Bench Media’s remit is to implement a fully integrated approach to Best Gift Group’s media campaigns, from awareness to consideration and ultimately purchases.

The campaign will set the foundations for an always-on strategy for Best Gift Group while starting to build early momentum in the lead up to the peak retail periods of Black Friday and Christmas. The omnichannel campaign will be seen across digital-out-of-home, connected TV, social channels, shoppable display and search.

Bench Media’s strategic partnerships partner Ben Farnsworth said from the outset it was important to ensure the campaign takes a true omnichannel approach – channels operating in silos were not an option to achieve optimal ROI.

“We will use different channels and ad formats to tell sequential stories to the target audience, aiming for maximum brand recall and ultimately drive sales exponentially,” he said.

“Additionally, measurements and tracking are being implemented along the entire customer journey, ensuring data-driven optimisations at all levels to drive ROI holistically rather than focusing on the (sometimes deceiving) bottom of the funnel only,” Farnsworth concluded.

Best Gift Group CEO, Rajneen Arora, said the company’s rapid growth trajectory meant we needed to find the right agency partner to guide it through the next evolution of Best Gift Group’s advertising journey.

“Bench has already demonstrated a great understanding of our business and developed truly innovative ideas to take our brand to the next level with confidence,” said Arora.

“We are extremely excited to have them by our side on this next stage of our brand evolution and can’t wait to see the results of the campaign in the lead up to retail’s traditional busiest periods.”

The post Bench Media wins Best Gift Group appeared first on Bench Media.

Bench has been tasked to raise targeted awareness of Genea, staying top of mind for those considering assisted fertility in order to continuously drive patient enquiries.

Bench Media VP of growth Anthony Fargeot said the agency is excited to welcome Genea Fertility to Bench.

“They are such an impressive company. They have been in operation since 1986 and have helped so many patients fulfill their family dreams. We are thrilled that they chose Bench as the digital agency to partner with,” he said.

Bench and Genea also partnered with Studio LDN to bring to life Genea’s brand proposition of cutting-edge science meets heartfelt care.

“We found that infertility can be a silent struggle. It was therefore important to position Genea as breaking this cycle of silence and destigmatising fertility challenges, creating a positive connection rooted in Genea’s focus on exceptional patient care and treatment outcomes” says James Sutton, Director & Founder at Studio LDN.

Fertility is a sensitive topic, which required some innovative strategies on the media side to effectively reach the desired audience.

“We did some really heavy work with contextual targeting and intent-driven keywords to capture fresh relevant audiences” says Ben Farnsworth, who drives strategic client partnerships at Bench.

“It was important to stay top-of-mind and to do so efficiently. Several studies have shown that favouring a multi-channel approach can lift brand recall from 12% to 25%. We therefore opted for a strategy including Audio, Video, Social, Search and Display. We also ensured that all channels were talking to one another, favouring a seamless customer journey, rather than operating in silos” continues Farnsworth.

The campaign, launched at the start of February, has already garnered over 2 million impressions and over 800,000 completed video views.

“Bench has been committed to forming an integrated partnership with Genea and have helped us flesh out a robust strategy. They have risen to the challenge and aimed to really understand our business in order to develop an integrated media strategy and plan that has many complexities. That includes building on brand awareness, being able to profile our doctors and services, but most of all, meeting the consumer where they are on their journey” says Tanya Rivera, General Manager, Marketing at Genea.

The post Genea fertility appoints Bench Media for Digital Marketing appeared first on Bench Media.

Many independent creative agencies claim to be full service and to offer a broad media capability. In fact, what many offer is a “no-frills media offer” with a large reliance on Google and Meta. This means that not only is it a bit of a fudge to describe the offer as full service- as it’s not- but most importantly it means the agency is missing out on what should be a complementary core discipline which will enhance its strategic and creative offering.

One of the primary drawbacks of relying solely on Google and Meta is the limited scope it offers. While these platforms are undoubtedly powerful and influential, a well-rounded media strategy should go beyond them. By largely depending on these tech giants, agencies miss out on the opportunity to tap into other channels and the many emerging platforms such as Spotify, Reddit, TikTok, The Trade Desk and Amazon as well as execution capabilities across emerging channels such as DOOH, Native and PTV. By diversifying their media capabilities, independent creative agencies can provide clients with a more holistic approach, access a more refined range of target audiences and ultimately deliver better outcomes.\

In addition to the media capabilities and platforms, it’s important to look into the agency’s data partnerships. Does it have a multitude of data partnerships it can tap into so that they can enhance their media buying? Are they vendor agnostic on both the data side and the media side? Do they have data partnerships that allow them to access niche high performing audiences bespoke to each advertiser?

Moreover, an overreliance on Google and Meta can lead to a lack of differentiation among agencies. If most agencies are utilising the same platforms and targeting the same audiences, it becomes increasingly challenging to stand out from the competition. This homogeneity can limit creative possibilities and hinder the development of unique and innovative campaigns. Ultimately the brands are the ones that suffer due to the need of the agency to simplify its workflow and cost base. By incorporating additional media & data capabilities into their repertoire, independent agencies can offer clients fresh perspectives and unlock new avenues for brands to gain a competitive edge.

One of the things I have observed in the last 25 years working as a marketer on both the agency and brand sides is that many marketers are time-poor and therefore tend to favour the easy route when it comes to managing agency relationships. The majority of marketers choose convenience over deep expertise and they prefer to have a generalist rather than a specialist with deep media capabilities. While it can be inconvenient to work with a number of specialists in different areas and to coordinate between them, the reality is that too often full service agencies lack deep expertise, proprietary technology and skilled specialists so whatever time is saved for convenience can be lost two-fold on results. Unfortunately, marketers don’t always ask the right questions around what tech is being used, where does the data come from or who is implementing it which only serves to provide the advertiser with mediocre outcomes.

For digital marketing managers and media agency managers, it is essential to critically evaluate the claims of any agency before committing to a partnership. Look beyond the surface-level assertions of being “full service” and inquire about the agency’s media capabilities and expertise. This is extra important when engaging an independent creative agency that usually relies on a narrower skill base. Ask for examples of campaigns executed beyond Meta and Google and how they have effectively integrated media planning & data into their strategic processes.

Ultimately, a true full-service agency should demonstrate versatility, offering clients a comprehensive suite of services that extends far beyond the obvious platforms. By diversifying their media capabilities, these agencies can provide clients with a more robust and impactful marketing strategy. This can be done by extending their partnerships beyond the obvious duo of Google and Meta directly or partnering up with a specialist & agnostic partner that has sophisticated integrations and know-how in place that the independent agency can leverage off and widen their client offering. A good partner in this space should be able to educate the agency team on how to utilise new and emerging platforms, how to leverage data to improve targeting and most importantly it means the independent agency team can focus on media planning & strategy while delivering the best outcomes for their clients.

Now that we have truly entered the age of digital disruption, It is imperative for digital marketing managers to be discerning in their selection process and seek out agencies that possess the true essence of being full service. Only then can they expect to unlock the full potential of their marketing efforts and achieve exceptional results in today’s dynamic landscape.

The post The full service fudge – Deciphering agency capabilities appeared first on Bench Media.

Shai Luft:

Ori moved to Australia after we briefly met a few years earlier but we didn’t really know each other that well at the time. Shortly after he arrived, we went camping together. I remember telling him about the Aussie outback, snakes and spiders though he seemed unphased by it all. He is not easily intimidated! I instantly made it my mission to make him like it here so he would stay long term. Little did I know at that time just how much time we were about to spend together…

When we started catching up for lunch during the week we found that we were frustrated by the same things we saw in our marketing jobs: lack of accountability of media agencies, lots of smoke and mirrors and low technical and analytical depth in digital campaigns. Ori suggested we start our own company to solve this problem for advertisers which seemed to me like a terrifying but also exciting idea at the time. I had two toddlers and a cushy corporate job but he managed to convince me to give it a go. I remember thinking about starting a business together and then just going “well, if not now, then when?!?”. We started out with no funding working from my living room for the first year or so but we quickly knew we were on to something when we started talking to advertisers that saw the gaps and felt the pain.

Ori is an entrepreneur at heart, he is the kind of person that when he has an idea he just goes for it and makes it happen. I tend to be much more conservative and am in the weeds thinking about the details. I think that’s what makes us such good partners and friends. He pushes me to do stuff that may seem a bit crazy to me (like starting a business!) and I look after all the details like hiring people, creating processes and managing payments. I’m fascinated by consumer behaviour and what motivates people to buy products. I love figuring out the messages that drive them to take action and unravelling the hidden triggers and crafting marketing strategies that resonate to change mindsets.

It’s hard to believe that we started Bench 11 years ago. It feels like it was yesterday but we’ve helped hundreds of brands and agencies to create better digital campaigns over that time and worked with some incredible businesses to help them grow. We’ve been through lots of wins and challenges as with any business journey but we always try to understand each other’s point of view and work through it together.

One thing we definitely share is trust in each other and I think that is the one foundation that has to be strong and always present between any business partners. We also have no ego when it comes to our work together. Over the years we’ve evolved our roles depending on the focus of the business and it’s always been about what is genuinely the best outcome for our clients and teams rather than chasing any superficial things.

Ori comes from a very strong engineering and technology management background so he’s always looking to create technology solutions to marketing problems. It never ceases to amaze me that, even in this day and age, marketing is still predominantly viewed as an art rather than a science. The reality is that it requires a delicate balance of both. While big ideas are undeniably powerful, they need to be tested and refined based on insights and data. It’s somewhat akin to the two of us—blending the perfect mixture of art and science.

Ori Gold:

The very first time I met Shai, I was playing guitar at his wedding! No, I wasn’t working as a wedding singer – I was dating his first cousin, who later became my Aussie wife and led to me emigrating to Australia. But it was after I moved to Sydney from Israel that our friendship really formed.

I was a wide-eyed immigrant when I arrived in 2010, still learning to drive on the left side of the road and understand Aussie idioms and strange cultural practices like beetroot on burgers. Shai had already lived in Australia for years, first as a traveler, then as a university student at UNSW and was at that point already an established marketing GM.

Discovering that my CV meant very different things in Sydney was a reality check for me. For example, my army experience as a commander in a special force IDF unit or the work I’ve done in a highly classified homeland security agency for a few years was something that Israeli employers understood and respected. Here in Sydney, it meant nothing. I needed to build myself from the ground up in a completely new culture and environment. But I knew what I could bring to the table – the Israeli digital first savviness of the tech ecosystem and the growth mindset of Tel Aviv’s booming adtech industry.

I saw Shai as an older brother, with the unique perspective of being an Israeli in Australia. We immediately found common ground. I was head of marketing at eToro and Shai was GM at GoTalk, with our offices right near each other. We would meet once or twice a week for lunch in the city, sharing our frustrations about the lack of accountability and accessibility in advertising which ultimately led to ineffective marketing activity and the waste of ad dollars.

Together, Shai and I embarked on a mission to reshape Australia’s digital media landscape. We envisioned a future where data and analytics mingle effortlessly with audience targeting to deliver business results. We wanted to open up the digital ecosystem so every marketer can easily navigate it in real-time. Our secret weapon? A bespoke tech solution, engineered to bring this bold vision to life.

We have a great synergy between us, he being really interested in human behaviour psychology and what makes people tick. In contrast, I have a go-getter, technology-first approach for how to solve problems effectively. I’m good at macro big-picture thinking, while Shai is a details man, figuring out logistics and how to execute those ideas, so we make a great team.

Don’t get me wrong, we get on each other’s nerves sometimes! I’ll come to him really passionate with a big vision, and he might very rationally resist the feasibility of it. But that’s the beauty of a strong friendship, where you feel comfortable challenging each other’s boundaries, pushing each other to be a better person and ultimately overcoming challenges together.

Shai and I have been leading an incredible team at Bench for 11 years now. We are constantly fascinated with the changing digital landscape, especially in the last four years, with the sweeping digitalisation of all channels and mediums. There’s so much potential!

I couldn’t ask for a better partner to navigate this complex domain, and we’re excited about the potential of what the future holds.

Shai on Ori:

Most memorable moment with Ori: From a business point of view I would say being together at our first (of 3) Deloitte Fast 50 award nominations. It was a really great experience being there and feeling like we’ve finally made it.

Best word to describe Ori: Powerhouse.

Most annoying or endearing behaviour Ori has: He has the biggest and loudest laugh I know that reverberates throughout the office and always puts a smile on my face when I hear it.

Ori on Shai:

Most memorable moment with Shai: When Covid hit the world and Australia I distinctly recall the overwhelming fear that gripped us as we faced this unfamiliar challenge. Navigating our company and supporting our people became paramount, and it was during this time that Shai’s remarkable character shone through. With daily conversations and unwavering pragmatism, his compassionate nature became evident, leaving a lasting impression on me.

Best word to describe Shai: Astute.

Most annoying or endearing behaviour Shai has: Shai has an incredible ability to spot a good deal. Whenever we chat, he always has a clever suggestion on how to get the best bang for your buck, without compromising on quality. It can be annoying at times, but I can’t deny the amount of time and money he’s saved me with his advice. It’s seriously impressive!

The post Dynamic Duos: Mates who started their agency in a lounge room with no funding appeared first on Bench Media.

Mark Titley, Head of Client Services at Bench is interviewed by Matt Smith from Online Retailer. They discuss how Bench was founded 10 years ago and the evolution of the business that now provides expert digital advertising solutions for retailers through Managed Services and the Bench Connect platform.

Watch the interview and understand challenges facing retailers and how strategic data driven advertising can help solve the challenges retailers face in driving customer acquisition and brand awareness through digital channels beyond search and social.

Watch the interview:

The post NORA TV: How Bench helps retailers thrive appeared first on Bench Media.