, and where it find it, it should also be possible to know what it’s looking for — and execute on that information at scale.

Retailers increased Black Friday and Cyber Monday ad spend

According to data from StitcherAds, retailers increased their Black Friday ad spend on Facebook and Instagram by almost 40% this year. Cyber Monday ad spend on the same platforms was up by 26%.

StitcherAds looked at online purchase data for 22 top U.S. retailers advertising on Facebook and Instagram, each spending at least $300,000 per month on ads. In app transactions driven by Facebook or Instagram ads accounted for 2% of overall sales revenue, up a quarter on last year, and there was an 11% YoY increase in website sales on the two holidays.

Why we care. Black Friday and Cyber Monday were record-breakers in terms of online sales in 2020. The main reasons seem obvious, but marketers will want to look closely at the specific drivers.

Outfront wants to know if you’ve been naughty or nice

This holiday season, outdoor media company Outfront is stepping in to help Santa out. Animated winter window displays in outdoor locations will encourage shoppers to interact by scanning a QR code to receive a digital “gift” that can be kept, traded or re-gifted, and shared on social media.

The QR code opens a hidden site in the user’s browser and unwraps one of 20 different animated presents. The gift-giving will run through end of year, and can be found throughout the MTA in New York City, and in Washington DC and Miami on pedestrian-level out of home assets such as Liveboards and bus shelters.

You can also click to try it out here.

Why we care. We had never thought about OOH advertising as Santa’s little helper before.

About The Author

Kim Davis

Kim Davis is the Editorial Director of MarTech Today. Born in London, but a New Yorker for over two decades, Kim started covering enterprise software ten years ago. His experience encompasses SaaS for the enterprise, digital- ad data-driven urban planning, and applications of SaaS, digital technology, and data in the marketing space. He first wrote about marketing technology as editor of Haymarket’s The Hub, a dedicated marketing tech website, which subsequently became a channel on the established direct marketing brand DMN. Kim joined DMN proper in 2016, as a senior editor, becoming Executive Editor, then Editor-in-Chief a position he held until January 2020. Prior to working in tech journalism, Kim was Associate Editor at a New York Times hyper-local news site, The Local: East Village, and has previously worked as an editor of an academic publication, and as a music journalist. He has written hundreds of New York restaurant reviews for a personal blog, and has been an occasional guest contributor to Eater.