Combining Ad Targeting Techniques: Evidence from a Field Experiment in the Auto Industry

For your marketing

Possible founder application

A useful test idea for combining audience intent with page context and matching the creative to a meaningful next action. Measure pipeline or product activation beyond soft conversions.

Reported result

What the study found

Combining contextual targeting with retargeting improved website visits, engagement, and soft conversions. Ads prompting users to customize an offering were especially effective in the combined condition.

Research question

What the authors investigated

Do contextual targeting and retargeting complement one another, and does ad content affect their combined performance?

Design

Field experiment with an automobile manufacturer, supplemented by a laboratory experiment.

Sample and setting

Online advertising campaign for an automobile manufacturer; the accessible abstract does not state sample size.

Scope and transfer

Limitations to keep in view

One auto manufacturer and campaign context; the abstract does not report sample size or a direct sales outcome. The effectiveness of specific creative prompts may vary by product and buying cycle.

Research sources

INFORMS publisher abstract retrieved with Firecrawl; study design and reported outcomes were visible on the page.