Let's reflect. As 2018 comes to a close, we're taking note of how digital display ads have evolved over the last year. Did they live up to our spring predictions, and what's in store for 2019?
According to eMarketer's US Ad Spending 2018 Report, digital ad investments will reach $111.14 billion by the end of December, and in 2019, "digital media will account for 55 percent of total media ad spending." With more than half of most ad budgets spent online, it's worth digging into this metric a little deeper.
A Brief Look at Our Past Predictions
In March, we predicted that advertisers would want access to data relevant to the ad-buying process. We hypothesized that a multi-dimensional, collaborative approach between publishers and brands would become the norm.
We also concluded that ad spend would gravitate towards private setups, and that customer-focused ad-targeting would rise to the top. We anticipated that many campaign budgets would heavily focus on social media, with video content leading the way.
Data Management, Collaboration, Ad Spend and Social in 2018
Wrapping up the year, insights into the effectiveness of these approaches are rolling in and informing potential improvements for the new year.
A recent article from MarTech Advisor highlighted the growing use of customer data platforms (CDP). These solutions focus on direct marketing to specific audiences across multiple channels — a strategy that we predicted would gain prominence in 2018.
Purchasing patterns, demographic trends and consumer behavior, as well as data collected via CDPs, can be shared with collaboration partners, breaking down barriers in the advertising-publisher relationship.
In September, Marketing Land surveyed SMB owners and managers about their upcoming holiday shopping outreach. The majority of respondents reported that budgets would funnel into Facebook and Instagram promotions (over television, radio and email).
This social approach is ROI-efficient, features built-in analytics tools accessible by all parties involved (due to the Handshake Tool and third-party integrations) and enables geotargeting of specific audience segments.
What Can Advertisers Expect in 2019?
Business 2 Community forecasts a stronger focus on video and storytelling in advertising this holiday season (and beyond). These tools will be used programmatically and efficiently, reaching highly segmented and targeted audiences.
Speaking of programmatic, over-the-top (OTT) and connected television (CTV) will evolve, as traditional television ad spend declines. This is because audiences are increasingly viewing content online. This shift benefits advertisers, since OTT ads aren't skippable.
Overall, our 2018 predictions aligned with many marketers' experiences and set the stage for the new year.
Is your business in need of a fresh marketing strategy for 2019? Local Solutions can provide the assistance and creative minds that your office needs. Contact us today and learn how we can collaborate on your projects.
