The challenge
iKala is an AI technology company that drives digital transformation with AI and provides end-to-end data marketing solutions. At the time, it served more than 800 enterprises and 40,000 advertisers and brand users. Its cloud and new retail services, including iKala Cloud and iKala Commerce, grew quickly on the strength of years of experience and constantly updated technology.
With the pandemic and a privacy-first, cookieless era, businesses of all sizes felt an urgent need to transform digitally, and many data and cloud companies competed for this opportunity. But digital transformation and integration services are sold to businesses and are large, long-term investments, so they depend on more precise media communication than consumer goods. Finding the businesses that need these services and running precise, segmented marketing was the challenge for iKala.
Media strategy
Cloud and data systems are high-priced with long purchase cycles, and as a B2B market, demand is relatively small. For products like these, CloudAD set out three optimisation principles: the right people, the right message and the right place. These helped iKala target precise audiences, develop messages around their pain points and choose suitable media channels, collecting leads and creating opportunities to present iKala’s services.
How we did it
The right people: testing a range of audiences
Unlike B2C, cloud services are B2B, so reaching the right people was the first task. CloudAD worked from iKala’s existing products and white papers to identify potential audiences, considered which businesses would need these systems and defined detailed audience profiles. This laid the foundation for segmented messaging and test campaigns.
The right message: audience needs and creative angles
iKala produces white papers and trend reports rich in expertise that help potential clients understand how industries use the cloud and what cloud products offer. To raise the visibility of this content and collect leads, CloudAD recommended messages on several fronts, including product features, market trends, client pain points and value incentives. These first encourage target audiences to visit the site, then use white paper downloads to prompt them to leave their details. To make creative more eye-catching, we also tested backgrounds and headlines to learn which colours and copy audiences preferred and find the right design direction for the brand.
The right place: media channels
iKala helps clients implement systems it develops and resells. In a highly competitive cloud market, persuading clients to choose iKala requires more than capturing leads: building enough brand awareness and trust is central for B2B services. CloudAD recommended a full-funnel media plan that considered the strengths of each medium and ad format and followed iKala’s current services and events in waves.
For example, when a white paper or seminar first launched, reach and interest mattered most, so CloudAD used proactive media to build awareness and bring traffic. Once remarketing audiences reached a certain size, or the campaign entered its second half, we switched to more precise Facebook conversion ads and Google keyword groups with strong performance, so budget was spent where it counted.
To make good use of machine learning and help the client control costs when budgets were tight, CloudAD switched between automated and manual bidding based on the volume of campaign data and the stage of each wave. This kept optimisation aligned with the client’s expectations, rather than simply following system suggestions to raise budgets or loosen bids.
Results
- Cost per lead down 5–15%
If you need precise, segmented media planning, get in touch.
