Isobar Launches 'First Programmatic Print Ad'

In Brazil, Dentsu Aegis Network-owned digital marketing agency Isobar has launched what it describes as the first programmatic advertising service for print. Through the service, advertisers can deliver personalized ads to consumers based on their reader profile, geolocation and the time of day.

Developed in partnership with the newspaper O Estado de S.Paulo, the new service embeds a smartphone-readable QR Code (quick response code) into print ads, enabling advertisers to deliver promotional content containing personalized offers based on certain characteristics of the reader. Both the time a consumer has scanned the code and their location determine which offers they are delivered.

Dentsu Aegis Chief Creative Officer Rui Branquinho says using data allows every advertiser to rethink their communication with the reader, based on performance information from the ad. For instance, if an advertiser places an offer at 8:30am and, within hours, finds that they are losing ground to more aggressive promotions from other participating brands, they can make a change to make their offer more competitive. Paulo Pessoa, Estadão's Executive Commercial Director, says the launch takes brand communication with the consumer 'to another level', giving new meaning to the print channel as a means to convey a message.

The service has been piloted with promotional content from McDonald's, Burger King, and Subway, demonstrating that advertisers can share the ad page and offer their best deals to readers in real-time.

Web site: www.isobar.com .