The reintegration of audience and context marks the beginning of a new era—one where advertisers, publishers, and consumers alike can benefit from campaigns that don’t just target but truly connect.

As algorithms and automation sometimes leave advertisers with questions, forward-thinking agencies are welcoming the winds of change into their sails.

The Trade Desk’s acquisition of Sincera is a bold move, but it’s also a sign of the times.

In an increasingly unpredictable world, the amount of questionable and dangerous content within the walled gardens will only increase.

Modern-day SSPs are significantly enhancing the performance of DSPs, elevating their effectiveness in the advertising ecosystem. The collaboration between SSPs and DSPs is proving to be a game changer in maximizing the impact of digital marketing strategies.

The path to successful implementation requires thoughtful planning and consistent optimisation, but the rewards are clear: organisations that embrace curation’s strategic potential will be better positioned to deliver privacy-compliant, highly targeted campaigns that drive measurable business results.

As 2024 draws to a close, it’s always instructive to pause and think about what the next year might hold. Here’s my take on what we can expect to see in 2025.

As always, we’re bullish about the future of advertising. Improvements in technology will bring greater efficiencies, and developments in content delivery will continue to offer both advertisers and consumers more choice.

Maximizing the quality of first-party signals through regular tagging audits is a way to enhance the effectiveness of performance campaigns, especially as we move away from third-party cookies. Embracing this practice and performing quarterly audits will help brands to stay ahead and truly connect with their audience.

By embracing a purist approach to curation, agencies can optimize their media spending, foster trust with their partners, and ultimately drive better client outcomes.

These are just some of the dynamic ways that RCS will level-up text message marketing.  Start strategizing how you can leverage the benefits of RCS in your marketing program.

The open web is too important to lose. We can’t let it be killed off by walled gardens, but if we keep making it hard for publishers to make money then that’s exactly what will happen. 

Adam Roodman, GM of Yahoo DSP, shares his perspective on what the year ahead will look like for digital advertising.

In the attention economy, the brands that can not only capture but sustain consumer engagement will be the ones that succeed. Now is the time to lean into the open internet, harness the power of video, and rethink how we define and measure success in this evolving landscape.

Bridging the gap between marketing and security is possible and necessary in today’s digital landscape.

Advertising Week sat down with Michael Hanbury-Williams, Managing Director UK at Greenbids to discuss his…

By fostering greater collaboration between publishers and advertisers, the industry can move towards a more transparent, efficient, and privacy-focused future.

Brands recognise that traditional media planning, buying, and measurement models are no longer effective. They are now looking for technology platforms that have adapted to offer solutions that simplify their media supply chain, maximise their media investment, and seamlessly integrate the next emerging channel — whatever or wherever that may be.

We all have a responsibility to be responsible advertisers. While the fallout of GARM is a blow, the issue highlights the importance of prioritising brand safety right now and its significance in today’s media landscape.

It’s about time for the financial industry to undergo a significant technological transformation. Blockchain’s speed and transparency are upending the status quo, AI is personalizing financial services, and digital currencies are fundamentally changing the way we think about money.

There is no doubt that the ever-spreading use of AI, especially generative AI, could cause brand safety issues. Already we’re seeing incredibly life-like deep fakes videos, images, and audio perforating online.

Marketers continue to face the daunting challenge of content overload in today’s generative-AI fueled digital environment. To address this, it is crucial for organizations to establish a single source of truth, ensuring data accuracy and consistency across all marketing channels.

Advertisers who embrace these advanced solutions will not only protect their brand but also maximize their reach and impact in an increasingly complex digital landscape. The Olympics, with its global audience and high engagement, highlights the need for this shift more than ever.

While there will never be a one-size-fits-all solution to fulfilling media plans and driving target audience action, marketers that are equipping themselves with the right data and insights is essential for maintaining cost-efficiency and high conversion rates. This strategy minimizes cash burn and keeps your brand ahead of the competition.

When Google’s ‘A new path for Privacy Sandbox on the web’ blog post about Chrome no longer deprecating third-party cookie was published a few weeks back, industry leaders breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Google’s recent decision to maintain its use of third-party cookies on Chrome, rather than phasing them out as previously announced, has sent ripples through the industry. This U-turn — like many of the tech giant’s decisions — has highlighted the complexities and dependencies within the digital ecosystem.

In a world where every moment counts, contextual targeting offers a path forward that is both effective and ethical, paving the way for a more meaningful and sustainable marketing ecosystem.

Ultimately, the decision to remain on X should be guided by a thorough evaluation of the platform’s alignment with a brand’s goals and target demographics, ensuring that the benefits outweigh the risks in an increasingly unpredictable social media landscape.

The battle for an open, fair internet – one that’s led by privacy-first technology, editorial excellence and world-class standards of transparency – can only be won with a thriving independent adtech sector.

The key to success is that telcos retain control of the solution and develop a true, service-layer proposition that’s easy to integrate and deploy.

Why Lifetime Value (LTV) Should Drive Your Online Ad Strategy

A crack tech team and experimental culture are also must-haves to win over consumers where it matters most – at the screenface.

Google’s cookie deprecation might continue to edge further into the future, but publishers and advertisers should take advantage of the delay to test and optimise the fast-evolving power of contextual data, readying themselves to hit the ground running as cookies fast approach their use-by date.

Along with new developments from other foundational models such as Claude3 and  Llama 3, the recent “updates” from OpenAi and Google show that AI transformation is accelerating.

In the world of outdoor advertising, where attention is the ultimate currency, the advancement of attention measurement is vital, turning conjecture into concrete data.

The move towards ID-free advertising is not just a compliance necessity but a strategic simplification.

By following these tips, brands do more than just improve their digital advertising efforts—they enable a stronger, more transparent and healthier dynamic with media agencies.

Is the delay of cookie deprecation a bad thing? Probably not, but it’s likely to maintain uncertainty within the advertising industry while just prolonging the inevitable.

By embracing QR Codes and other tech-driven strategies, brands can deepen their commitment to sustainability while working towards a more eco-conscious future.

As the space – and the technology that supports it – continues to emerge and evolve, marketers must keep in mind one thing before deciding whether to embrace any change: their customers.

It’s imperative for advertisers still looking for a post-cookie solution in 2024 to proactively adapt their strategies to feature contextual more centrally.

Broadly, OOH advertising has proven effectiveness across the marketing funnel. In a 2023 Morning Consult survey, 85% of adults said they have seen an OOH ad in the last 30 days.

Ultimately, the key to successfully leveraging URC lies in a balanced, strategic approach. For many, it may mean fully excluding URC.

The ad tech industry can and should guide publishers in optimizing their content categorization and metadata to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of contextual targeting.

With so much amazing content being created every single day online, there are lots of opportunities for creativity and innovation. But this new world also poses significant ethical challenges.

As the landscape continues to shift, DPO will give publishers the insights needed to take greater control of their advertising operations, optimise revenue and deliver better advertising experiences.

As discussions around climate reporting, net-zero targets, and industry-wide media measurement initiatives gain momentum, the importance of including media delivery measurements across a complex supply chain within Scope 3 emissions is becoming increasingly evident.

Let’s examine what an independent survey, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Phrase, revealed about U.S. leaders’ global hesitancies and explore strategies for overcoming them.

Regardless of Google’s moves or those of any other walled garden in the post-cookie world, one thing is certain: the walled gardens have no motivation to support or better ads on the open web.

The cookieless future needs AI to maintain ad effectiveness. But have no fear, that future is here (and will only get better month-after-month).

Critics have been saying SEO is going to die for the past ten years, but it’s evolved and matured to become a conductor of digital strategy – not just an add on.

As we roll into 2024, the advertising industry must focus its full attention on the imminent transition to a post-cookie world.

In this post, I’ll talk about what I see as the real drivers behind LinkedIn advertising growth and what the platform can do to keep making inroads into B2B marketing budgets.

Amid the loss of third-party cookies and rising consumer concern about online data usage, the industry faces an urgent need to evolve long-entrenched processes. But what does that look like, and where should they focus first?

We are, definitively, in the first moment in which the way we search for information across the internet is drastically changing. Google and Bing aren’t the sole options for finding what you’re looking for any longer.

This year will also see the endgame for cookies, leaving many marketers scrambling for alternatives. Meanwhile, consumers are clearly shifting to omnichannel viewing and CTV is showing significant growth.

Given its sustainability and lower risk, 3D printing is an essential tool for brands and agencies looking to personalize and elevate the consumer experience.

While that’s a tectonic shift, not all is plain sailing. September is typically a banner month for new car sales in the UK, as the DVLA issues new number plates, but BEV sales to private buyers in September 2023 actually fell by 14% compared to September 2022.

Meta had their annual B2B Summit this week and covered some of their new tools/capabilities for B2B advertisers on their platforms. Here are a few of the big highlights.

It’s the formula of context+attention+creative that forms the most compelling model for the future of advertising in the cookieless world, seamlessly tapping into the nuances of user mindset in a way that antiquated profile-based models will never achieve.

Advertisers need to embrace the reality that the digital ad landscape is evolving rapidly, and past methods may not be applicable.

As the technology evolves to become more frictionless and cost efficient, more brands are finding meaningful, ROI-driven ways to enter the space, and future-proof themselves.

To make the most of this as yet unrealized opportunity, brands and advertisers will need to navigate the thorny issue of privacy by adding genuine value for their audiences.

Rapid technology evolutions in targeted advertising are empowering video service providers to redefine viewer engagement and boost their revenue. Let’s take a deeper look.

As technology continues to advance and the digital ecosystem evolves, embracing contextual audience targeting will be crucial for brands to thrive in a privacy-first environment.

To effectively close the innovation gap in ecommerce, we need to recognize that we can’t do it all alone.

As the industry is pushed relentlessly towards the edge of the third-party cookie tracking precipice, innovations in contextual are ensuring that marketers can meet and engage with their audiences in the new privacy-first world.

Ad-supported offerings present very promising opportunities for marketers who are concerned about data privacy and the effectiveness of their advertising practices into the future.

Publishers need to perhaps remember that modernising their technology is only one part of the equation and that they need to continue to invest in quality editorial as well.

This will be a fatal mistake for brands as they begin to engage consumers in the metaverse, which, as we’ve seen, takes brand immersion to a whole new level.

It feels like our industry is losing its optimism and succumbing to a postmodern form of cynicism. We are allowing our distrust in tech and other companies that have misused it to drive our vision for how it could be used creatively.

As brands continue to adapt and innovate, we can expect more engaging and memorable activations that redefine the boundaries of consumer-brand relationships and help businesses thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

According to a 2022 report, 87% of U.S. consumers believe the metaverse will play a significant role in the way they interact with brands and 69% of marketers stated they were looking to build more experiences in metaverse-like environments in 2023.

Web 2.5 can help by familiarizing consumers with the Web3 technology while also helping brands and marketers position themselves as leaders in the revolutionary space.

In a technically complex digital advertising landscape facing significant economic headwinds, success relies on efficiency and ensuring that every dollar spent on advertising delivers real, tangible value.

The world has become dependent on a free and open internet, but the financial foundations are shifting.

As well as Google’s own algorithm changes, there are also developments in third-party cookie regulations that marketers need to be aware of, and the developing capabilities of AI.

Three industry domains are utilizing metaverse technology to enhance consumer experiences

By identifying problems and using the appropriate technology as a tool to solve them, there is the opportunity for brands to deliver innovative solutions that push the boundaries of what is possible.

Brands that use data to create connections with consumers, and tell authentic stories, will be successful in the internet of the future.

If we’re looking to move the needle forward on VR’s effectiveness, we need to start with clear objectives on what it can do to make a better experience for consumers…not just a flashier one.

While many people associate blockchain with cryptocurrencies and NFTs, its applications go far beyond digital currencies.

SSPs that embrace technology to deliver quality over quantity will forge a more efficient supply chain

While 5G technology had the potential to revolutionize telecommunications, it has not yet lived up to the promises made by marketers.

While the SSP industry is facing critical challenges, there is still significant potential for innovation and growth.

Skepticism as to the usefulness of the metaverse to consumers and marketers is not only warranted, it’s essential.

Both Google and Apple will only be able to satisfy their obligations to their customers by adopting a zero-tolerance stance on fake reviews.

With digital becoming central to success for many businesses, CTOs are becoming an increasingly important hire.

To rise to the challenge of a post-Covid era, retailers need to build a reciprocal framework around their assets.

By Stephanie Bunnell (Klimaszewski), SVP of Marketing at Aki Technologies, an Inmar Intelligence Company You…

Meta’s new ASC tool is worth exploring its evolving Advantage product suite to gauge how they might help enhance your campaigns, whether it be to more efficiently reach a specific group of people looking to get in on the next clothing trend or expand brand activity into new markets.

Whether you’re new to advertising or have experience creating audio ads, one way to create a memorable experience for consumers is to add an interactive element to your audio ads.

Explore more ways Amazon Ads can help you reach and engage your audiences in the places they love to be.

By Sharat Potharaju, Co-founder and CEO, Beaconstac Total marketing budgets amount to between between 6%…

Here are three other trends anticipated for next year.

There’s little risk in experimenting with this corner of the emerging Web 3 world. And it’s a great way to be prepared for the tremendous change that lies ahead. 

Programmatic advertising offers small-to-medium retailers the opportunity to maximise advertising budgets, boost campaign performance, putting them on a level playing field with larger players.

A recent study, using eye-tracking technology, shows that fully on-screen ad formats outperform typical mobile outstream formats by 2.5x and mobile display formats by 5x.

We have a long-held tradition of using photos, letters, and videos to keep the memories of deceased loved ones alive. AI tech is just the evolution of that – making these precious moments interactive and more tangible.

Whichever way things go in the future, right now, brands have an opportunity to build out capabilities that can help their data perform better.

Using an API to reference data in-place reduces complexity, data duplication, and streamlines business process flow.

Whether it’s a trade show or trade marketing briefing, a fashion show or a trends presentation, virtual events offer an incredible opportunity to step into the metaverse now.

During this period of political and economic uncertainty, the next few years may not be plain sailing for anyone running a company and trying to grow a brand.

LiveRamp just completed a survey on cookies preparedness in LATAM in partnership with ComScore. An initial look at the results show that in the region, there is some confusion as to whether online marketers and publishers in the digital marketing space are in fact, using cookies.

New roles will support the rapid growth of the streaming television network’s distribution and new advertising offerings

While the Premier League hasn’t changed too much in recent years, the way fans watch and engage with the competition has.

Today, adopting a deep learning solution is frictionless and flexible. There’s no need to retrain your team or reinvent your marketing pipeline.

Contextual targeting is the core of the future of advertising. Both Google Topics and programmatic DOOH can bring this next phase into reality, and will allow advertisers to step confidently into this brave new world.

How ‘Screen Zero’ is Driving the Future of How We Consume Content By Abhay Singhal,…

As we look ahead, it is important that we understand the significance of the shift that is happening and take the opportunity to influence it

Each of today’s convergent entertainment players has its unique ability to leverage data on behalf of advertisers.

There is enormous potential for NFTs to be used for greater, purpose-led initiatives when you look beyond the hype.

The advancement of AI provides tools at our disposal, not machines competing for our jobs: so AI is more of a companion than a rival.

Using predictions-based marketing allows you to automatically engage your audience by requesting their input, which allows people to showcase their knowledge – a thing most enjoy.

As both sides of the advertising ecosystem become progressively more aware of how closer collaboration can unlock these many benefits, innovative partnerships are cropping up throughout the ad tech space.

Deep Learning algorithms analyse offers and how attractive they are from a user’s perspective. This approach makes it possible to implement a strategy where there is otherwise no clear pattern for a particular group of users.

Brands that design more accessible solutions open their tent to serve more customers and serve them better.

Besides the client-side benefits inherent with constant API parity, your team—no matter what its size—can use its mental and physical bandwidth on business drivers, customer relations, and other high-value, high-satisfaction efforts.

NFTs and Web3 are investments that really allow that one-to-one brand-to-consumer connection to happen.

While many of the benefits of the metaverse will help improve education and training for future physicians, the opportunities stretch far beyond

Restaurant apps coupled with customization, which hopefully your business can learn to curate and find a sweet spot for success, translate into increased customer engagement and ultimately, enhanced sales. What better way to weather the perfect storm?!

No matter how an economic recession may affect your business, automation offers an overall chance to do more with less—and its gains will continue to prove value when happier times come.

The metaverse offers endless possibilities for brands. But in order to take full advantage, we must take heed learnings of the past and build a new environment that all are able to enjoy.

With digital savvy consumers and business decision-makers having high expectations from brands, and expecting a much richer, seamless and consistent experience in terms of content, the combination of a DAM and cloud-based delivery is a win-win for all.

While digital advertising is not brand new, its usefulness is valued because it is so trackable.

As the Metaverse becomes a more popular place for consumers to gather, issues surrounding the behavior of some and how to enforce standards will become further pronounced, and as much in the mirror-world, tough to predict.

While the metaverse is the new bright, shiny object for marketers, consumers are still lagging in fully understanding what it is, or even how to find it — and rightfully so. 

The challenge for marketers is to shift out of sharing and showboating ‘what if’ mode and find smart hacks to get real quickly, to determine what’s useful and what’s not for their brand and business – and get the most out of that process.

In the fragmented, fast-paced world of digital retail, super apps carry the promise of a Midas touch with the provision of simple, slick, one-stop lifestyle services.

Claritas data clearly shows that the metaverse is not just for young gamers – enthusiasts include millions of older professionals, some with median household incomes as high as $232,777.

The metaverse is still in such an early stage that there really isn’t a reliable playbook on how to succeed there as a brand.

Beyond the hardware, the launch of the first iPhone was also a key milestone for the introduction of native mobile applications to the world.

The foundations of tomorrow’s Web3/metaverse are being laid today, and brands are in the unique position to test-and-learn while also contributing to the evolution of its architecture.

With more activity than ever in the CTV marketplace, service providers and marketers alike must move quickly to ensure that they’re making the most out of AVOD’s golden moment.

Hannah Thompson, Programmatic Account Manager at Tug, shares her insights on where we’re headed and what to expect.

Higher-value deals await publishers with inventory — and audiences — worth paying for. The question is whether they can access the technology and make the updates required to their practices to maximize that inventory’s value.

Companies and brands should monitor the super app trend and similar strategies closely and determine what role they can play in this new space, whether that’s a presence as a mini app on other brands’ super apps or as their own all-things-to-all-users super app.

When building the framework for a Web3 strategy, marketers must consider the key facets of the Web3 environment that objects enable: decentralization, ownership and liquidity.

AW360 speaks with AdMachina COO and Co-Founder Costanza Ghelfi. AdMachina was recently acquired by Making Science.

Rather than detracting from the big screen, a social-first focus can lead brands straight into the zeitgeist.

Here are 3 simple steps to get your customers, prospects, and others re-engaging with your long-form video content like webinars.

If you work in the world of retail, it could be time to embrace AI to stay ahead of the curve and improve the experience of staff and customers alike.

The race to enter the metaverse is intense, and multiple companies are in the news every day trying to get into the space.

The next generation of internet (3.0) will very likely be built upon blockchain technologies.

While it may sound like some distant, fantastic future, the metaverse already here in a big way.

By Cory Hymel, Director of Blockchain, Gigster Most people are still confused about NFTs, or…

To prepare for this digital future, marketers need to understand these new concepts and environments so they can both efficiently and effectively reach and engage consumers.

The metaverse is upon us, and it’s everything from augmented reality to interactive experiences to online worlds that are an extension of our lives.

The newest iteration of digital realms, the long-awaited Metaverse, promises to usher in a new era for loyalty marketing.

So now that we’ve level-set in terms of the changes that are underway and what they mean for both consumers and brands alike, what steps can brands actually take to prepare? 

Recently, consumer data collection by brands and advertisers has risen exponentially to deliver personalized experiences also personalized advertising. While beneficial to advertisers, this has been crucial to publishers by providing a revenue stream as a way of subsidizing non-paying visitors.

By Ashley Dudarenok A new brand world of engagement is coming with the next technology…

A Q&A with Pierce Cook-Anderson, Managing Director for Northern Europe at Smart AdServer

The metaverse isn’t fully here yet, giving marketers ample time to thoroughly vet their branding strategy testing new approaches, failing spectacularly, and adapting to perfect their technique.

There is an important opportunity to shift from a traditional marketer to a tech-enabled marketer that can influence more and scale faster.

Taking a proactive, inventive approach to the Metaverse while keeping societal good at the forefront, will create a win-win-win for brands, consumers, and publishers/platforms alike.

While brands will undoubtably all have to enter this new and exciting playground at some point – with transformed and improved strategies – there is no rush.

To grow a product-oriented business in 2022 requires an investment in product lifecycle marketing, bolstered by real-time insights from the millions of customer conversations occurring online.

To capitalize on and sustain this growth trend, many ecommerce businesses are adding subscriptions to their offerings. To be successful though, they need to keep several factors in mind.

An ever-increasing number of mobile users means tapping into what is most convenient for an audience always on the go that expects a more frictionless brand engagement.

NFTs are still in such an early phase that no one brand or marketing team is doing it perfectly just yet, but that’s not stopping the deluge of brands jumping in.

With sharp editorial minds and a library of original content on their side – along with tech to ensure a brand-safe and scalable targeting environment – traditional players still have the opportunity to break ahead in the race for video ad dollars.

So, if this is the future reality that awaits in the metaverse, and it’s going to be driven by consumers, where does that leave brands?

Across the metaverse, spaces and communities are often fiercely sceptical of advertisers. Brands need to adapt to their advertising and communications strategies to operate in meaningful ways in virtual worlds.

How does your technology create meaningful new solutions for that ever-rising bar? The answers to these questions will make or break your retail success in 2022 and beyond.

Programmatic DOOH is designed to communicate messages at scale – whether advertising public health messaging, popular products to suit weather conditions or traffic updates.

BIMI aims to increase recipients’ confidence in the source of emails while enabling senders to reinforce visual branding in communication.

How usable is your website? That’s a question everyone should be asking of themselves and their web presence on a regular basis. Fortunately, the answer is easier to obtain than ever before, thanks to Google’s Core Web Vitals. Clickio’s CEO, Alexander Azarov explains.

With mobile advertisers still grappling with the post-IDFA world, more iOS developments expected and Android changes on the (near) horizon, 2022 will be turbulent too.

Brand aggregators and accelerators are not really competitors but different approaches to the same goal: sustained growth for brands. And with all the aggregation that has already occurred in the past few years, perhaps acceleration will be the mandate for 2022 and beyond.

Tech-driven experiences provide a cool brand immersion and a low barrier to entry for the use of AI. Impactful, tangible instances of tech used for good, while brands getting involved capture greater share of attention.

Will 2022 slow down and give everyone a chance to recalibrate? Most likely not. Here’s what we can expect.

Just as the cause of climate change is multifaceted, the ways in which we can design greener digital products is not a singular silver bullet solution either. 

Once companies understand the new rules for digital deliveries, they’ll need to shift into higher gear with the tools and the technologies required to engage with more demanding  customers.

If we are to be prepared for this brand-new ad ecosystem, we still need to address the challenges of data disparity and privacy-compliance that are causing so much concern.

Video, by its nature, is highly subjective. Ten people might watch the same video and have varying perceptions of what it is about, which makes it hard to ensure safety and resonance at scale.