Programmatic has reigned supreme in an advertising ecosystem guided by the principle of reaching scale. But in a cookieless world, direct deals are making a strong comeback. And, automation is key to direct deal’s success.
Learn how Tripadvisor leverages self-service tools to grow revenue while going green.
Anyone in ad tech can tell you that the industry has been dreading the deprecation of third-party cookies and what that shift will mean for how they do business. How we target individuals with relevant ads will change. How we can collect data legally has also altered how ads are sold.
Publishers can no longer rely on third-party data and cookies to assist with targeting and must leverage first-party data instead. As a result, direct deals are making a comeback.
The question remains: How can publishers execute direct media transactions at scale? The answer lies in automation and self-service advertising platforms.
And that’s something that Tripadvisor is getting right. But they’re also committing to positively impacting the environment at the same time.
In a partnership with DanAds, Tripadvisor launched Ad Express, a self-service advertising platform that leverages first-party data to maximize revenue. The platform also allows interested partners to use ad campaigns to further sustainability efforts.
Leveraging First-Party Data to Optimize Reach and Campaign Performance
In 2020, Tripadvisor was on course to reach record revenue, but as the way people traveled began to change, so too did the way Tripadvisor approached advertising. Tripadvisor leveraged its users’ first-party data and a self-service platform, which it conceived with DanAds to grow its business as user priorities shifted.
Harnessing user location, the destinations users browsed, and recent travel planning activities, the travel platform directed advertisers to the right audiences. Tripadvisor wanted to be a one-stop shop for the over 7 million businesses listed on its platform, primarily hotels, restaurants, and experience providers.
DanAds helped Tripadvisor turn this vision into reality by creating a self-service platform called Ad Express. The platform aids campaigns in targeting and real-time availability control, building creative, and automated check-out and billing. It also integrates with data warehouses, ad servers, and chat support. Thanks to its partnership with DanAds, Tripadvisor saw a 200% increase in booking revenue and 3000 new advertisers in the first year.
The platform’s Listings Booster feature makes setting up a campaign a breeze and doesn’t require existing creative or an agency. It offers a wide range of targeting based on visitor location, destinations, and audiences. Ad Express satisfies advertisers’ different needs, whether they want to reach a wide audience or an incredibly specific one, such as targeting English residents traveling to Rome.
Self-service platforms automate workflows to reduce costs and lead times while increasing operational control. The company is in the driver’s seat controlling one of its most valuable assets, data. The self-service platform is also accessible to companies of all sizes, allowing all users 24/7 access to the platform and performance dashboards to see campaign targeting, creative, and budget. The efficiency of a self-serve platform also makes it easier to scale ad sales.
Using Ads to Enact Meaningful Environmental Change
Tripadvisor doesn’t only care about its bottom line, it also aims to preserve and restore our natural world. Advertisers choosing to run campaigns with TripAdvisor can contribute to a positive environmental impact. Their campaign can plant trees, remove ocean-bound plastic, or protect wildlife habitat.
Tripadvisor and DanAds are partnering with Dots.eco to make these positive changes to our environment through ad campaigns. The scale of ecological impact is directly related to a company’s advertising budget, and the results are confirmed upon campaign completion. So far, Ad Express has planted 214,840 trees, cleaned 47,395 lbs of plastic from rivers and oceans, and protected 162,810 square feet of wildlife habitat.
The tourism industry thrives on the innate beauty of our planet. Hospitality and tourism professionals are deeply committed to sustainability and preservation efforts to ensure these precious environments can flourish. Environmental initiatives are a way for advertisers to positively impact the natural world and preserve tourism while promoting their businesses.
“We are incredibly grateful to have had Dots.eco as a key collaborator in our sustainability journey,” said Eoin McGregor, Head of Tripadvisor Ad Express. “The Dots.eco and DanAds teams have exemplified what it means to be true partners. Their unwavering commitment to restoration and their openness to align with our vision have been instrumental in driving meaningful, positive changes within the Tripadvisor media business.”
Following the success of Tripadvisor’s sustainability initiatives, DanAds decided to make an impact of its own. A representative from DanAds stated, “Tripadvisor’s eco-rewards success story didn’t just make waves – it inspired us. We recognized the significant potential of integrating sustainability into ad tech. This approach resonated deeply with clients and showed how small changes could make a real-world difference.”
At its DanAds Summit 24, the ad tech company launched its own eco-rewards program in partnership with Dots.eco. Every attendee received an eco-impact certificate showing their contribution to real-world conservation efforts. The Summit’s impact protected 14,060 square feet of wildlife habitat and safeguarded 1.55 million square meters of marine ecosystems.
DanAds will continue its sustainability efforts as part of its core values. The company has pledged to plant 1,000 trees for every new client platform launched and to integrate environmental contributions to drive measurable impact alongside attendee engagement at all DanAds events.
Daniel Madrid Spitz, Co-founder of Dots.eco, noted, “Our mission is to empower businesses to create real, measurable change for the planet. Partnering with DanAds has demonstrated how aligning environmental responsibility with innovative technology can deliver incredible results. Together, we’re building an ecosystem for publishers where every action contributes to a greener future.”