Can a CRM and a DSP work together?
Mar tech and ad tech are that couple that seem like they should be together, even though something always gets in the way. But advertisers are determined to make the relationship work to get the most out of their clients’ first-party data.
That’s why Seattle-based ad agency Add3 tested the recent integration between self-serve DSP StackAdapt and CRM (customer relationship management) platform HubSpot.
The interplay between the two platforms lets Add3 retarget interested customers without relying on third-party cookies. The DSP pulls first-party data from a client’s CRM to segment users and target them. The integration also reduces retargeting costs by allowing Add3 to focus on more qualified leads.
Rethinking retargeting
A client using HubSpot can use first-party data to build targetable audiences in StackAdapt’s self-serve platform.
Without the direct integration, the client would have to share data derived from its CRM with the agency, typically by emailing it, said Adam Ansoff, programmatic media supervisor at Add3.
Of course, emailing files containing sensitive first-party data is a privacy risk that’s best avoided. Instead, the integration allows the DSP to ingest the info directly from the CRM. Add3 can then use that data to tailor ad creative based on where the target audience falls in their customer journey.
Add3 tested the integration on a campaign for a client that operates assisted living facilities. The client has pages on its site where potential customers can explore their options and submit requests for more info. User visits to those site pages serve as intent signals that Add3 can build segments around.
“For people who have taken a certain action or visited a certain page, we can hit them with specific messaging that’s a bit more personalized,” Ansoff said.
Brands also often enter data into their CRM that their ad agency wouldn’t be able to pull from a first-party pixel running on the client’s website.
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For example, a pixel could track whether a customer provided contact info to learn about the assisted living company’s pricing plans. But customers inquire about pricing all the time without actually intending to sign up.
Meanwhile, the company might have entered into its CRM more valuable data on qualified leads who have been in ongoing contact with its sales reps or who have sent inquiries about specific locations or facilities. All those interactions, even if they occur offline, tailor campaign messaging and outreach.
The CRM integration also makes it simple to negatively target users who’ve already converted, Ansoff said, which avoids a common retargeting pitfall: serving ads for a product or service the customer has already purchased.
Plus, the CRM data about converted users can be fed into a lookalike model, so marketers can use their data for lead generation and to find new customers.
These audiences are built using the client’s first-party data, providing an alternative to third-party cookie-based targeting, which is becoming less and less viable.
Cost per lead
Since it is able to pull qualified leads that are more likely to convert from the client’s CRM, Add3 doesn’t have to spend as much to drive conversions.
Add3 tested the StackAdapt/HubSpot integration against another DSP it declined to name that lacks a direct CRM connection. Ad buys conducted through StackAdapt saw a 75% reduction in cost per lead compared to the other DSP.
Add3’s next step is to take the insights derived from the StackAdapt/HubSpot integration and apply those across other buying platforms.
Currently, the integration between StackAdapt and HubSpot only supports targeting. But StackAdapt plans to add measurement capabilities that will track how well the CRM-derived targeting segments perform.
“If programmatic advertising has one flaw, it’s that performance-focused advertisers can get too hung up on last-click attribution, especially when it comes to search and social campaigns,” said Paul Uhlir, Add3 CEO.
Adding measurement to the equation, Uhlir said, might help Add3 wean its performance-minded clients away from focusing mainly on last-click attribution and toward a greater understanding of how their efforts throughout the marketing funnel drive conversions.
