5 Minutes with… Marc Langenfeld
In the dynamic advertising world, the synergy between creativity and algorithmic targeting is transforming the landscape – and Marc Langenfeld, head of media at VaynerMedia APAC, is right in the centre of the transformation.
Marc is invested in the shifting paradigm in advertising towards prioritising creative over algorithmic targeting, and he highlights the reasons behind this transformation and the influence of creative diversification on conversion rates.
Unravelling the strategies for media buyers and creators navigating the evolving platform landscape, Marc is committed to delivering highly effective campaigns. LBB’s Tom Loudon caught up with Marc to learn more about his work.
LBB> You have discussed the shift towards prioritising creative over algorithmic targeting. Could you elaborate on why this shift is happening in today's advertising landscape?
Marc> It’s not de-prioritising algorithmic targeting but rather prioritising creativity to leverage better algorithmic targeting for better, more relevant and cost-efficient outcomes. What we've seen in the most recent generation of social platform algorithms is their increased sophistication in understanding creative relevance at an individual user level. They can now even effectively gauge the quality of an ad (providing what’s called a ”quality score”) on an ad based on a user's past interactions on that particular platform.
Our approach involves creating highly nuanced and relevant creatives tailored to specific consumer cohorts while targeting broader target audiences. We’ve seen incredible results from this, where the algorithms natively (and seamlessly) deliver these nuanced cohort-based creatives to the intended audience demographics with minimal additional targeting parameters.
LBB> You’ve mentioned that creative diversification is essential for reaching the right audience. Could you provide examples of how innovative formats and messaging impact conversion rates, as you mentioned with TikTok and Meta?
Marc> Historically, and from a largely programmatic background, we always got excited about reaching the right user with the right creative at the right time. However, our approach was often centred around boardroom discussions to pre-determine the relevant creative for each targeted sub-segment. The inherent challenge in this approach lay in its subjectivity — we weren’t basing decisions on the actual response of what truly resonated with our audiences.
Diversifying our messaging, even within a single cohort, means incorporating various creative variables and interactive elements to capture users' attention or provide an extra layer of relevancy to encourage them to take action. As a result, we could reach relevant users across more format opportunities, ultimately reducing the client's cost per lead by 40%.
All this was achieved by leaning into the diverse format opportunities that social platforms offer for users to consume content, whether it's through display or video, within their feed, or via reels.
LBB> You’ve said that creative now influences the auction dynamics and costs in ad buys. How do platforms like Meta assess innovative relevance, and how does this affect the overall cost-per-impression?
Marc> Social platforms have developed a “quality score” to assess the potential / expected response and outcomes of each creative asset for a specific user. Suppose you have a piece of content that the algorithm determines has the “right” features (the right hook or interactive add-ons) that align with a user's previous behaviour. In that case, the platform is more likely to serve that ad to that person than a competitor's ad that lacks relevance.
Similar to search, having a higher quality score will impact the expected outcomes, as most algorithms are now shifting away from merely delivering the highest CPM (Cost Per Mille) bids and optimising success based on outcome metrics, which is what advertisers should be focusing on. This is a clear indication that platform algorithms are prioritising users’ experience, as the more engaged they are and the more time spent within their platform, the more advertising revenue they can potentially generate in the longer term.
LBB> You proposed leveraging "organic social creative" to aid in the algorithmic learning phase. Could you explain this concept and share how it benefits media buyers and creators?
Marc> With social at our core at VaynerMedia, we collaborate with clients to deliver a significant, daily volume of strategic organic creative (or content) published across various platforms. Our uniquely integrated model (where creative, media, strategy and production are housed under one roof) allows us to do this at speed, scale and lower cost compared to a traditional segregated creative and output approach.
We evaluate based on a combination of engagements, completion rates, and the speed at which a platform generates organic views. These are clear indicators that the algorithm shows positive signs regarding the “quality score” discussed earlier. It also aids media buyers in understanding which creative is resonating with their cohorts — all without spending any media budget.
As a result, when media buyers decide to activate their campaigns, they already have the confidence in amplifying the best-performing assets from their first dollars spent. This allows us to concentrate our time and effort on optimising placements, formats, and audiences to achieve the best outcome metrics for our clients — while eliminating subjectivity.
LBB> How can such integrated media and creative teams better navigate the changing platform landscape and deliver more effective campaigns?
Marc> From a functional point of view, integrated teams enhance agility and responsiveness to real-time shifts in consumer culture and platform updates. They also facilitate a clear and consistent alignment with client KPIs, enabling teams to work collaboratively to achieve the best outcomes, as opposed to functioning as output-driven silos across segregated agencies.
Our integrated team of creative, media and strategists at VaynerMedia allows for an ongoing, seamless, 360º loop under one roof (versus, say, three or four). This ensures we are operationalised for speed AND scale, whether in terms of churning insights, crafting relevant and platform-native content, or capitalising on cultural trends and new platform formats, enabling us to stay at the forefront of consumer attention.
LBB> As the head of media at VaynerMedia Asia Pacific, how do you see the future of advertising evolving regarding the relationship between creative and algorithmic targeting?
Marc> When we take a step back and realise that algorithms reflect what consumers want — no platform is looking to annoy their users. They are trying to add to the stickiness — we can then better appreciate the importance of relevant creative. In short, creative can, does and will continue to play a crucial role in media performance and business outcomes. We’re just in a better position to quantify this.
LBB> Can you provide insights into how different industries or sectors approach the balance between creative and algorithmic targeting in their advertising strategies?
Marc> Different sectors approach this balance in their advertising strategies differently. For instance, digital banks and other direct-to-consumer businesses like Airbnb generally have a better understanding of how attention and relevance drive business impact. On the other hand, the clients that face the most challenges are more traditional, such as FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) companies.
Social provides an excellent opportunity for brands to receive honest customer feedback through comments. Clients must embrace these, be reactive, and adapt and test their strategies based on what we're seeing and what they're asking for.
LBB> Finally, considering your experience in both media and creative aspects, what advice would you give aspiring professionals looking to thrive in the ever-evolving field of advertising in the APAC region?
Marc> Get your hands dirty! Start creating your content on platforms, get your (free) platform certifications and certainly gain as much experience as you can working within those platforms.
Keep raising your hand to gain more exposure. Even finding yourself in the wrong room at the right time can provide you with valuable insights and a better understanding of this ever-evolving landscape and various client verticals, which will undoubtedly prove beneficial and come in handy one day.
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