The success of multi-channel campaigns in 2016 will depend on marketers creating quality-advertising campaigns, spurred on by the rise of programmatic and intelligent use of big data.
Brands can gain a much better understanding of their customers, their behaviours and personal preferences when their customer acquisition strategies are underpinned by CRM data, big data insights and attribution analysis.
Not only will it help them to engage with customers on an individual level creatively, but also in the right environment and through the right device.
The following five trends will feel the Big Data impact the most:
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Quality advertising
The rise of ad blocking and concerns over viewability is a very real challenge facing the industry as a whole. In 2016, publishers, advertisers and end-users should re-evaluate their relationship and take action to focus on the value exchange that takes place between the three different parties.
We expect UK media to follow into the footsteps of Dutch footballing magazine, Voetbal International, by cutting available inventory and driving revenue growth as a result. Prioritising the quality of the inventory, rather than just the impressions on a plan, will lead to better-targeted and more impactful ads for a more valuable online experience for all parties involved.
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Programmatic TV
The next phase in Programmatic TV will be synchronisation. Programmatic TV offers advertisers the ability to monitor TV ads airing in real-time, which can subsequently be tied in with paid search and Twitter activity delivering tailored ads to mobile devices that echo the broadcast messages.
Advertisers are much better equipped to interrogate and use data to identify smart ways to target customers with the right message and creative treatment for the right product at the right time on the right device.
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Cross-device tracking
Mobile is the main driver behind cross-device marketing across all sectors. Cross-device tracking proves that media budgets are actually working harder than previously thought, which lowers the Cost Per Acquisition (CPA).
We expect advertisers to capitalise on ‘micro moments’ this year – those short moments when users watch an ad or browse a website on their mobile while travelling to work, for example, prior to completing an action on a different device.
The next step will be making the most of new technology allowing payments or donations within social media environments. To avoid customer alienation, the key is to use creative that fits the message, the customer and the environment (or device).
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Big screens, little screens
Size matters in 2016! Audience screens will get both bigger and smaller simultaneously – think 24” HD monitors for office use vs. the Apple Watch on a user’s wrist. This trend has the potential to cause brands a huge headache when it comes to web development strategies and contextual advertising.
The mobile-first approach sounds great on paper, but brands mustn’t forget about all the other devices in the eco system. This could mean a move away from responsive websites to dynamic content serving.
While the Apple Watch makes it easy for advertisers to quite literally get ‘in the face’ of a user, they need to learn how to strike the right balance between invasive vs. contextual advertising. No one likes to be bombarded with irrelevant messages, so advertising in the right context is the next logical step, but with care.
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Voice Search
This is not directly linked to CRM data, but Siri, Cortana, Alexa and Google Now have changed the way people search. With people increasingly using the voice command functions of phones and smart watches, voice-led results and ads are around the corner.
Brands will expand their Search activity to capture this voice search traffic by adding conversation type searches, such as ‘Where can I…?’ or ‘How to…?’ Optimising Search – especially mobile – with these voice questions is an excellent way to get clicks at a lower cost and drive even more conversions with leftover budgets.
The question is whether 2016 will be the year when digital marketers capitalise on everything big data has to offer and drive high-quality digital marketing campaigns. New platforms and initiatives are launched every day, but we’ll have to wait and see their full impact.
