Tech will continue to redefine media in 2020 as ad spend on social and online platforms continues to grow, tech innovations will also promote real-world engagement. Kantar’s global 2020 Media Trends & Predictions claims that marketers and media owners will be challenged to develop skills, engagement models and measurement capabilities.
Kantar predicts there will be a digital paradox; while new and evolving media channels will create opportunities, the deluge of digital touchpoints will make it harder to connect with consumers. Marketers will also need to navigate the ‘data dilemma,’ meeting consumer demand for relevant, personalised content, without breaching trust and privacy.
As third-party cookies start to crumble, advertisers will need to find other measurements.
Kantar’s Mitchell O’Gorman (pictured) says marketing is set to benefit from 5G, with more tools available to engage with consumers. However, taking advantage of the 5G opportunities requires a new approach. New players will see the battle of the streaming platforms heat up, but a more cluttered market will drive subscription fatigue among consumers.
Brands will turn up the volume and find their voice as media enters a new age of audio advertising. Newer audio channels are poised to gain mainstream prominence. Content and commerce will converge as ‘shopvertising’ evolves from shoppable social to shoppable TV and digital out-of-home resulting in a contraction of the closed-loop marketing cycle.
Brands will balance their digital presence with more real-world experiences, which may see a slowdown in the pace of digital advertising growth. Taking the lead from consumers, brands will become more radical in 2020. But they need to ensure their media strategy is aligned with their values and purpose. Influencer marketing must measure what matters.
Esports will go mainstream in 2020, presenting opportunities for media owners and advertisers that learn the rules of the game. The trend towards media in-housing will continue as more brands build their own teams of digital experts, pushing agencies and advertisers out of their traditional comfort zones, into a new collaborative and exciting space.
The demise of cookies could leave many marketers in the dark.
Advertisers need to prepare now for the new ‘mixed economy’. Closer contacts between publishers and measurement partners will allow cross-measurement for the first time. Faced with legislation like the California Consumer Privacy Act in January 2020, privacy ethics will come to the fore and marketers must focus on a people-first, rather than tech-first, mentality.
Political advertising will create crowding and clutter in 2020, especially in US media. Brand advertisers will need to rethink their strategy during campaign season.
