With 2021 coming to an end, 2022 promises to be another challenging year for those involved with marketing, according to Konrad Feldman, Co-Founder and CEO of Quantcast. Feldman sets out the agenda for the year ahead, looking at strategy and martech solutions.
Early adopters of ensemble cookieless solutions will reap significant benefits
According to Feldman companies that are reliant upon the Internet for advertising need to look ahead at what is happening and adapt. He advises: “Marketers with a focus on future-proofing their digital marketing will begin testing new cookieless solutions in early 2022 in an effort to avoid the mad dash of Google’s 2023 third-party cookie depreciation deadline.”
Some of these trend points are underway, Feldman states: “We are already seeing that those who advertise in cookieless environments early can reap the competitive advantage of access to new audiences, more inventory, and more scaled advertising results. Furthermore, savvy marketers will focus on more than a single approach to replace the third-party cookie, because the truth is that the best cookieless solutions will build on first-party data, cohorts, contextual and more, using an AI-driven ensemble to understand audiences, value advertising, and measure results.”
Marketers will become more intentional with their advertising budgets
Advertising budgets continue to be stretched, and this means that companies will continue to take a focused and targeted approach. Feldman predicts: “With brands like Patagonia doubling down on their decision to stop all paid advertising on Facebook (Meta), we will start to see more marketers taking a thoughtful and intentional approach to how and where they invest their marketing budgets.”
The consumer has become more sophisticated and issue-driven says Feldman. He finds: “Recognizing that their spend supports and sustains the voices and viewpoints that directly impact billions of people around the world, we will see increased scrutiny of precisely what that spend is funding and who benefits from it, with an increased focus on investing in businesses that align with corporate values and societal issues. This will see more brands tapping into the open internet to reach the diverse audiences it enriches and being intentional in aligning with publishers that represent diverse backgrounds.”
If marketers don’t adopt AI-driven adtech or martech solutions, they will be left behind
The key digital transformation point is with the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. Indeed, these solutions represent the only way for companies to remain competitive in the information reliant world says Feldman .
He advises: “AI may be one of the most hyped technologies in recent years, but from where I sit, it is one of the most effective technologies to determine future behavior. According to Forrester, brands will flock to AI-powered audience solutions, fueling 20 percent of media and advertising category growth in 2022.”
As to the competitive advantages that newer technologies present, Feldman defines: “With AI and machine learning, marketers can gain insights in real time and at scale, providing them with the ability to better understand their audience, what they need and where they’re looking for it. This empowers them to create better online experiences, improve business performance and build brand trust through true relevance. If a marketer or advertiser is not using AI-driven solutions to enhance their campaigns, they are missing out on insights, new audiences, and productivity gains. Those that embrace AI and machine learning now will gain a long-term competitive advantage.”
