Advertisers should rethink what “reach” really means, said Kelley Rapport, vice president and director of precision at Publicis Groupe’s Digitas North America. Instead of trying to reach everyone, Rapport said brands should prioritize quality interactions, meeting the right audience, with the right message at the right time.
“It’s important to get in front of the right people,” she told Beet.TV’s Lisa Granatstein, “but I almost think it’s more important to find them at the right time and in the right way, when the consumer is ready to engage and more open to receiving your brand message.”
That mindset extends to where advertisers choose to place their media. Rapport argues against a “spray and pray” approach and instead emphasizes a focus on user experience, brand safety and partnerships that deliver value across premium, high-quality environments.
Empathy as a driver of brand loyalty
According to Rapport, empathy and user respect are at the heart of stronger lifetime loyalty. Poor ad experiences, such as excessive pop-ups, irrelevant banners or ad clutter, can leave lasting negative impressions.
“When people have a poor user experience with ads, it leaves a negative connotation,” she said. “But if advertisers and publishers can make the ad experience more enjoyable and relevant, they’re more likely to drive engagement, purchases, and long-term loyalty.”
Rapport cited Digitas’ partnership with Wunderkind as an example. By using Wunderkind’s custom ad units in a premium environment, Digitas saw higher engagement and incremental sales.
“We might pay a bit more for that quality, but it drives better performance across the funnel,” she said.
Transparency builds trust throughout the ecosystem
Transparency, Rapport said, is essential for maintaining trust, not just between brands and consumers, but across the entire media ecosystem.
She outlined three key transparency relationships: between agencies and publishers, agencies and brands, and brands and consumers. Agencies need to know exactly what inventory they’re buying, while brands deserve full visibility into where their ads are running and the metrics being reported.
Finally, Rapport said brands should communicate their values and goals clearly to consumers: “When brands are open about what they stand for, it helps people feel connected beyond just the product offering.”
Balancing performance goals with user experience
As marketers lean harder into performance-driven strategies, Rapport said user experience must remain a central concern, not an afterthought.
“For performance-focused marketers, it’s about making a good first impression,” she said. “That way, consumers are more inclined to take action and remember your brand in a positive light.”
Her team, responsible for driving return on ad spend and sales, has shifted from buying open exchange media to forming direct partnerships with publishers. While this approach can cost more, it delivers more qualified users and higher average basket sizes.
“The shift to quality, less intrusive placements comes with higher costs,” Rapport said, “but it’s resulting in better outcomes for both brands and consumers.”
