HCF brings digital media in-house amid growing transparency debate
Health insurance brand HCF has brought its digital media – including programmatic, search and paid social – in-house in a bid to give it greater control of its digital advertising.
Mumbrella can reveal HCF will continue to work with Blue 449 (formerly Match Media) for its traditional media buying, but in order to be more efficient and transparent, has transitioned to running its own digital media operations.
Other than allowing you to drag out an existing story and link to another article, could you explain exactly what relevance the YouTube issue has to clients bringing digital in-house?
Last I checked Foxtel has been caught up in the YouTube issue, despite having brought its digital in-house some years ago. Perhaps you meant to add that one of the risks of doing this (moving in-house) is that a client has no-one else to blame when something goes wrong.
Thanks for your question, Question.
The Kia and Holden story only broke a matter of days ago, so I don’t agree that referencing it again – in a story about digital transparency and what brands and marketers are doing to tackle the ongoing issues with digital advertising – is dragging it out.
In my mind it’s relevant due to timing (see above), Jenny’s previous comments (“I would argue that the idea of bringing media in-house is about clients having control and transparency”) and the fact that as this debate rolls on marketers, publishers and agencies will likely be looking at the solutions competitors and their industry peers are implementing. Some, like Jenny Williams and HCF, may decide to bring elements in-house, others, like Kia and Holden, may cease spending on certain platforms.
I don’t think referencing it pretends HCF’s solution is fool-proof or that they will automatically solve all associated issues.
The story links also give people additional context should they need it – and yes, you’re right, it might just get me that extra click.
That was my thinking in providing you with the link, but feel free not to click on it if you still think I’ve just done it to “drag out” what will be one of the biggest issues our industry has faced in the first quarter of 2017.
Thanks,
Vivienne – Mumbrella
this smacks of a CMO looking for a headline. Why does this need to be PR’ed?
Hi PR,
To give more context, neither Jenny nor HCF PR’d this decision. It was something I chased down after some comments Jenny made during a leadership panel. I was the one looking for the headline, not Jenny.
Thanks,
Vivienne – Mumbrella
Great, bold move HCF and well done Nic Halley and Mindbox!
The best thing about this is not about anything to do with transparency/trust, but the fact that clients/CMOs are finally starting to treat marketing strategically, and utilising their data to provide better value to the customers — rather than just slamming them with remarketed banner ads.
This is a good move for the digital agencies that already do act as strategic partners — not just production houses.
10 years late