Chris Loretto is executive vice president of Digital First Media and Adtaxi
By Chris Loretto From voice advertising to YouTube safety ratings to blockchain technology and more, 2018 is going to be a record year, filled with new frontiers in the digital ad space. Fueled by a plethora of technological advances and a shift in the ways that consumers are consuming content, there are an extraordinary amount of opportunities – albeit not without challenges – for reaching a larger base. Those willing to evolve with these changes will succeed, while those who continue with the status quo will prospectively be left behind. Based on observations of recent trends and the trajectory of breakthrough technology in the digital advertising space, there are several major developments that we will likely witness by the end of the year: Voice advertising With the increasing popularity of Amazon Alexa-enabled devices and Google Home, advertisers will begin tapping into new territory with voice advertising. Imagine asking Alexa for a recipe for chicken casserole and then she responds and asks you if you would like to order the ingredients from Amazon Pantry. Or you ask where the nearest oil change center is and then you receive an advertisement for Jiffy Auto Lube. This is the future, and by the end of 2018, it will seem a lot more common – even expected. Safety ratings for YouTube video Given the controversies surrounding content on YouTube and its commitment to ensuring consumer and brand safety, safety ratings for videos will likely exist by the end of 2018, similar to what we have seen on traditional television and film. This will provide an opportunity for consumers to filter what content they see and safeguard brands from being associated with content deemed dangerous to their image. Traditional TV networks come to streaming Though most major networks already have applications that can be accessed through streaming devices and online, this year networks will make their content available –playback and in real-time – through the most watched platforms such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. Advertising becomes more prevalent on streaming TV With eyeballs shifting from traditional cable to streaming services, advertisements are following suit. With this also being a new revenue model to fund streaming TV, various subscription plans will be provided to consumers to support such measures. Hulu – which has long-opted for this revenue model, providing customers the option of a commercial-free subscription or limited commercial subscription for $4 less per month – will soon find itself competing for ad dollars amongst its streaming counterparts. However, with traditional cable TV falling by the wayside, there should be plenty of cash to go around. Advertising through Facebook Messenger If Facebook’s announcement that the timeline will include less content from publishers and brands is any indication, users should expect to see more advertisements coming to them directly through Facebook Messenger. Brands are already using this function more to interact with consumers in real-time when they visit their page, and it will give brands a deeper ability to target and connect with the individual consumer verses a blanket advertisement for a larger audience. More transparency: Blockchain technology used to protect against ad fraud With ad fraud currently a $16 billion business, publishers have been searching for a way to safeguard their space and prevent fraudsters from selling space – marketed as that of leading publishers – that simply does not exist. Blockchain technology is already being heralded as the answer, thanks to its unlikelihood of being manipulated, its lack of centralized database and its immutable, undeletable and transparent transaction history. While there are still issue – at least when it comes to being used for programmatic advertising with the technology, in its infancy, being too slow – there will be major advancements towards its use in solving ad fraud this year. THESE PREDICTIONS and plenty more are bound to change the way we deliver and consume advertising in the year to come. If you want to stay ahead of the curve – it is a steep one – now is the time to start flexing those creative muscles and getting up to speed. Chris Loretto is executive vice president of Digital First Media and Adtaxi, Denver, CO. Reach him at loretto@adtaxi.com.