The present invention relates generally to information encoding, data hiding, steganography and digital watermarking. One claim recites: using a programmed electronic processor, encoding content with a plural-bit digital watermark in accordance with initial encoding parameters; determining an assessment of the encoded plural-bit digital watermark in each of two or more portions of the content; for each of the two or more portions of the content, adjusting at least one of the initial encoding parameters according to a determined assessment for a respective portion of the content; and using a programmed electronic processor, encoding the content with said plural-bit watermark in accordance with adjusted encoding parameters. Other claims are provided as well.