9 observations for digital marketing in 2013
This blog post does not just contain 9 "observations" for digital marketing in 2013 but is also me going against the decision made on New Year's day not to succumb to the echo chamber of "prediction" pieces.
I wanted to avoid prediction pieces because its better to design marketing strategies with flexibility and agility instead of charting a course at the start of the year and hoping for the best. My last prediction illustrates why predictions are risky.
1. Marketing Cloud and automation will rise high enough for in-house and agency teams to think about where they add value and where they need help. This includes big data.
2. Real Time becomes more challenging and more important. Being the source of shareable information is one good way to succeed in the attention marketplace and being quick with comments on breaking information is another. Brands and agencies that can do both will win.
3. The attention marketplace won’t be enough… we’ll have to consider the participation marketplace as well. This means vying for attention with Creative or well-placed messages is not sufficient and brands will have to work to turn causal attention into interaction and even community.
4. We’ll see more modelling as analytics will need to expand to be better at multi-device tracking, better digital GRP metrics and attribution. Analytics will begin the catch up this year, responding to the rising demand for easy but meaningful insight in the increasingly complex landscape.
5. Forget 3-screen strategies; N-screen strategies are necessary for 2013. This year we’ll see the rise of 7” tablets, progress with connected TV, even more smartphones, competition in the 10” tablet space and evolution in the console and PC sectors.
6. Companies will pay more and more attention to good customer service as that becomes an increasingly important differentiator in a commoditised world. Many brands will struggle to move from the discount culture to loyalty based marketing; but they’ll try.
7. Native and mobile snuggle up. In the search to find attractive mobile CPMs platforms will explore native ad formats that blend intuitively into the user experience. This contrasts to with the interruptive presence and low CPMs of the ‘tradition’ mobile display option.
8. Privacy will remain a hot ticket item for consumer groups and the general public will see no reason to consider this a waste of time. This will impact everything from analytics to asset design.
9. In this increasingly complex digital landscape - a landscape that is evermore intertwined with offline - people, especially the crowds, are inherently unpredictable. Good marketers will recognise and adapt.
Crystal ball by Kestya.
I wanted to avoid prediction pieces because its better to design marketing strategies with flexibility and agility instead of charting a course at the start of the year and hoping for the best. My last prediction illustrates why predictions are risky.
2. Real Time becomes more challenging and more important. Being the source of shareable information is one good way to succeed in the attention marketplace and being quick with comments on breaking information is another. Brands and agencies that can do both will win.
3. The attention marketplace won’t be enough… we’ll have to consider the participation marketplace as well. This means vying for attention with Creative or well-placed messages is not sufficient and brands will have to work to turn causal attention into interaction and even community.
4. We’ll see more modelling as analytics will need to expand to be better at multi-device tracking, better digital GRP metrics and attribution. Analytics will begin the catch up this year, responding to the rising demand for easy but meaningful insight in the increasingly complex landscape.
5. Forget 3-screen strategies; N-screen strategies are necessary for 2013. This year we’ll see the rise of 7” tablets, progress with connected TV, even more smartphones, competition in the 10” tablet space and evolution in the console and PC sectors.
6. Companies will pay more and more attention to good customer service as that becomes an increasingly important differentiator in a commoditised world. Many brands will struggle to move from the discount culture to loyalty based marketing; but they’ll try.
7. Native and mobile snuggle up. In the search to find attractive mobile CPMs platforms will explore native ad formats that blend intuitively into the user experience. This contrasts to with the interruptive presence and low CPMs of the ‘tradition’ mobile display option.
8. Privacy will remain a hot ticket item for consumer groups and the general public will see no reason to consider this a waste of time. This will impact everything from analytics to asset design.
9. In this increasingly complex digital landscape - a landscape that is evermore intertwined with offline - people, especially the crowds, are inherently unpredictable. Good marketers will recognise and adapt.
Crystal ball by Kestya.
