Twitter is good or bad for advertisers | Perspectives | Campaign Japan Japan

In the media world, where digital platforms are becoming the mainstay, Twitter is often the talk of the town. This is especially true when there is a lot of discussion going on online. However, in recent years, people’s gaze has become more severe. One reason is that it’s owned by a quirky entrepreneur named Elon Musk, and the other is that it’s become a breeding ground for inflammatory political opinion and disinformation. In addition, there is deep-rooted criticism of the company’s advertising guidelines in the industry. User experience, safety, transparency, ethics, etc. Problems have been pointed out in various aspects, and hot discussions are taking place.

Critics argue that the advertising ecosystem’s disclosure is inadequate. Algorithms and targeting mechanics are at stake. Users and experts say the mechanics of placements are opaque, and that they may be manipulating and exploiting individual users. In response to criticism of these biases — including political advertising — the company has launched a more transparent and verification process to protect its brand value.

One of the measures is the appointment of Linda Yaccarino, former head of advertising at US media giant NBCUniversal (NBCU), as CEO. He spent 12 years at NBCU, where he led the large-scale digitization and performance improvement of traditional media. He is expected to become a “Twitter Superwoman.”

While many in the industry have long believed that advertising on Twitter is risky, GroupM, the company’s biggest ad buyer, has vowed that “the risk will soon be gone.” Is it true? Will Yaccarino’s appointment be a turning point for Twitter? We asked APAC experts.

kellyn coatsy
US Marketing Service “Reprise Digital”
Head of Domestic Media & Analytics Division

“GroupM, which said Twitter was “risky,” changed its view, saying it was “cautiously optimistic.” This matches our longstanding assessment. Twitter’s risks are largely to do with brand suitability, not brand safety. As long as brands continue to buy media, they will keep placement and safety in mind. Then Twitter can be a safe advertising platform.

Twitter has cut its workforce by almost a fifth and is expected to return to profitability for the first time in years in the April-June quarter of this year. Under such circumstances, Mr. Yaccarino’s appointment came at an unexpected time. She is an outstanding leader and an outspoken advocate for women’s empowerment, becoming one of the female CEOs of nearly 10% of Fortune 500 companies. Digitally savvy, during the NBCU era, he led “untraditional” partnerships with companies such as YouTube, Snap, and Apple.

Regarding Twitter, we have already announced that we will neutralize content, eliminate algorithmic bias, and improve safety and the advertising environment through collaboration with brands. She also has a knack for bringing disparate things together. Under Company X, if Twitter aims to become a one-stop service company that includes payment and delivery, it will demonstrate its capabilities. ”

chadwick kinley
Advertising Fraud Prevention Tool “Traffic Guard”
Chief Marketing Officer

“Yacarino’s appointment as CEO will bring about positive change in the marketing industry, but marketers must remain vigilant in dealing with the rise of Twitter ad fraud.

Scammers are now exploiting the subscription service Twitter Blue to gain faster access to larger datasets. Larger scale activities are now possible. For marketing teams that spend a lot of time and money on campaigns and trying to build relationships with consumers, it poses a huge threat and can feel helpless in the face of a myriad of bots. The best way to block invalid data, such as bots, scams, and competitor clicks, is to run campaigns with thorough engagement verification and budget control.

Transparency is also a very important factor. Marketers need real-time visibility into exactly how their advertising budgets are allocated and whether fraud risks are effectively mitigated. By strategically adopting these techniques and spending on the right technology, marketers and agencies can protect their campaigns, budgets and brand reputation on Twitter. ”

Jamie Taylor
Havasu Media Australia
Head of Digital Integration

“Clients ask us various opinions and approaches to Twitter. It seems that they differ mainly depending on the industry. Currently, we have a few regular campaigns on Twitter, and most of them are test and learn (test and learn). It is a method of repeating experiments and learning to refine the service).

Third-party verification is essential for digital and social media buying. Therefore, brands should perform verification in every possible situation.

Yaccarino used to work for a media company, so he should have a good understanding of advertiser priorities. It will improve the quality of the advertising environment and eventually contribute to the improvement of the user experience. ”

Ash Dahlan
US marketing agency NP Digital
Senior Director of Performance

“Twitter has made significant progress in the level and transparency of its ad management. You can manage parallelism, and establishing brand safety in in-feed ads will help restore the trust that advertisers lost after Musk’s acquisition.

Brands and agencies have been concerned about the longevity and sustainability of Twitter’s advertising business. I was also concerned about the announcement that it would offer an advertising-free service to its subscribers. The appointment of Mr. Yaccarino sends a positive message that dispels such distrust. Twitter is already widely used as an advertising medium. In-feed advertising will continue to be an important medium for brands looking to increase audience engagement.

Mark Wesseling
Creative agency “Ultra Super New” (Japan)
Co-Founder, CEO

There are many options brands can take to maximize safety and profits on Twitter. I would spend my budget on sophisticated monitoring and voice tools to fully understand the trends and user conversations associated with the brand. That way, you can take action quickly when needed and reduce risk. These elements are extremely important. We will also strengthen content creation for specific audiences. Enlivening conversations among users and being actively involved in topical trends increases brand awareness.

Yaccarino’s mission is to regain the trust of audiences and advertisers. Twitter has many problems. Improving stability and transparency as an advertising platform, strengthening targeting and effect measurement, neutralizing content and diversifying coverage, ensuring brand safety… Under her leadership, we will focus on solving these problems. I should go.

(Text: Campaign Asia-Pacific Editorial Department, Translation/Editing: Tatsuya Mizuno)