Multiple Retargeting Strategy

Ask ten marketers whether you should run two retargeting vendors simultaneously and you'll get ten different answers. We think the data settles it—but we'll let you decide.

Core takeaway

Multiple retargeting means running two or more retargeting vendors simultaneously against the same pool of site visitors. Because each vendor uses different algorithms to evaluate user intent, they identify different high-value opportunities within the same audience. The result: more conversions, without proportionally increasing your budget. The biggest objections—overlap, bid inflation, added complexity—don't hold up under scrutiny. The data consistently favors a stack approach.

Many of the world’s biggest brands choose to deploy a multiple retargeting strategy (using more than one retargeting vendor in combination) because it delivers a host of benefits like larger audiences, more efficient advertising, and a higher return on ad spend. Despite the advantages, or maybe because of them, it can be tempting for organizations to wonder exactly how much value, in isolation, each provider brings.

But is a straight comparison, as seen with head-to-head testing, a strategically sound approach, or should brands be focusing on the wider picture of true added value? Let’s investigate.

Legacy Machine Learning solutions have much to lose when clients learn an inconvenient truth: using two different-in-kind retargeters leads to demonstrably superior performance. For this reason, legacy vendors tout a “one retargeter” approach to programmatic advertising that doesn’t align with the lived reality of marketers. The one retargeter strategy is driven by a vendor’s internal business concerns, not by what’s best for their clients. If a single-vendor retargeting strategy were so superior and so powerful, why would a proper retargeting stack be such a threat to legacy Machine Learning vendors?

I’m going to look at, and then disprove, four myths around the choice of a single- or multiple-vendor retargeting strategy. And I’ll explain why sophisticated markers build programmatic marketing stacks.

After your business has spent time and money on R&D, production, and getting your products into the store at the right price, the difference between success and failure is rooted in how effectively you can let the right customers know about your offers. Working with a retargeter is an essential part of this success, but working with a single ad partner is putting all your eggs in one basket. We’re looking at why working with multiple retargeters allows you to reach more people and drive better campaign performance and business results.

2023 is an economy of contradictory forecasts. There is market uncertainty and many macroeconomic factors pointing to difficult times ahead. Meanwhile, we see continued success and strong growth projections for many retailers and categories.

Consumers are also unsure how to feel, but there is a general sense of caution. According to a recent Forrester Report, 64% of Americans and 55% of French consumers are anxious about a possible recession. Because of this, everyday and discount retailers have become critical for online and in-store shoppers.

We will look at some of the challenges and opportunities for discount retailers, focusing on some large brands from the US, Australia, and other countries. We’ll be discussing three elements of retargeting ad campaigns that can positively impact business right now.

Travel industries face numerous challenges when marketing online. To help you better understand how to form your marketing strategy for the modern world, we’ve compiled a series of 2-minute podcasts hosted by Jim Price, Head of Travel for RTB House America. Here’s a sneak peek of the first few.