• by Larissa Faw , December 18, 2019

Top leaders at Publicis Media are highlighting trends that they think will impact advertising and the broader media industry over the coming 12 months. 

Helen Lin, Chief Digital Officer, Publicis Media believes that data will become rooted in curation and customization. 

“As advertisers now understand why which audiences perform, they can create their own custom algorithms based on first party data, allowing them to take control back from DSPs, thus putting the power to score and bid for audiences back in advertiser’s hands,” she says. 

Starcom’s Chief Experience Officer Bohb Blair foresees disconnection, albeit “for purpose,” he explains. Disconnectors, primarily teens and young adults, are not polarizing luddites dismissing all things tech, but rather are “context-based opting to turn off data, avoid a screen or disable notifications,” he says. “Platforms and device creators that offer intuitive human and lifestyle centric tools to empower people in this pursuit will flourish.” 

Jonathan Tatlow, executive vice president/head of strategy, Digitas believes the “smartest brands” will go back to basics. “Technology, data and the precision it provides, will be recognized as more of an enabling force, than an end unto itself,” he says. “The brands that win will be those where everything connects.” 

Continuing on the theme of returning to the tried-and-true, Ryan Sullivan, Chief Strategy Officer, Performics feels tactics labeled “traditional” will have renewed appeal thanks to better targeting, measurement, and personalized creative options. Connected TV, dynamic video solutions, and sponsored content across channels will absorb incremental dollars as brands look to grow consideration and communicate customer experience enhancements, says Sullivan. “Smart enterprises will move money out of working media and into projects meant to improve customer-facing systems, sale conversion rates, consideration building, and customer lifetime value.” 

Amy Lanzi, an executive vice president at the group states that sustainability and supply chain changes will be key initiatives for brands to win in 2020, or as she sums up, “give me what I want, and make what I need in a ‘better for the world’ way. 

Rauxa’s Chief Strategy Officer Ian Baer predicts that brands will finally drag the so-called “dark social” into the mainstream. The practice has become known as “dark social” because private messaging activity isn’t seen by analytics platforms and lacks tracking visibility, which makes most brands wary of investing in such channels. However, a growing number of brands are incorporating link-sharing buttons into more of their posted content, with buttons generating a serialized shortcode URL for sharing that helps with tracking. 2020 will be the year that data, technology and the opportunities in this space converge, he says. 

John Rich, vice president, FutureX Labs, Moxie, believes 2020 will be a breakout year for virtual reality. He states lower price points and immersive mobile experiences will finally drive demand and enterprise usage. “By mid-2020, the path to VR becoming a mass medium will seem virtually inevitable,” he predicts.