Yahoo has unveiled a slew of product improvements across its omnichannel platform and proprietary identity solutions as part of its 2023 Newfront presentation that promise to help marketers make their budgets work hard in uncertain times.
Yahoo, the fifth largest internet property on earth with 900 million monthly users, has unveiled the improved capabilities as marketers look for improved measurement and proof of return on investment in straightened economic conditions.
In 2023 new product highlights include:
• True measurement of TV alongside digital with a new partnership with Samba TV;
• Expansion of the only future-proofed identity solution ConnectID;
• A more sophisticated omnichannel platform streamlining media buying across channels;
• Easier access to market-leading Web3 technologies for future-forward marketers.
Paul Sigaloff, VP & head of APAC at Yahoo, said: “At Yahoo we’re proud to say we are big, but we are resolutely not big tech, We’ve shown this in how we’ve shown up for the industry and our partners over the past few years, driving growth through real innovation. At Yahoo we’re committed to investing in building a better internet for today, putting users at the heart of it. We’re excited to be offering solutions no-one else in the market can match into 2023.”
Rachel Page, general manager of sales at Yahoo ANZ, said: “Yahoo has stamped our mission to be a force for good in the world years ago and it now runs through our DNA.
“We’ve once again experienced stellar growth in 2022 and been named a Great Place to Work, which shows that doing good is good for business. It’s one of the many ways we’re offering a genuine point of difference to other solutions out there.”
Total media measurement – Yahoo Advanced TV Suite
Yahoo has been steadily building a DSP to give marketers easier access to all the biggest mediums – from Digital Out of Home, audio, display and native – and now Advanced TV (ATV).
A new partnership with Samba TV to deliver real data from more than 350,000 Aussie homes is kick-starting a revolution in better measuring marketing.
That has culminated in the launch of the Yahoo Advanced TV Suite, a group of tools allowing marketers to forecast the incremental household reach of their digital media on top of linear TV, and for the very first time – measure it.
Yahoo is the ONLY provider in the Australian market which is able to accurately forecast, target and measure incremental household reach of all accessible digital media channels, all digital devices, and all digital media partners, alongside linear television.
Andrew Gilbert, head of platform strategy for Australia New Zealand, said: “Whilst the rest of the industry was focusing on Total TV, we were focusing on Total TV and Total Digital Media. It’s a massive step towards cracking the toughest marketing nut, true marketing effectiveness.
“In 2023, there’s a welcome shift to Total Media measurement by Australia’s major media networks. And the Yahoo Advanced TV Suite will help you plan, measure and negotiate better for years to come, giving you the full picture of your TV and digital investment.”
ConnectID – Scaling up with consumers front and centre
With billions of ad impressions being served blind already across large swathes of the internet, the time for marketers to switch from a reliance on cookies and third-party solutions has already passed.
Yahoo has been working on improvements to its identity solution – ConnectID – now allowing brands and publishers to bring their own first party data to the table to help in a safe, secure and privacy compliant way.
The increase of ConnectID footprint translates to improved scale as advertisers leverage it to plan, execute, and measure campaigns in cookieless environments. Through these latest enhancements Yahoo has further grown their addressable identity footprint from 250M to 290M logged-in users globally.
Dan Richardson, head of data for Yahoo APAC, explained: “ConnectID is different- it isn’t a patchwork hack that can be squashed by the next change to regulation or tracking, because it’s a completely privacy centric, real-time, scalable solution and therefore incredibly powerful.
“We’re already seeing results. For example, an Australian security brand saw Next Gen Audiences account for 60% of clicks across iOS, with non-addressable, or unknown environments representing 84% of total targeted impressions for the campaign.
“Publishers are also seeing a material benefit from the NextGen Audience solution, with a 53% average lift in their CPMs compared to previously non-targeted impressions,” he added.
Making Web3 tech more accessible
The Yahoo Creative Studios team is at the forefront of Web3 technology in Australia, pioneering groundbreaking work for major brands and putting its money where its mouth is by backing the pioneering Future Shock art event at Vivid Sydney.
Yahoo is now working on a huge innovation in Web3 called VPS – Visual Positioning System – which will enable marketers to accurately localise users, their devices, and drop multiplayer, always-on AR content right where they are standing. This technology will make it cheaper and easier for marketers to utilise this powerful immersive technology to power their own campaigns.
Zoe Cocker, head of innovation and Creative Studio, said: “Imagine as a marketer, you can build your very own Pokemon Go-style activation in your local city. Unlocking epic AR experiences for consumers that interact with the iconic landmark they are standing near.
“This brings your brand to life in a way that no 2D digital experience can, truly blurring the digital and physical. These campaigns are exciting on their own, but supremely impactful when they’re coupled with our world-class omnichannel platform to engage more people, wherever they are.
“I truly believe there’s an exciting future ahead of us creatively. As a marketer this isn’t something you can afford to ignore.”
Increasing trust in editorial brands
Yahoo is dedicated to delivering unbiased agenda-free news across its mastheads Yahoo News, Yahoo Sport, Yahoo Finance and Yahoo Lifestyle. To support users Yahoo has acquired The Factual, which assigns trust ratings to news sources.
The Factual’s algorithm will provide Yahoo consumers with a first-of-its-kind analysis of news stories by rating articles with a media bias and credibility score. The score will provide consumers additional insight into the content they consume and when applied to millions of users, can increase confidence in the news.
Yahoo’s brand partners can now harness the power of this trust with their audiences through Yahoo Purple Labs, an innovation that allows Yahoo to panel an audience of over 2,000 on issues important to them. This allows companies to gain real-time insights to help inform their brand strategy and planning.
Rachel Page, General Manager of Sales at Yahoo ANZ, said: “At Yahoo trust underpins everything we do. It is why we continue to see strong growth and performance across all of our mastheads in the market. Adding The Factual to the mix is proof of our commitment to help people enjoy a better internet experience, it’s an exciting innovation to be a part of.”
ESG plans
Yahoo once again donated more than a million dollars’ worth of money, time, and media to its charity partners MMAD and social impact partner UnLtd in 2022. Yahoo has also partnered with UnLtd to support its expansion into New Zealand. Yahoo globally continues to support global causes such as Ukraine and Black Lives Matter through donations and employee donation matching.
Doing good continues to be good for business, with Yahoo being once again named as a Great Place to Work in 2022. In September, across the world, tools were downed for ‘Yahoo for Good’ day, which saw Yahoo employees getting out into local communities and giving time to help make a difference, which amounted to over 31,000 thousand hours of impact globally.
Yahoo’s commitment to social good paves the way for its 2023 sustainability plans and Reconciliation Action Plan, driven by newly appointed community, leadership, and operations partner Lani Tweddle.
Tweddle said: “Yahoo has such a strong culture and is such a great place to work because it has such a strong commitment to social responsibility and uplifting our community in everything we do. It’s exciting to be taking the lead on these initiatives for company culture and success, and to be moving the world forward for good.”