2024 Forecast: It’s Raining Political Ads
Political ad spending continues to skyrocket, poised to hit a staggering $10.2 billion in ad expenditure in 2024, more than tripling since 2016.
New AI on the Block
Google announced its more sophisticated AI model called PaLM 2, which will be used in over a dozen products including search. Ads are slated to be included in the generative AI search results, although Google is still coming up with how that will look.
Ways to Use ChatGPT & Other Generative AI in Social Media Campaigns
ChatGPT and other generative AI can be used to create engaging and personalized content for social media campaigns. While social media managers will need to adjust and refine the deliverables, AI is a great way to kickstart ideas for content.
How Political Campaigns Can Benefit from ChatGPT
Are political campaigns ready for Artificial Intelligence? Testing ChatGPT’s features yield mixed results, but its speed can be a potentially powerful tool to springboard campaigners past writer’s block.
Social Media Is Evolving and Gen Z Is Driving the Change
Social media is in a transition phase and Gen Z is driving the change. Marketers should pay attention as Gen Z continues to reject old-school social media and turn to these newly-emerging platforms, opening up new opportunities to reach younger audiences.
Streaming Soars this Summer
Americans continue to shift their TV viewing habits, with streaming taking the top spot in terms of TV viewership in July, claiming 34.8% of total TV share in July, higher than broadcast and surpassing cable for the first time.
Major Facebook Changes Mirror TikTok’s Image
Major changes to the Facebook app will make it look and feel more like TikTok. Content from personal connections will be filtered out of the main Home page, transforming its experience into a more TikTok-like selection of algorithmically chosen videos.
The Summer of Streaming
Streaming viewership hit a new high this past May, claiming 31.9% of total TV time. Summer is typically known as a lull “season” for traditional tv, however,streaming services have found new ways to keep viewers engaged.
HBO Max and Discovery Plus Merging to One Platform
HBO Max and Discovery Plus will combine to be one platform with a user base of nearly 100 million. Once launched, this service will offer ad-free and ad-lite products, creating an incredible opportunity for advertisers.
Disney Plus Launching Ad-Supported Service in Late 2022
Disney Plus to add advertising opportunities in late 2022.
Streaming Continues To Rise
Streaming continues to make headway, now comprising 28.9% of TV usage, with this share of the pie to continue rising.
Solutions for the Cookieless Future
The future is bright for our industry. This we all know. And despite cookie deprecation and new privacy laws, there’s no doubt that our resilient industry will unquestionably arrive, as it always does, in a better place. A place where consumers – and their privacy – come first.
Google Turns to Topics as a Replacement for Cookies
Today, Google announced a new targeting solution for advertisers as the “death of the cookie” closes in, and the previously-announced plan FLoC (“Federated Learning of Cohorts”) crumbled prior to launch. Named Topics, this new proposal allows advertisers to place ads based on pre-determined topics pulled from a users’ browser activity.
With Over 200 Streaming Services, the Streaming Market Is Getting Crowded
With over 200 streaming services, the streaming market is getting crowded. Over the past year, the average number of streaming services per person has increased from 6.9 to 8.8, doubling since 2016. The increasing number of services is leading to increasingly fragmented audiences, amplifying the challenges advertisers face regarding planning and measuring.
Facebook Plans for the Future, Refocusing on Young Adults
Facebook is pivoting its focus towards young adults in a long-term strategy to adapt to the future, fighting against the significant threat its aging user base poses. This increased effort and shift in strategy is part of Facebook’s plan to combat Snapchat and TikTok’s growing popularity amongst teens and the decline in the number of teens signing up for its platforms.
Digital TV Predicted to Be a Major Player in the 2022 Midterm Elections
With privacy changes and the phaseout of internet tracking cookies on the horizon, political advertisers are brainstorming creative ways to target voters. As a result, CTV is predicted to surpass the combined mobile, desktop, and tablet ad spend for the first election.
YouTube Takes Over the Big Screen
YouTube viewers are moving more and more toward watching content on CTVs, with over half of YouTube viewers watching on the big screen in 2020. With time spent viewing YouTube on CTVs rivaling the likes of Netflix and other streaming giants, YouTube continues to solidify their position in the streaming world.
OTT Has Grown Exponentially From The Pre-Pandemic Era
The OTT market continues to strengthen, and it isn’t showing any sign of returning to pre-pandemic levels. The industry has grown immensely from January 2020 to now, with the number of OTT households and hours watched increasing as well as the average number of OTT services per household.
Our Top 5 Takeaways from the Landslide Gubernatorial Recall Election
As Gavin Newsom beats back a recall attempt, here are our 5 takeaways campaigners can glean from the results. From text messaging to mail balloting, the 2021 recall gives us a preview of what’s to come in 2022.
Ad Loads & User Experience Still Top of Mind in the Digital TV Space
Ad Supported Streaming Services are aware of their consumers’ ad tolerance and are keeping shorter ad loads to enhance user experience. For Advertisers, this means that premium content inventory is out there, but limited.
The Competition Between Digital Video Platforms Continues to Ramp Up
Video-based apps, both old and new, are ramping up their user experience in order to compete in the ever-evolving digital video platform war. It is clear that these platforms will continue to mimic one another while remaining unique enough to keep their users engaged and entertained.
Increased Media Consumption Habits Are Here to Stay, With Traditional TV on the Backslide
Media consumption flourished across the board last year, with even traditional TV seeing a boost. The increase in time spent with digital media is here to stay, while traditional TV consumption, on the other hand, is on the decline.
HBO Max With Ads, Coming to a Household Near You
HBO Max announced earlier this year that an ad supported version of the streaming service would be launching. And, the time has finally arrived. Variety reports that HBO Max’s ad supported subscription will roll out next month.
TikTok and Gen Z: A Match Made in 2021
New research from eMarketer shows that TikTok will surpass Instagram in Gen Z US users by the end of 2021. As Instagram’s user base ages, advertisers will seek out TikTok and other new platforms to reach this key demographic.
Facebook to Launch New Audio Features
Facebook has plans in the works to build a suite of new audio products to better connect audiences with content creators. Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, views the audio efforts as a medium for creators to monetize their work better.
