The practice of Media Buying is always changing, so the job of a Media Planner is never done. There will always be tried-and-true channels that deliver consistent results for clients, but shifting consumer habits and emerging media platforms mean there are new channels to keep an eye on every year.
We’re a global media buying agency making sure our clients get the right messages seen by the right people at the right time. Here are a few of the trending media buying channels we’ve seen make an outsized impact as we kick off a new year of media planning.
Media Buying Trend #1 – In-App Advertising
The ultimate goal of media planning is to make your buys where eyeballs spend their time! Today, that’s often in apps.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming your desired audience isn’t spending their time in apps. Even the targets of B2B marketing campaigns eventually log out of their business systems to focus on personal productivity or to unwind.
In a world of second screen viewing, consumers are just as glued to their mobile devices as they are to their bigger screens. Mobile apps offer highly-engaged audiences, a variety of placement options, and demographic options that can support the most hyper-targeted campaign.
We’re seeing a variety of possibilities in this format. There are traditional text ads and graphic banners, but also app-specific placements like rewarded video and interactive formats.
Media Buying Trend #2 – Programmatic Buying
2024 is the year to automate and optimize!
By this point, the majority of online client campaigns have placed at least a few runs of programmatic advertising, taking advantage of automation that manages bidding, purchasing, and placement of ads on websites and apps.
So, why is programmatic trending? Two words: Machine Learning.
The best programmatic platforms have always relied on automation, but we’re seeing the top platforms use AI-driven machine learning to make their automation smarter. Dynamic targeting, automated testing, smarter bidding, and retargeting algorithms have made programmatic buying more efficient than ever before.
Leverage AI-powered platforms to buy ad space across publishers, channels, and devices in real time to make sure a finely-tuned message reaches the relevant audience at the right moment to truly resonate.
Media Buying Trend #3 – Connected TV (CTV)
Streaming has taken over when it comes to capturing the attention of audiences, but the days of all-you-can-stream subscription with zero ad-buying opportunities are behind us.
Connected TV (CTV) is a broad description for the way we access video streaming today on devices like Smart TVs, streaming and casting devices like Chromecast and AppleTV, and connected gaming consoles.
CTV ads offer targeted reach, immersive experiences, and measurable results. Think premium streaming platforms, smart TVs, and connected devices.
Free advertising supported streaming television (FAST) platforms are on the rise, and that means an increase in opportunities for Connected TV campaigns that can hit an even wider band of view demographics than every before.
That means new advertising possibilities are on the rise. Not only does Connected TV (CTV) offer the same kind of precision targeting as in-app advertising, it can put your message in a medium where consumers are used to seeing ads from only the biggest brands.
Think of it as the democratization of advertising opportunities. Placing ads to run during Friends or Grey’s Anatomy or a football game used to be a multi-million-dollar media buy. Now, in the world of CTV and FAST, your messages can be seen alongside the biggest brands in the world.
Consumers are still getting used to the world of FAST platforms, which means they are ready to transfer trust associated with terrestrial TV advertising to the brands who buy with confidence on these platforms. Don’t miss the opportunity to talk to your customers on CTV – because your competitors won’t be skipping it!
Media Buying Trend #4 – Audio Advertising
Audio streaming isn’t just on the rise in 2024 – it’s an established juggernaut that is producing results for brands around the world. Audiences are listening more than ever before as they rock endless playlists of favorite songs, binge favorite podcasts, or reading audio books while driving.
Audio advertising is more than just repurposing traditional radio ads for streaming. It’s a unique opportunity to reinforce your message to engaged listeners with dynamic audio ads, targeted podcast sponsorships, and voice search optimization.
Clients who are succeeding in this new world of audio advertising are thinking about it in the same way they have approached print advertising or even programmatic ad buys – telling a variety of stories with a keen eye to targeting and testing.
There’s the opportunity to tell dynamic stories in audio advertising that are more than just a bland sales pitch, but it takes an experienced creative team and innovative media buying to make it work. Luckily, both of those things are our speciality, so we’re ready to help clients be heard in 2024.
Media Buying Trend #5 – Shoppable Experiences
Shoppable experiences are at the intersection of a pair of trends we’ve seen rising in the past few years.
First, audiences don’t want to leave their favorite platforms. The more brands can do to interact with customers without forcing them to shift their focus, the better.
Second, audiences are now seeking “low click” experiences. The rise of voice-search and AI-drive results mean audiences are getting used to answering a question without clicking through to multiple pages on a website.
In 2024, those trends are converging with Shoppable Experiences. Give consumers a chance to shop directly from social posts, ads, and videos. Take customers directly to a sales inquiry, service page, shopping cart, checkout experience.
Shoppable experience can do more than enable impulse purchases. They accelerate your conversion funnel by removing the intermediate steps where you see drop-off. Want to really super-charge your conversions? Pair Shoppable Experiences with retargeting of existing audiences.
Authentic Storytelling is Always On-Trend
Audiences have more choices for consuming media than ever before – both in terms of platforms and content. That means their eyeballs are in all-new, all-different places that offer new possibilities for storytelling in your media buys.
The platforms and content might be new, but the media buying strategy behind them remains the same. At Percepture, we don’t chase trends. We take a data-driven approach to engaging with new media buying platforms and technologies to make sure our clients are captivating their audiences with the right messages at the right time.
Contact us to discuss your Media Buying strategy for 2024 and beyond.
