A media agency network has successfully used blockchain technology to increase the efficiency of an advertising campaign for PepsiCo by 28%.
Mindshare, the media agency network that is part of WPP, partnered with Zilliqa Research, Rubicon Project, MediaMath and Integral Ad Science, to provide seamless end-to-end reconciliation of the programmatic supply chain using blockchain for PepsiCo.
Running in March 2019 in the Asia Pacific region, a test blockchain-based smart contract administered campaign delivered up to 28% increased efficiency in terms of costs for viewable impressions, compared to a control campaign.
The test was part of Project Proton, which is intended to explore solutions to challenges in programmatic advertising. The project automates the utilisation of smart contracts built on a dedicated deployment of Zilliqa’s blockchain, which reconcile impressions delivered from multiple data sources with payments facilitated using an internal Native Alliance Token (NAT), in near real time.
This system not only promises improved efficiency, but also complete transparency for brand owners, enabling a business model in which advertisers only pay for the ad impressions that are viewable, brand-safe and free from ad fraud.
Commenting on the test Co-Founder of Zilliqa Research, Max Kantelia, explained:
“We are proud to work with Mindshare and other leaders and influencers within the global media landscape. This alliance illustrates the power of smart contracts and serves as a reminder that blockchain can drive business benefits to industries beyond just finance. As Project Proton unfolds, we eagerly await to assess its impact and how we could – along with Mindshare’s expertise and insights – develop it on our scalable and secure platform.”
While Director of Consumer Engagement for PepsiCo AMENA, Farida Shakhshir, added:
“We are happy to be partnering with Mindshare to test the application and value add of blockchain in media. It is key that we stay abreast of new technologies, and continue to advance transparency, viewability, brand safety and buying efficiency. The results are encouraging, and we plan to run a few more campaigns under different conditions to verify more hypotheses and measure overall impact.”
