How will advertising change in the future?
As consumers interact with brands on a greater digital level, they are demanding solutions that automatically filter content and messaging.
As consumers interact with brands on a greater digital level, they are demanding solutions that automatically filter content and messaging.
All trends indicate that people consume more and more digital services. In 2014, the global study “Accenture Digital Consumer Survey” indicated that 21% of respondents had a combination of smartphones, laptops, desktops, tablets and HDTVs.
Almost two years after that report, the fact is that users consume many digital services and are connected to many different devices. Not surprisingly, according to data recently announced by Microsoft Advertising, 63% of consumers are “interested in future technology that automatically filters the content or messages so you only see or hear what they need at a given time.”
This trend is part of a broader frustration experienced by many consumers: they submit a lot of personal information through digital media such as websites and social networks, to name a few. So they expect in return that companies provide them with content that they deem relevant. In short, thanks to solutions like social listening and Big Data, and taking into account the depth with which a company can meet its customers, there is no reason why a gymnast should see ads for a brand of rugby ball. In short: if the user (through different channels) informs a mark on their behaviors, habits and tastes, it is logical that organizations filter their messages to the audience accordingly.
Customization is key
Given the pace of the technological tools available, consumers expect companies to use the personal data they provide to replace the barrage of marketing messages.
In addition, the context proves to be a fundamental piece: consumers need brands to understand when and where they want to participate. So, being in the right place at the right time is crucial. For instance, it was noted an article by Econsultancy that 92% of global companies’ registered sellers increase in sales after applying personalization solutions content, including advertising.
It is essential for companies who pay for an ad to know the context in which this message is displayed: the device type, time of day and location, etc. The more specific the message, and the more relevant the result for the consumer, the more likely he/she will take action — for example, visit the website of the company or even buy what is being offered. Undoubtedly, advertisers who understand this are in the best position to maximize the opportunities that present themselves.
Looking ahead, organizations will continue to evolve solutions to measure all kinds of impacts generated by a digital advertising campaign. In this sense, it is already possible to foresee scenarios based on purchasing behaviors that offer advertisers the ability to better customize the customer experience.
Undoubtedly, while a deep understanding of the customer is essential to increase sales and loyalty levels, consumers expect brands to be fully transparent about how they collect personal data.
The filtrate is essential
Another tip that should be taken into account is that consumers reward brands that control the constant flow of information sent to them. In this sense, companies that enable consumers to select what information they want to receive are positioned better than those that send consumers all information. With an omni-channel model, it is easy for this filtering to be done automatically because. Since most of the communication between a client and brand is digitized, it is a matter of incorporating solutions that perform this filtering process automatically. In this sense, personal assistants that are integrated into a smartphone (e.g., Microsoft’s Cortana, Google’s Google Now) are examples of solutions that can learn from digital user behavior and then guide users in making decisions.
Definitely, the emergence of more sophisticated predictive technologies will play an important role in verifying the information flowing to consumers through digital channels.
The future of “smart advertising” is advertising that meets consumers as individuals. From this point-of-view, companies can deliver content at the right time and through the most appropriate platform. If brands can successfully implement this approach and eliminate “information overload,” they will be generously rewarded.