Wavemaker has developed and launched a news operating system that “seamlessly pulls together different data points and integrates them with other systems”.
These include GroupM’s Live Panel, Mindsights and Wavemaker-owned Momentum studies, which together provide a view of consumers’ purchasing and media consumption behaviour. The operating system (OS) can also be integrated with local market data sources, ensuring that outputs have local, in-market relevance.
“’Provocative planning’ is the essence of our new positioning, and our new OS is a bespoke, results-drive platform that demonstrates our positioning in practice,” said Merissa Himraj, Wavemaker South Africa’s chief strategy officer in a statement.
“The platform is designed to offer detailed information on our clients, their consumers and their consumers’ purchase journeys across a multitude of categories,” she explained.
“It enables us to offer our clients informed, customised, data-driven and strategic media insights that answer important business questions. It does this not only by dealing with media performance and ROI, but also by providing guidance on media investment weighting and optimal channel selection, and by helping to identify missed revenue opportunities. This ensures we deliver additional revenue opportunities to our clients.”
The OS was commissioned by Global CEO Toby Jenner and developed by Wavemaker’s technical team in Poland. It was rolled out globally in stages, starting in February 2020, and has been fully operational in South Africa since October 2020.
How it works
Data has always been at the heart of Wavemaker’s approach to media strategy and engagement. Through the OS, however, this data is now driven by artificial intelligent and machine learning and, as a result, is even more detailed and impactful than it was before.
Wavemaker South Africa has individualised the system with tailored dashboarding solutions powered by the OS outputs. The dashboarding solutions give a clear view of client investment and performance, allowing teams to review and optimise campaigns effectively to deliver the best outcomes.
“This type of information is critical in informing future approaches, and in helping marketing executives justify or amend media investment decisions and actions. The more information you have, the more you can adapt and make meaningful changes,” Himraj said. “This is particularly useful if you’re responsible for explaining how your company’s marketing budget is being spent, especially given the current climate of accountability we’re operating in.”
Himraj said Wavemaker’s OS allows its strategic in-agency teams to deliver impactful business solutions that highlight missed opportunities for clients and the challenges impacting conversion results, “as well as optimising investment and delivering on the provocative planning approach even in cluttered category verticals”.
How Wavemaker works
“Wavemaker is all about positively provoking growth for our clients. This mantra is at the heart of how we position our brand and how we work,” she said. “At Wavemaker, we know accurate data, intelligent systems, detailed analysis, informed decision-making lead to real, tangible results. The new OS delivers on this, but also helps us to apply our strategic minds into delivering solutions beyond the norm.”
Internationally, the provocative planning approach has been responsible for Wavemaker delivering groundbreaking solutions for high-profile clients such as Netflix in Italy, Toyota in the Netherlands and Vodafone in India. Locally, the first test run of the OS contributed to Wavemaker winning a large new client in what was one of the most contested industry-wide pitches of 2020.
