2015 will be a revolutionary year for digital, with mobile optimisation at an all-time high and programmatic and content marketing continuing the growth they enjoyed in 2014. The start of a new year brings with it the evolution of new trends, and the industry has a lot to be excited about this year.
It’s time to get creative:
Automation has grown in the advertising industry, and its increasingly prominent role has triggered dispute into whether this hinders innovation and ideas. On the contrary, the time it returns has been credited for enabling more time for creativity. As 2015 unfolds, we will be sure to see this debate around programmatic evolve too.
Never has there been a time with such a focus on real-time as today’s modern world. With the proliferation of data and technology, we can continually analyse customer data and offer brands invaluable insights into their audiences. Algorithms may have the power to understand and deliver a brand’s message to its target audience but an automated system can’t supply the creativity behind the ad. For real-time advertising to be a true success, creative minds need to be involved to produce content that connects with the consumer. Bringing together data and innovation can create well-targeted, original and engaging campaigns.
However, we shouldn’t view automation and creativity as an ‘either/or’ situation. Automation doesn’t need to take away from the master plan and creativity will always be at the heart of well executed, engaging campaigns. Take Nike+ and the personalised films it sent out to its users to boost interest in fitness this month. This campaign digested users’ running data to deliver a campaign entrenched with creativity. The key is understanding the importance of both data and creativity. Brands need to adapt their approaches to prosper in the digital era and implement a strategy to address everything from reach to message to audience and engagement. If done well, brands will thrive in 2015.
24/7 content:
With widespread Wi-Fi and 4G, it’s a rarity to be out of touch from a constant feed of new information and with consumers glued to multiple devices, users expect content around the clock and are increasingly creating reams of their own content and sharing via social media.
The average consumer views 25 videos per week. Following Facebook’s launch of video in news feeds, brands are taking full advantage and are using video to connect with their audience. The online video market is now an on-demand environment where ‘prime time’ is an entity dictated by the consumer and premium video ads are a sure fire way to connect with and entertain the ‘always connected’ consumer. In 2015, it’s key that brands amplify the tone of the publication they’re advertising on to replicate the style of the publication its readership is familiar with and engages with.
Pushing forward with programmatic:
2014 was the year of programmatic, with over two-thirds of marketers now using it in one form or another. With more and more companies, most recently Opera Mediaworks, progressing with programmatic, creating a single, centralised platform for advertisers is the next step. By doing this, brands can efficiently manage their campaigns and leverage their data to target consumers.
2015 is the year to get all programmatic strategies clarified. Ensuring that you’re working with trusted partners that deliver transparency, value and media quality is important. Viewability is also central to programmatic buying. Advertisers want proof that their ads are being seen by the right target demographic in a brand-safe environment. While serving ads to the right person is important, they must be seen by real people. Ensuring the scale of a campaign is key but the quality of the audience is integral.
With recent figures highlighting that three quarters of media owners still need help with understanding new technologies like programmatic, 2015 will be the year that the industry gains clarity. When knowledge is conquered, we anticipate that programmatic will drive forward the evolution of the industry to an automated system of buying and selling advertising space.
Native advertising on the rise:
Native advertising caused waves in 2014 and continues to in 2015 with brands such as Twitter getting on board to grow their revenues. It is a powerful and effective tool for advertising and when it's done well it greatly enhances the experience for consumers, advertisers and publishers alike. Ensuring that adverts seamlessly slip into the style and tone of sites is really key for brands to resonate with their target audience.
With 60 per cent of consumers more open to online advertising with a story rather than a sales pitch, native advertising is the perfect example of the kind of format that people are responding to in the digital age – the 23% increase in brand awareness Heineken saw from its native posts being a great example of this.
2015 will see the industry evolve and expand into new areas of digital. Brands will focus their efforts on emerging technologies and we will see hot trends from 2014, such as programmatic and native advertising, really bed in. Knowledge and understanding around these new initiatives will increase and drive widespread growth across the industry. It’s about moving with the pace of technology and new communication portals to continue to deliver consumers experiences that they want, that also generate ROI for brands.
By Tamara Jacobs, Brand Solutions Manager at blinkx Media.
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