The document discusses how connecting real-time bidding (RTA) with customer relationship management (CRM) can help advertisers better target and re-engage existing customers across digital channels like display, email, mobile push notifications, and social media customer audiences. It argues that taking a holistic, orchestrated approach to CRM and RTA can optimize marketing costs and scale customer acquisition if the proper technical infrastructure integrates data sources, campaign execution, and reporting. The author advocates building this infrastructure using existing proprietary and third-party systems rather than developing new components in order to implement an effective RTA-CRM strategy.

1. A Holistic Customer Approach Using RTA –
Connecting RTA and CRM
Dr. Florian Heinemann
WUC, Berlin, May 29th 2015

2. “Biddable Media“ / RTA in 2015 – A (subjective
perspective) at the status quo
1
Relative
ímportance of
“High/Deep
Reach Login-
Platforms“
2015 t
The increase in importance of the large
platforms is irreversible and will continue (with some
new platforms entering)
Market Share of
“High/Deep Reach Login-
Plattformen“ (Google, FB,
AMZ, Apple, Alibaba etc.)

3. RTA-based CRM-activities are currently under-developed
vis-a-vis their potential
2
Strength of
user/customer
engagement
Potential
for syste-
matization
Contact with
unknown user
User interaction
with application
Initial action/
purchase
Repeat action/
purchase
Audience Targeting Re-Targeting CRM RTA
Realized
scaling/
systematiza-
tion in RTA
User/Customer Journey

4. 3
CRM…
• due to its effect on marketing cost (ratio) is becoming a focus topic
of advertisers very early in the development of their marketing
programs
• is one of the few areas where advertisers have a – potential and
very specific(!) – know how/information advantage compared to
the “high/deep reach login platforms“ (Google, Facebook, Amazon
etc.)
“CRM is the new SEO“

5. “Core CRM(-RTA)“ is the basis for scaling traffic acquisition –
Facebook leads the way…
4
1
„Kern CRM“
2a
„Engagement
CRM“
2b
„Look-alike
CRM“
Technical and logical infrastructure ideally can be applied accross all approaches

6. RTA-CRM is among the more costly CRM channels/
approaches, but can be targeted in a very granular way
5
Effective
CPM
(distribution +
media +
concept)
Onsite /
Person.
Email
Mob.
Push
Notif.
Re-
Targe
ting
FB
Cust.
Audi-
ence
RTA-
CRM
Inserts
(inter-
nal
media)
Inserts
(exter-
nal
media)
SMS
CRM-
Out-
bound
Calls

7. Ideally, CRM-RTA activities are part of an orchestrated approach
to contact/reactivate existing customers/leads
6
High-Bid
4/24h)
High-Bid
RTA Campaign
(FC: max.
4/24h)
Push
Notification in
Mobile App
E-Mail
Promotion
No opening
within 24h
Low-Bid
RTA campaign
(FC: max. 2/24)
No Click
within 24h
Customer profile/segment
• High CLV
• Mobile App User
• High CLV
• Purchases primarily
discounted products
• Last purchase in “sports“
categorie
• Mobile App User
• Low CLV
• Last purchase was partial
return
• Last purchase in “dresses”
category
• Permission email marketing
„Fritz“
„Frida“
1. Contact 2. ContactNo Response …
…
…
But an orchestrated approach requires
the appropriate infrastructure

8. This orchestrating system ideally should work largely with
existing infrastructure
7
Central Logic-Reporting
Engine contains:
● DMP
● Bidder/DSP
● Adserver
● API for 3rd party
systems/tools
● Optimization layer
● Reporting Engine
CRM / DWH Data
Behavioral Data
(incl. Cross Device)
3rd Party Data
Transaction Data
Data Sources / Input Logic-/Reporting-Engine Execution – Output
Layer
“User &
Business
Data
Mes-
sages /
Content/
Creatives
Res-
ponse
Data
1
Cross
Channel
Messages
Email Push Notif.
FB Cust. Aud. RTA
2
Personaliza-
tion of
applications

9. As always – there is lots of details/aspects to consider
during the implementation…
8
• Organisational responsibility – cross-functional topic, who is in the lead?
• Sensible infrastructur:
− Proprietary vs. 3rd party components
− Restriction on logic vs. „physical“ distribution (of messages)
• Optimal channel/message mix:
− Expansive vs. cheap
− Online/digital vs. “offline“
• Sensible trigger-events
• Adequate optimization approaches:
− Single contacts/channels vs. integrated journey
− Direct response vs. total response

10. Contact details
Dr. Florian Heinemann
Founding Partner & Managing Director
Project A Ventures GmbH & Co. KG
Julie-Wolfthorn-Straße 1
10115 Berlin / Germany
eMail: florian.heinemann@project-a.com
Twitter: @fheinemann