The Future of Advertising is 10x as Bright
For Creative Clicks’ 10 year anniversary so far, we have taken a look back at how technology over the last 10 years has impacted in our lives. Then we walked you through what 10 core assets make up our company. Now we’d like to take you through what we foresee the future of advertising technology will become over the next 10 years.
Over the years we’ve ridden the rollercoaster journey of a startup and Ad Tech life. This experience has taught us what to do when the (pleasant or unpleasant) unexpected shows up. It also has taught us what to expect and how to anticipate what’s coming next.
Read on to learn all about how current technologies will develop as well as some up-and-coming technologies in the pipeline you may not have even heard of yet!
1. Machine Co-creativity and Augmented Design
Thanks to AI, machines can accomplish things only sci-fi movies could dream of just 10 years ago – including creating artwork and designs. IBM has created an Artificial Intelligence bot, Watson, which is doing that and so much more.
But what exactly is co-creativity and augmented design? Essentially, it’s a way for humans to use technology to enhance their creativity. It can allow for results such as evaluating new perspectives on big data, creating an image of a dish based on its recipe, or even designing a brand new chair.
As a result, we are going to be presented with a lot of opportunities. We can expect the creative and design processes to shift towards greater collaboration with these smarter machines.
2. Mass Personalization and Micro-moments
While it may sound counter-intuitive, mass personalization is personalizing on a large scale. For example, you may be walking by a video ad at a bus stop and having it speak DIRECTLY to you! Or a video customized to every email recipient (which we are already beginning to see).
Meanwhile, the term “micro-moments” essentially means responding to customer needs at the exact right moment. For example, when someone types in “buy red bicycle” or simply “best family car” into google. These are moments where you can capture their attention based on their location in the customer journey.
Both capabilities are made possible in a basic way already by current and emerging technologies like AI, Big Data, and analytics.
3. New Sources of User Data
Arguably, the most important aspect of AdTech will be new sources of user data, and the only way Marketers can move with it, is forward. If we don’t begin to look at new ways of collecting and analyzing data, we will not be able to better understand the changing needs of our customers.
Some of these new sources will include:
- Biometric data from advanced smartphones and security systems that use fingerprints, facial, recognition, or retinal scans.
- Behavioral data collected by wearables, eye-tracking cameras, or similar devices.
- Voice samples recorded by smart speakers, smart displays, and all other voice-controlled devices.
Privacy laws will definitely come into play here. These laws and updating technology, however, can provide users with tools to control their data their way. While this means more infrastructure for companies collecting this data, it means more information and insights!
Advertisers, then, will have to be more open, honest, and selective when gathering this data. They will need to be sensitive to everything collected, including the location of servers as well. To be more specific, the jurisdiction which they fall under, as it will also influence Marketers and the future of advertising.
4. New Marketing Channels and 5G
Having a cohesive strategy becomes an even more pressing matter when you take into account all the new ways that users will be able to interact with your brand.
Imagine:
- Presenting your product in a virtual or augmented reality.
- Smart assistants proactively promoting your offers.
- Your ads shown on TVs, fridges, or microwave ovens’ displays.
In ten years, IoT or smart devices will simply become just ‘devices’. Their connected capabilities will be so obvious that no one will even bother to mention that they’re not simple or analog.
The adoption of the 5G technology will allow brands to present their ads in a much higher quality. Think 8K or 360 videos, 3D models, 100 MP images, and so on. We’ll never go back to these old school HDs!
Taking advantage of this will require new creative approaches and a complete rethink of how a typical marketing campaign is structured. Omnichannel marketing will take over traditional ‘email’ or ‘social’ marketing campaigns.
5. The Rise of Super Apps
One app to rule them all!
The Chinese company, WeChat, has begun this process already with their 1 million “mini programs” (half the amount of apps in the Apple Store) in ONE app. It provides access to things like getting a loan, photo sharing, messaging, and ordering a taxi without ever leaving their app.
Google is testing the waters with their own super app as well. We’re already dreaming of the day that we don’t have pages upon pages of apps to scroll through anymore.
6. Programmatic Becomes Universal
Utilizing programmatic ads will be the digital standard in our future of advertising. This process is a system for fully automated bids to purchase ad space and dynamically place digital ads. Transactions even take place in real-time.
Programmatic ads are essential in enabling better targeted advertising. Traditional processes involving RFPs, human negotiations, and manual insertion orders will vanish from the digital advertising space.
7. ConteXt Will Be King
They say “content is king”, but digital advertising is predominantly contextual. Being seen during specific parts of the customer journey is key. Understanding the context around what they’re searching for, why, and when, will be vital.
Ads will also be selected and placed by automated systems instead of a more manual process. Those custom and detailed profiles mentioned earlier? That is another way to help us target customers with exactly what they need, when they need it. The increase in mobile and location-based advertising is already developing this trend.
8. Sensors & Central Networks
Today we’re used to being constantly connected via always-on mobile phones, but by 2030 smartphones will have 30+ sensors embedded in them. They will be able to measure and track everything about the user and their environment.
Very soon, every single manufactured item will also be connected to everything else. All of our devices at home and work (screens, thermostats, DVRs, appliances, computers, cars, etc.) will automatically connect seamlessly with the smartphone as the central hub.
You will never again have to figure out how to connect your washing machine — when it finishes washing the clothes, you will get a notification on your phone. Or maybe it will trigger your stove for dinner to start! As marketers, we are used to tracking and measuring every possible metric. Get ready though, because measurement is about to become exponentially interesting.
9. Virtual and Augmented Reality
Well over $5 billion has been invested in AR and VR by all of the major technology companies; from Google to Microsoft, and Samsung to HTC. Everyone wants their virtual hand in creating the future of games, advertising and more.
Soon, those Pokémon figures will seem so much more real than ever when you’re out hunting for them. These developments will allow marketers to shift from obsessing over what advertising looks like, to what advertising feels like.
10. GDPR and Privacy Law
Although the hunger for data from AI automated programmatic advertising is huge, it contradicts with the current, stricter, privacy regulation. Whatever the decisions made by governing bodies, they will no doubt be protecting consumers. Advertisers will need to ensure complete transparency not only now, but even more so over the next 10 years.
What other changes do you foresee in the future of advertising? Creative Clicks is anticipating its next 10 years of business to help see you through to it!
