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Digital Advertising

Laziness Undermines Digital Advertising.

Slipstream Issue 1

Nick Cargill, Programmatic Account Director

There was a grim picture painted in Campaign during December, of $73million wasted spend from advertisers during the festive season. Digital advertising was the culprit, but in the current landscape this is wholly unnecessary, all it needs is a human touch.  


Today, programmatic buying reigns supreme in the digital advertising world, fueled by machine learning. Enabling us to identify and target prospects like never before. But can we set up, sit back and let algorithms do the heavy lifting? Not quite.  Transparency is on the rise, which is why Campaign has unveiled the shocking statistic of festive ad waste. Improved practices allow us to identify un-viewable impressions, invalid website traffic and misaligned contexts, empowering humans to step in and take action on poor performing activity. It allows us to dump the poor performers and double down on winning channels. We can create more effective placement, marrying ad formats with relevant contexts for maximum engagement. It also allows greater integration between medium and message.  


At Bicycle, we believe in curating media experiences. It's not just about avoiding waste; it's about crafting brand extensions that resonate with audiences. We go beyond traditional brand safety concerns and delve into the heart of message optimisation. It’s adance between human insights and data-driven decisions, a tango fuelled by careful crafting.  The responsibility doesn't lie solely with agencies. Advertisers must demand transparency and proactive waste reduction from their partners. Ask questions, challenge assumptions, and embrace the human-machine symbiosis that unlocks true advertising effectiveness. 


Remember, it's not just about saving money; it's about crafting experiences that resonate with your audience and deliver impactful results. So, let's ditch the "lazy buying" mentality and embrace the power of carefully crafted campaigns. Together, we can get digital advertising off the naughty list.   Brands 'wasting $73bn of ad spend on unsuitable digital ads' during festive period a commentary.

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