r3: CtrlShift's new data-driven solution suite

CtrlShift, an audience-focused marketing solutions company, has launched its global suite of managed end-to-end solutions r3 (r-cube). The suite of managed solutions applies deep insights based on complex data to deliver smarter and highly targeted digital campaigns for brands across multiple channels. r3 – relevance, response, results – uses data, technology and human expertise to help marketers better plan and run their digital brand campaigns to deliver the right ads to the right audience on the right channels. Brand marketers need to provide a brief of their desired campaign outcomes, and using r3, CtrlShift strategizes and executes a multi-channel campaign to deliver the desired results. The integrated solution suite ensures high-impact campaigns are delivered with effective reach, through a dynamic process of enriching audience segments throughout the campaign, on a continuous cycle. It also offers brands a single view across all digital channels, allowing marketers to easily oversee, assess and manage different elements of their digital campaigns.

Deepika Nikhilender, CEO of CtrlShift, said: “Too many marketers think that programmatic is simply about cutting costs, but it has now evolved to be more data-driven and technologically advanced. r3 marries this evolution of programmatic and in-depth audience data, so that marketers are able to strategize, implement and measure digital campaigns that drive business goals.”

A departure from the conventional linear approach of simply setting parameters at the start of a campaign and delivering the outcomes, r3 uses a cycle approach to provide higher precision across the different facets of the campaign – channels, audiences and budget allocations. Artificial intelligence (AI) is used to analyse campaign data and learning from the past seven years, like a ‘feedback’ system, to recommend improvements to campaign strategies. These recommendations are generated throughout the campaign, allowing continuous adjustments, giving marketers the best bang for their buck. Traditionally, different agencies or teams are responsible for different campaign components across multiple channels – social media, search, online display, mobile and in-app. This often results in isolated planning, as well as fragmented measurement and reporting. CtrlShift addresses this problem by using its proprietary software that unifies data from different channels, presenting a common basis for comparison. This allows brands to have a single view, and fairly measure engagement statistics and audience activity across multiple channels. Insights generated by r3 are also beyond basic impressions of ‘clicks’ and ‘views’. They include gender, browsing behaviour, intent and affinities. The reports comprehensively measure the performance and effectiveness of each digital campaign, empowering marketers to strategize the next steps for their campaigns.

Silvia Siow, Regional Lead, Strategic Planning at CtrlShift, said: “By harnessing the AI capabilities of our proprietary trading platform, r3 is able to offer insights that raise the industry standard in campaign management and reporting. This ensures a more precise and optimal campaign that marketers need to be accountable for.”

Besides precision in targeting, ad fraud, viewability (ensuring ads are actually viewed) and brand safety are also concerns often faced by marketers when running digital campaigns. r3 mitigates these issues through active ad fraud detection, website verification and viewability checks. Ad fraud detection is conducted before and during the campaign to ensure ads are not placed on sites with bot clicks or ad layering. r3 incorporates technologies which verify websites using brand limits to eliminate any sites not aligned to the brand identity (gambling, pornographic, religious, political websites). Viewability standards (targets) are set at the start of campaigns and viewability metrics are reviewed throughout to ensure standards are adequate and adhered to; confirming that the ads are being viewed by the intended target audience. These features ensure campaigns are run in a trusted and safe ecosystem. “When implementing a digital campaign, marketers often need to navigate a complex network of channels and specialised technology solutions such as data providers, data management platforms, demand-side platforms, exchanges, creative delivery systems as well as analytics and verification tools, while being mindful of their brands’ digital safety and security,” said Silvia Siow.

r3 integrates all the necessary technology and human expertise into a single solution that is free from such confusion, empowering marketers to roll out impactful campaigns.”