Thinking Inside the InBox: OAO EAC
A recent post by Rob Beeler, Ad Ops industry leader and founder of BeelerTech.
Publishers I talk to have growing newsletter subscriptions as an integral part of their future revenue plans. To me, it looks like newsletters now mean more to publishers than they ever have. The reason is simple: the one strategy that will weather every regulatory or technological twist thrown at publishers is their connection to their users. Newsletter subscriptions provide too much value to both the publisher and the user to not be a part of that connection.
I sat down with the team at OAO who drive their OAO EAC product. OAO EAC (Email Ad Code) empowers publishers to dynamically deliver and report on email advertising campaigns directly within Google Ad Manager and other connected third-party ad servers. Our discussion centered around newsletter monetization in the short term and the long term and critical concepts publishers need to consider as newsletters grow in importance.
Keep it simple and use what you know. OAO EAC is Google Ad Manager in newsletters. It's the same tool your team already uses. This isn't integrating a new system into your workflow. This isn't training on a new process. This isn't pulling your advertiser numbers in from another source. It's Google Ad Manager in newsletters, and there is a built-in efficiency and cost savings with that approach.
Newsletter ad inventory should be sold however you want. Gone are the days of only selling newsletters occasionally as sponsorships. Yes, sponsorships drive the highest CPMs, but what about the rest of the time? You should make revenue from programmatic demand but also on your other direct-sold campaigns. Because OAO EAC is Google Ad Manager in newsletters, publishers can technically serve run-of-site campaigns into newsletters, along with many other types of targeted campaigns. We've talked before about how this strategy can ultimately drive up overall CPMs.
But technically possible isn't the same as strategically possible. For example, extending direct-sold campaigns into newsletters means having sales on board with products that reflect that flexibility. That's why using Google Ad Manager as the ad server is so crucial: extending inventory isn't a separate task in a separate ad server. Sales teams will understand that and not be as hesitant to sell it. If sales is on board, revenues go up.
The only prep for iOS 15 is to remain nimble. Apple is throwing curveballs left and right at digital advertising. The most significant related to email comes this month with iOS 15. We won't know all of the impacts the new operating system will have on newsletters until it's widely adopted by users. Responding to the changes will require a partner that can quickly react to those changes. The OAO EAC is a flexible and dynamic technology, and both the product and OAO as a whole, are structured to adapt to the changing landscape.
Third party while you can. First party for the future. OAO EAC can use Google Audiences for targeting within newsletters. That means you can use the first and third-party data segments you are already using for your advertiser's display campaigns. That keeps it simple for ops to set up, and for sales reps and advertisers to understand. As the industry shifts away from third-party, first-party becomes increasingly essential. Newsletters will not only help authenticate users in identity strategies, they will help deliver advertising to those same users.
OAO EAC is part of a larger vision. OAO provides publishers with ad operations expertise and support to run their businesses. The difference is that OAO interprets publisher support as an integral part of their service offering, and strives to do more than what is simply asked of them. OAO EAC is the result of OAO investing in creating technology that addresses a critical need. It's one of a suite of solutions they bring their publisher partners to help them grow revenue.
There is still time to make more money in Q4 and be ready for 2022. Inquire about some of the incentives OAO is offering publishers now to get on board with OAO EAC.
Note At the time this article was published, EAC was referred to by its working title, Email Ad Code. This product is now officially titled Email Ad Connector.