IAB Debrief 2024: What we learnt

IAB Debrief opened with an inspiring message from IAB UK’s CMO, James Chandler, who shared his wish for attendees: “My hope is that you’re compelled to create such an exceptional campaign between now and next year that you’ll want to share it with us and be here on this stage.” Throughout the morning, the audience was treated to a series of insightful sessions from leading advertisers and agencies. Here are seven key takeaways from the event: 

Nudge your audience into action 

Ryan Dunlop, Strategy Partner at JACK RYAN and Dr. Nighat Arif, NHS GP and Women's Health Advocate, were first up to discuss their groundbreaking campaign designed to increase cervical cancer screenings across London. Dr. Arif highlighted that misconceptions around screenings, especially among women from different cultural backgrounds, can be a major barrier: “In some cultures, there’s not even a word for cervix, so how do you explain to someone what a cervical smear is?” The campaign, combining humour with crucial health messaging, reached 2.7 million women across the city and saw a 9.3% uplift in screening searches. By partnering with the likes of Tinder to engage London’s underrepresented communities, the partnership proves that showing up in unlikely spaces can achieve cut-through and, crucially, can save lives. 

Place traditional brands in non-traditional spaces 

“It’s no longer just the ‘teenage boy in the bedroom’ when it comes to gaming, it’s far more diverse than that”, said Arla Foods’ Stategic Media Planner, Tom Miles. During the session, Miles revealed that Anchor Butter’s brand team was initially shy to try out a new media channel. But the success of an in-game butter ad from Activision Blizzard Media showed there was no need for reticence. Chris Bailes, Activision Blizzard Media’s Head of EMEA Sales, took to the stage to reveal how the creative, non-skippable ad content resulted in a 30.2% increase in ad recall. So, the approach delivered measurable brand impact - even for a product as traditional as butter. 

Real-time data delivers real results 

In their session, Auto Trader’s Senior Marketing Manager, Grace Bailey, and Quantcast’s Head of Client Strategy UK, Ellie Lane, explained how real-time insights from Quantcast had been invaluable. “Programmatic sometimes stuck out for all the wrong reasons, and actually now it means we can bring it in line with other channels,” said Bailey, speaking of the previous decision to make more traditional budget allocations like TV and radio. Since moving digital in-house five years ago, Auto Trader has been focused on broadening its reach and connecting with younger audiences, especially 18-34-year-olds. Access to immediate metrics enables faster, data-driven decisions for stakeholders outside of marketing, who expect real-time results. By integrating connected TV and simplifying its strategy, Auto Trader achieved a 51% incremental reach, effectively expanding its audience and enhancing alignment between programmatic and brand channels. 

Blend broad & niche approaches 

Kristie Naha-Biswas, Head of Insight at IAB UK, emphasised the evolution of digital advertising and its integral role across all channels, from out-of-home ads to social media and TV. With consumers now spending over eight hours daily on digital platforms, advertisers face a complex, fragmented landscape. Naha-Biswas suggested five strategies to thrive: 

1. Scalable audiences: Reach broader, light and non-buyers by leveraging popular but overlooked platforms, like Reddit and Prime Video 

2. Balanced targeting: Combine mass-market approaches with targeted campaigns, using rich consumer insights to engage future buyers 

3. Memorability and impact: Ensure campaigns are recallable by being platform-native and delivering relevant content 

4. Phygital integration: Merge physical and digital (‘phygital’) strategies to reach consumers at key purchase points 

5. Distinctiveness: Stand out through creative, culturally relevant campaigns that authentically engage audiences 

Don’t be afraid of using humour 

Incontinence is rarely talked about openly – so TENA Men and Zenith were up next to talk about a collaboration that sought to remedy this. The campaign set out to tackle the stigma around male incontinence, a condition affecting 1 in 4 men over 40. Mark Geddes, UK Brand Manager at TENA Men, noted that men often feel isolated due to the negative perceptions around incontinence and so to encourage men to seek help, they decided to combine humour with relatable storytelling. Philip Gamble, Head of SEO at Zenith, explained that to make the campaign relatable, they enlisted former England rugby captain Lewis Moody, who shared his personal experience with incontinence. The campaign video gained significant traction online, with over 750,000 views and 900 engagements, and achieved a top search ranking for ‘incontinence pants for men’. Incontinence isn't funny, but addressing it can be. 

Forget planet vs profit  

Lisa Boyles, giffgaff’s Head of Go-to-Market and Media, joined WeAre8’s Group Agency Director, Sarah Wheatley, on stage for the penultimate session to demonstrate that purpose and profit can coexist in the digital space. Exploring the partnership between the two B Corps, which is now on its fifth campaign, Boyles and Wheatley highlighted how giffgaff’s commitment to member experience and responsible media practices aligned with WeAre8’s innovative approach to audience engagement, reducing e-waste and rethinking advertising for societal impact. Boyles finished up by encouraging other brands to interrogate their partners’ practices and advocate for sustainable advertising, because neither means compromising on reach or financial viability. 

Action optimism 

“I know that you've got targets to hit, campaigns to make and KPIs to deliver”, declared Kian Bakhtiari, founder of The People and author of Marketing for Social Change. Wrapping up the morning by advocating for using advertising’s influence to promote sustainable consumerism, Bakhtiari explained that a green economy did not spell the end of advertising – in fact, the green economy has become one of the top-performing sectors thanks largely to secondhand markets. Ending on a positive note, Bakhtiari advocated for optimism, suggesting that hope and positive action can counter isolation and help build a more sustainable, connected future. 

Catch up on the highlights from IAB Debrief here.