2011

Challenge
All banks involved in Search Engine Marketing are bidding for the same pool of finance- related keywords. Competition is fierce and average bids keep increasing between 20%–30%. How can we avoid paying highly overpriced Cost- Per-Clicks (CPC), and yet effectively reach out to customers who are searching for us?

Solution
We crafted a revolutionary digital search segmentation funnel. A “never before” strategy allowed us to identify a user’s current state in the digital purchase cycle based on the keywords they use. We analyzed and allocated 14,605 keywords into the five cycles; awareness, affinity, consideration, preference and action. Thus, the campaign structure was designed by user behavior terms and not by the typical categories listing strategy used for every traditional search campaign.

Execution
Customized messaging for every path within the funnel and real-time optimization to drive high levels of click-throughs: 1. Awareness: Broad terms e.g. savings, loans, deposits. 2. Affinity: Lifestyle keywords e.g. smartphone, condo, car. 3. Consideration: Competitive keywords e.g. compare term deposits, best savings interest rates, Citibank. 4. Preference: Highlighting key strengths e.g. CIMB exchange rate, CIMB unit trust, CIMB Investsave. 5. Action: Immediacy to convert e.g. CIMB Bank branch, CIMB customer service, CIMB Bank contact.

Results
Average CPC reduced by 67%. This resulted in 87,518 more clicks for the campaign, exceeding targets by 89%! The industry average Click-Through-Rate is 2% – 3%. This campaign achieved 13.8%. Top text ad position was consistently maintained. Our digital search segmentation funnel worked brilliantly.

Challenge
Nokia ran a reality recruitment campaign called “The Rookie” where pre-selected individuals vie for an internship through various challenges armed with the new Nokia E72. We were tasked with promoting the webisodes and our challenge was to retain the show’s weekly viewership.

Solutions
The idea was to ensure we engaged those who’ve reacted to “The Rookie” ad for the first time, to see a tailored ad message the next time they triggered any of our targeted keywords. This allows us to continue engaging the target audience in the right context of messaging by almost “speaking” to the audience personally. This is “Remarketing” – a powerful new way of matching individual searches with customized messaging.

Execution
We launched the campaign in 2 phases, firstly with Conventional Paid Search, and then followed by the “Remarketing” Search method. This called for 2 separate keyword portfolios – the first to blanket wide searches; and the second, to retarget custom searches. When the target audience clicks through on the first ad, a tag is activated, whereby on the next session they search, our customized webisode ads are served to them automatically.

Result
The strategy and execution resulted in reaching over 27,000,000 of the Nokia’s target audience. Google recognized our brilliant innovation and awarded Nokia the Google Googlies award for Promotional Campaign of the year! Thanks to an innovative approach to search marketing.

Challenge
With mobile becoming more apparent in the lives of its target audience, BMW sought to capitalize on the opportunity to allow its potential customers to “get closer” to the brand by making it convenient to locate showrooms during promotional periods when one is nearby.

Solutions
Mobile Search was identified as a platform to address the set objectives as desktop searches limits the potential of reaching the audience who are on the move and doesn’t allow the convenience looking for a showroom close to their current location. Because mobile search engines use a GPS locator embedded within smartphones to determine the owner’s current location, we know we could display location based search results on their mobile screen.

Execution
So, when potential customers are looking for a BMW showroom, they’d enter their search query into their phone and the search engine returns results with address and contact details of the nearest showroom. All they need to do is simply click on the phone number and call the showroom directly to set their appointment or enquire certain things. A map would also appear from the ad which could direct them to the closest showroom.

Result
This media first in Malaysia by an automotive brand gave BMW a 590% lift on mobile space. It successfully targeted interested consumers, driving them to their closest showroom. The campaign captured close to 7% of showroom searches which would have been a lost opportunity if depended solely on desktop search.