Create the future.
Ohlmann Group’s Director of Digital Media, Algis Aukstuolis, shares some key takeaways from a recent industry event covering the changing digital media landscape.
As a member of StackAdapt’s Client Advisory Board (CAB), I recently had the opportunity to convene with other digital marketing leaders around the country for the annual meeting in Sundance, Utah.
StackAdapt is a leading programmatic advertising platform that we use here at Ohlmann Group to deliver highly targeted and optimized digital campaigns for clients.
During this event, held right next to the original screening room of the Sundance Film Festival, I was fortunate to preview and vet developments and share mutual challenges and opportunities agencies face in the changing digital media landscape.
While I can’t share everything I learned (some features are still under wraps), I walked away with fresh perspectives on what’s shaping the future of digital advertising on the open web—and what it means for our clients.
Here are a few trends to watch:
One theme that emerged is the value of tapping into existing customer data (think email lists and CRM info) and connecting it with a Direct Service Platform (DSP) like StackAdapt. This unlocks a whole series of possibilities to reach our clients’ audiences.
For example, we can coordinate email blasts with programmatic ad buys to deliver more consistent messaging. We can also segment customer lists to understand who’s most likely to repeat business, or which prospects need a little extra nudge. With the help of new AI tools, we can even learn what makes each segment unique and optimize marketing just for them.
In short, using first-party data helps marketers create smarter, more effective campaigns that focus on the lifetime value of leads.
Automation can streamline marketing, but over-automating adds complexity and creates room for error. When used intentionally, automation can help identify key moments to serve the right advertising to the right people at the right time.
Having access to first-party data and tracking tools can help identify triggers to execute highly effective marketing at scale.
Running multiple ad versions to see which creative and messaging performs best is a smart strategy in theory. But in reality, it’s often slowed down by limited resources or lengthy approval processes.
Better AI technology will help with scaling quality control and brand guidelines in scaled ad versioning. For now, we can look to existing dynamic creative across paid search and social media. As long as approved versions of text and images can be interchanged, these can be uploaded and run on the open web in display ad formats. In the future, it’s inevitable that this versioning will come to audio and video assets as well.
CTV ad inventory has been growing for the past couple of years, but a major holdout has been live sports. This recently shifted as the first Super Bowl was just aired on streaming platforms with programmatic ad buys. Previously unreachable audiences on CTV are now unlocked as more streaming platforms are offering live sports. There is still a barrier to buying specific events, though. If an advertiser wants to be on specific programming, they still need to execute deals with publishers for guaranteed placement.
DOOH inventory is similarly growing. There are more available ad placements that can be done through programmatic platforms, like The Sphere in Las Vegas or large billboards on major highways, in addition to gas station screens and retail media. More innovations will continue to give marketers tools to measure the reach of these placements, as well as understand the quality and location of each ad placement.
Ad platforms like Google and Meta deliver results, but the user experience is far from perfect. The need to buy this inventory separately from inventory on the open web creates issues with siloed data and audiences. Plus, with pushy sales tactics, constant updates, auto optimizations, and in-platform “recommendations,” these companies are often more focused on increasing ad spend rather than helping your brand.
Even so, they’re still an important part of an end-to-end marketing campaign, especially when you have a digital marketing partner who knows how to navigate the complexity.
You can count on the team at Ohlmann Group to keep up with the rapidly changing landscape of digital advertising. If you’re curious about how these trends could shape your next campaign, let’s talk!
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