Unlocking Full-Funnel Potential: 4 Strategies for Modern Commerce

Today, brands have unprecedented access to consumer data and abundant channels to engage them. As a result, full-funnel advertising has emerged as an indispensable strategy for marketers aiming to connect with consumers across every stage of their buying journey. The synergy between creativity and data is no longer just a competitive advantage—it’s a necessity. 

At ADVANCE 2024, the following panelists emphasized the synergy between creativity and data for impactful results:
Alycia Mason, CEO, Wavemaker;
Tara Blackman, Sr. Director, Brands, LiveRamp;
Shruti Khatod, VP, Growth Marketing Nutrafol;
Andy Webb, Sr. Director, Global Marketing Channels, Uber; and
Oli Marlow-Thomas, Chief Innovation Officer, Smartly. 

Here are four key strategies panelists highlight for the modern commerce brand: 

1. The Social Commerce Economy

Alycia Mason from Wavemaker highlighted that consumers increasingly expect seamless, convenient experiences. She noted the role of social commerce in creating more trusted and authentic environments for consumers, facilitated by influencers and friends.

Shruti Khatod of Nutrafol also explored the evolving role of social commerce, where entertainment and product engagement are intertwined. She stressed the importance of producing creative content that captivates audiences while keeping pace with rapid, iterative production cycles.

2. Leverage Internal Data Relationships for Personalization

Tara Blackman from LiveRamp discussed the necessity of personalization and internal touchpoints, noting, “We spend a lot of time with our partners thinking about a customer journey and what it looks like when you consider the internal touchpoints you have with your consumer, as well as the external opportunities you have to engage with your consumer.” 

“What we think is really important is internal data relationships.” Blackman highlighted. “We want to help them think about how they bring all their brand signals into one place, but there are so many opportunities for them to also engage with their customers in traditional mediums or a [non-traditional] medium.”

The panelists agreed: A strong data foundation is key to delivering personalized experiences at scale.

3. Blending Traditional and Programmatic Advertising

Andy Webb emphasized that Uber focuses on meeting consumers where they are, particularly on social media, using data and programmatic tools to target the right products at the right moments. He shared, “Everything needs to be catalog-based. We can see that when you take those really relevant ads and then you combine them with a hook that's engaging, perhaps a promo or something else, it works great, but how do you actually scale it? For us, the key is catalog-based automation, and we're really, really focused on AI as solving that bridge between the clunky static ads that we know work and the really engaging ads that would lock a consumer in.” 

He showcased Uber’s success with a blend of traditional and programmatic advertising. In one example, Uber’s marketing team noticed an emerging trend on TikTok and quickly created an ad in the trending format. Launching the ad isn’t the end. “From there, we look at the data to say, okay, the algorithms on the platforms are really, really good at matching creative to people. We see what picks up and then go back, do it again, try to make it better, bring it to more countries, and repeat as fast as you can.”

4. Embracing Emerging Media and Platforms

Oli Marlow-Thomas from Smartly explored how emerging media, like shoppable video and social commerce, is reshaping the commerce landscape. Marlow-Thomas advised, “Something we talk a lot about at Smartly is this idea of the collapse of the funnel, and social, entertainment, and commerce, all becoming one experience.”

He emphasized the need for brands to stay agile with these trends, sharing insights on Smartly’s approach: “One thing we've become interested in at Smartly is conversational commerce, this idea that there's a lot more interaction in the messaging apps. This is gonna be big next year, so keep an eye on it. WhatsApp already says there are nearly a billion messaging interactions each week, which is a huge data signal for them. And Smartly has been heavily invested in how we build out the conversational commerce side. We took this approach with a travel customer and saw a 15% decrease in the cost per lead on that campaign. “

Marlow-Thomas concluded by highlighting the rapid growth of commerce and the need for marketers to stay ahead of these trends, making creative strategies, consumer insights, and technological investments essential for success. Full-funnel advertising offers the path forward, allowing marketers to meet consumers' evolving expectations while driving measurable results at every touchpoint. Marketers who invest in full-funnel strategies are not just responding to change—they’re shaping the future of consumer engagement.

We’re committed to helping advance the industry to a new view of what advertising and creative can be in the digital age. Stay tuned on our blog over the coming weeks for more inspiring takeaways from ADVANCE, and follow the event discussion on social media with the hashtag #ADVANCESmartly2024.