We’re three months into 2022, and the new year has brought with it a whole raft of new considerations for advertisers to bear in mind. Here are the four key advertising trends to keep an eye on in the coming months.
Video is the key building block for omnichannel strategies
It looks increasingly likely that the key driver of advertiser success throughout the rest of this year will be the ability to pivot their media buying strategies to become truly omnichannel. By spreading their focus across all video formats in the coming months, advertisers will be able to better reap the benefits of digital advertising while engaging with consumers via sight, sound and motion.
The inclusion of an online video (OLV) strategy in advertisers’ media plans will allow them to expand their reach to include an audience that doesn’t consume media through more traditional channels, such as linear TV, and I expect to see advertisers harness the untapped potential of this medium in order to address the widest audience possible. If marketers are able to quickly embrace OLV media strategies this year, it will signal a move towards truly omnichannel experiences.
CTV’s unique position in a cookie-less world
One of the most significant disruptors that the advertising industry must prepare for in the coming months is the end of the third-party cookie as the basis of user identity. Although there is still over a year until third-party cookies are fully phased out, both publishers and the buy-side need to develop and test new identity solutions this year to ensure a smooth transition to a world without cookies.
I foresee publishers doubling down on building out their first-party data capabilities while the buy-side will work closely with their suppliers to more effectively utilise first party data. Here, CTV publishers have an advantage because cookies are not utilised in CTV and therefore the addressability paradigm is undisturbed. CTV publishers’ close relationships with their viewers means their first-party data is highly valuable and we will likely see this come to the forefront in 2022.
AVOD is it
According to research we conducted last year, connected TV viewership in the EU5 grew by 30%. In Europe, four out of five households are now reached by Internet-delivered television on the big screen. The pandemic accelerated this shift exponentially with audiences looking for more flexible, varied TV viewing. Throughout the rest of 2022, we expect this pace of change to continue, if not increase.
Supporting this audience shift is the increased adoption of AVOD services. After years of aggressive growth, SVOD adoption is slowing as viewers cap their paid subscriptions at two or three paid options before looking for free, ad-supported alternatives. This will leave room for broadcasters and native OTT platforms to increase their footprint and offer more options to advertisers.
Sustainability at the heart of the industry
I expect to see a shift in the sector’s priorities towards a greater level of sustainability. All parts of the advertising ecosystem will want to put this issue front and centre: brand owners will aim to position themselves as sustainable leaders and advertising companies will focus on cleaning up their supply chains in a bid to get the industry closer to its Net Zero ambitions. The advertising industry has the potential to adopt greener practices and hold each other accountable to do their part.
