Inside the Industry: The importance of creativity in advertising
Carl Jernberg, Digital Strategist at Scream Media Agency, on media planning and how to stand out to advertisers.
An inside look into media planning and standing out with Carl Jernberg from Scream Media Agency.
Media agencies are the go-to partner for brands that want to find the best media solutions for their campaigns. That’s big advertising money that publishers of all sizes are eager to get a cut of and eager to connect with media agencies. But not all publishers get the chance to work with media agencies. Why is that?
For the first feature in our mini-series, Inside the Industry, Carl Jernberg, Digital Strategist at Scream, offers a window into media planning, what advertisers like him are looking for and how to stand out.
What does your campaign planning process look like?
“We start with internal research and look back at the story for the brand. We review briefs, business objectives, barriers and then begin planning.
We plot out everything and set goals so we can translate that to media goals and objectives and eventually, a media plan. The brief allows us to take a step back and ask ourselves which media is the best to invest in.”
Why not buy 100% programmatic advertising?
“At Scream, we don’t have that trading desk feeling where our only focus is programmatic buying. We have great local partners that are so important to us, which makes the need for Ocast constant.
The big brands we work with are eager to get to know the publishers. It’s not all about having a 50% share of voice but also for the publisher to be able to identify how they can actually help this brand.”
How do you use Ocast in your planning?
“If I want to target a certain audience, move them and have a certain frequency, where can I find them?
When digging into publisher information and sources, that is when Ocast is crucial. I use it almost every day. Of course, I can go through other sources, follow trends, blogs, forums but when all the pre-planning is done, that’s when the need for a tool like Ocast is crucial. It makes it easier to bundle products and have one place to go for information.
When digging into publisher information and sources, that is when Ocast is crucial.
What takes most time isn’t not browsing for sites or finding the right publisher, from our perspective, it’s how can we streamline and make all the process as easy as possible. It’s so so important. To have a tool like Ocast to make it more efficient is so needed.”
What are your tips to publishers to stand out for advertisers?
1. It’s all about transparency.
“Know the difference between an apple and a pear — your reach in humans, not cookies or browsers. Know your data and be proud of it.
We choose to not be 100% programmatic because we know we need other advertising types. We have great partners, work with local publishers and that is what makes a difference.”
2. Tell us the possibilities.
“Scream is very open. I’ve heard publishers feel they can’t access networks and agencies anymore and I don’t really get it.
They may be a great publisher, but don’t know their own product.
Tell us the possibilities and what we can expect from a collaboration. We need more openness to be creative — we, unfortunately, see that publishers creativity and knowledge about their products are sometimes lacking. They may be a great publisher but don’t know their own product.”
3. Be creative and be unique and be yourself.
“It’s your store and you want to front the best of it. Share a great story and make people think “Oh wow, that’s eye-catching!”
There are so many possibilities we haven’t explored yet.
Get to know your own products and explore it. There are so many possibilities we haven’t explored yet.”
Do you need a media kit?
Sometimes I talk to new media and my first question is “Do you have a media kit?” Go back and start with a media kit then let’s talk.
The basics — overview, stats and all that, should be on Ocast. I will need a media kit. We can talk before but I will ask for one later on.
The basics are what checks off the main, important boxes. If you look at the basics, you can have a low reach but a really great engagement. It doesn’t have to do with how big you are to be relevant.
Take your shot at a media meeting
At Scream, they host 2 to 3 media meetings per week. They’ve seen their share of bad presentations and good. For Carl, seeing the difference is easy.
We feel the same way with media profiles. The difference between good and bad are easy to spot. We couldn’t agree more with Carl that the good stand out by coming prepared, knowing their brand, and bringing creativity.
“We can see when a publisher loves their brand.
You have an opportunity to meet hundreds of brands for 30 minutes in a room. Embrace it.
After 6 years, I can’t believe that bad media meetings still happen. The basics — overview, stats and all that, should be on Ocast. Come meet us in person for 30 minutes on stage and wow us. We are eager to listen.”
Are you creative?
Are you transparent? Do you know your brand? Does your media profile reflect this? If yes, time to get in touch with Carl. 😎
