DV360: Unlocking Advanced Prospecting for Enterprise Growth

By the OnePortal Research Team

A Strategic Approach to Scaling Demand Generation When Traditional Channels Plateau

In today's digital landscape, many enterprises face a common challenge: the inevitable plateauing of their established marketing channels. Whether it's organic search hitting a ceiling or paid search campaigns showing diminishing returns, growth-focused organizations need sophisticated solutions to maintain momentum. Google's Display & Video 360 (DV360) platform emerges as a powerful answer to this challenge, particularly through its advanced prospecting capabilities.

The Critical Role of Prospecting in Modern Digital Strategy

Prospecting isn't merely about finding new customers—it's about building sustainable growth through qualified audience development. While many organizations focus heavily on conversion metrics, the true value of prospecting lies in its ability to continuously replenish and expand your qualified audience pool. Think of it as maintaining a swimming pool: without constant replenishment, the water level drops through evaporation and use. Similarly, your customer base needs consistent renewal through strategic prospecting.

Why Traditional Channels Eventually Plateau

Search marketing, both organic and paid, typically follows a predictable pattern. Initially, organizations experience strong growth as they capture obvious market opportunities. However, as these primary markets become saturated, growth naturally decelerates. This plateau effect occurs because:

• The core addressable market becomes fully penetrated

• Competition intensifies for the same keyword space

• Cost per acquisition rises as easier conversions are exhausted

• Natural limits emerge in search volume for specific industries

DV360's Advanced Prospecting Capabilities

Programmatic Power and Look-alike Audiences

DV360 distinguishes itself through sophisticated programmatic advertising capabilities that enable precise audience targeting. The platform excels at creating look-alike audiences, effectively expanding your reach from an existing successful audience segment to similar, highly-qualified prospects. This capability can transform a million-person audience into a five or ten million-person qualified prospect pool.

Sophisticated Segmentation and Targeting

The platform offers unprecedented control over audience segmentation, allowing organizations to:

• Create laser-focused campaigns based on specific audience segments

• Adjust targeting parameters based on geographic location (urban vs. rural)

• Implement different bidding strategies for various audience segments

• Tailor creative content to specific audience interests and behaviors

  
  

Cross-Channel Integration and Attribution

One of DV360's most powerful features is its ability to track and attribute value across multiple channels and devices through:

• Floodlight tags for deterministic reporting

• Cross-device tracking capabilities

• View-through conversion tracking

• First-party data integration and enhancement

  
  

Strategic Implementation: The Portfolio Approach

The Barbell Strategy

Successful implementation of DV360 prospecting often follows what's known as the "barbell strategy," similar to investment portfolio management:

• Prospecting (Growth): Like growth stocks, prospecting campaigns focus on expansion and future potential

• Retargeting (Value): Similar to value stocks, retargeting provides steady returns from qualified audiences

• Dynamic Allocation: Budget distribution shifts based on seasonal factors, promotions, and performance

  
  

Optimal Budget Distribution

Most successful organizations aim for a balanced approach:

• 50/50 split between prospecting and retargeting as a baseline

• Flexible allocation based on business cycles

• Strategic shifts for major sales events (75% prospecting early, shifting to 75% retargeting during peak sales periods)

  
  

Advanced Targeting Techniques

Private Marketplace Opportunities

DV360 provides access to premium inventory and audience data through private marketplace deals:

• Direct publisher relationships

• Premium audience lists

• Highly specific demographic targeting

• Custom data partnerships

  
  

Multi-Format Campaign Integration

Successful prospecting strategies typically employ multiple ad formats:

• Display advertising

• Video content (YouTube and open web)

• Connected TV for brand awareness

• Audio advertising for specific audience segments

  
  

Measuring Success: Beyond Traditional Metrics

Key Performance Indicators

When evaluating prospecting campaigns, focus on:

• Click-through rates (CTR) for audience quality assessment

• View-through conversions (VTC) for broader impact measurement

• Audience list growth and quality metrics

• Cross-channel attribution insights

  
  

Attribution Considerations

Modern attribution requires sophisticated approaches:

• Understanding both click-through and view-through conversions

• Evaluating cross-device customer journeys

• Utilizing deterministic reporting through floodlight tags

• Analyzing assisted conversions across channels

  
  

Implementation Recommendations

Getting Started

1. Audit current channel performance to identify plateau indicators

2. Define clear audience segmentation strategies

3. Implement comprehensive tracking through floodlight tags

4. Start with core audience segments and expand through look-alike modeling

5. Monitor both direct response and audience development metrics

   
   

Scaling Considerations

• Begin with a focused prospecting strategy in key segments

• Gradually expand to additional audience segments

• Continuously optimize based on performance data

• Maintain flexibility in budget allocation

• Regular review and adjustment of targeting parameters

  
  

Conclusion

In an era where traditional digital channels increasingly show signs of saturation, DV360's prospecting capabilities offer a sophisticated solution for continued growth. By combining programmatic efficiency with precise targeting and comprehensive measurement, organizations can build sustainable audience development programs that drive long-term success. The key lies in viewing prospecting not as a simple customer acquisition tool, but as a strategic component of your overall marketing ecosystem.

For organizations facing growth plateaus in their established channels, DV360's prospecting capabilities provide the tools needed to break through these barriers and access new, qualified audience segments. Success requires a balanced approach, combining sophisticated targeting with strategic budget allocation and comprehensive measurement frameworks.

The future of digital marketing lies not in simply converting existing demand, but in strategically developing and nurturing new audience segments. DV360's prospecting capabilities provide the sophisticated tools needed to execute this strategy at scale, making it an essential platform for growth-focused enterprises.