Recently, we were at DMEXCO where 40,000 marketers flocked to Cologne for the latest and coolest in marketing and advertising, with a focus on the digital side of things. You might wonder what a testing company like Testbirds was doing in the midst of all these chic marketers, but we’ll get to that in just a second.In addition to the fancy tech that can be put to use, such as AR or the growing topic of sound in branding, there was a lot of talk about the problems arising in a cookie-less world where privacy is a key topic for both senders and recipients of advertising.Additionally, programmatic advertising was discussed, as the purchasing of relevant ad spaces that reach the right audience moves to a model that uses artificial intelligence to make split-second, on-demand decisions on which ads to display as people surf the web. Although this form of A.I. isn’t directly customer-facing, such as a chatbot is, any form of A.I. can and needs to be tested and trained in order to perform optimally.
Improving the Customer Experience
Trust was also a topic, in regards to brands building trust and customer loyalty. As customers are bombarded with messaging from all directions, it’s increasingly difficult to keep them focused and to meet their need for a great customer experience. Products are now just one in a pool of many alternatives which means it’s not only important to keep up and stand out, but also to make sure that there are no small missteps that create frustration and drive your customers away. This is where Testbirds has its relevance at an event like DMEXCO – the customer experience in a digital world is the user experience. After those hip and trendy marketers have attracted people to your product, it has to work flawlessly, or you’ll risk losing those hard-earned customers.
Talking About Crowdtesting
Our team spent their two days at DMEXCO having lots of interesting conversations about the usability and functionality of digital products. There was a good mix of both people who came specifically to talk to us and people who discovered us for the first time and received a warm welcome into the world of testing and how important it is. Many were intrigued by the possibilities of Crowdtesting, for example how we can provide users within specific target groups and the multitude of devices available to test on.We also had the pleasure of having a tester from our crowd on-site with us. He was able to give feedback on-the-fly to anyone who was interested in possible improvements to their websites or apps. In his feedback he looked at the user experience and also found bugs that affected functionality, and in turn, customer satisfaction.This was a very positive experience for those that gave it a try, as they were able to learn more about how a test is conducted and get into the mindset of a tester. The feedback that he provided enforced the point of why we were there – the customer experience isn’t complete without making sure your digital product is as good as it possibly can be.
Customer Expectations in the Living Room
Another hot topic was that of Connected TV and Over-The-Top, and especially the opportunity for advertising. In these services that are now available in our living rooms, like YouTube or Netflix, there’s a market for placing advertisements (although Netflix is thankfully still ad-free). But what effect will your ad placement have if the app it’s in crashes right when your ad is showing? Not only is the customer now frustrated that their show got cut off, it happened right when your brand was the focus of their attention. That’s why testing is crucial – what’s the point of buying ad space in an app if an issue ends up damaging both the app’s brand, as well as the ad buyer’s brand?If you didn’t get a chance to talk to us at DMEXCO or share a dance with us at the afterparty, you can always get in touch with us or join us at Research & Results on October 23rd.
