Media Trends 2022
Marketing is always evolving, especially in the digital space. With increasing conversations around privacy, misinformation, and the future of workplaces; expect many dramatic changes in digital media this year. Here are some upcoming trends to keep an eye for in 2022.
TV, CTV, OTT, VOD
Video consumption is on a rising trajectory, and it’s not stopping anytime soon. With more companies embracing remote-work, consumers are leaning towards (among other things) various streaming services to cope with the challenges of working from home.
Broadcast and cable TV however, are increasingly retaliating against the successes of these streaming platforms. They have started to churn out more original programming for TV than their OTT / Video-on-Demand counterparts (e.g. Spectrum on Demand, Discovery+, Peacock).
With global film & TV production expenses expected to grow from $220B in 2020, to $250B+ in 2022; it’s important for marketers to take a step back this year, and reevaluate their video marketing strategies and budgets. The video landscape is about to shift, and marketers need to be adaptable to it.
Crumbling Cookies
Google’s 2020 announcement to deprecate third-party cookies sent marketers scrambling for solutions for a cookie-less world. While Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox have fully blocked third party cookies throughout the last three years; Chrome’s planned inclusion is deemed the “death of third-party cookies” as they make up approximately 64% of the browser market share.
Although Google delayed their plans until 2023, many marketers have begun mobilizing resources towards maximizing learnings and insights from their third-party cookies, before they completely disappear.
With the inevitable demise of third-party data, and a stronger desire for greater privacy; it’s now more important than ever for marketers to build better relationships with customers, and use the interaction to acquire a solid grasp of their first party data.
Socialize
“Anti-Social Social Club'' hoodies are a thing of the past. With increasing activity across all social channels in recent years, there has never been a better time to join all the conversations on social media, especially for marketers.
With Facebook’s 2.9B monthly active users, Twitter’s monthly projection of 320M for 2022, and LinkedIn’s 310M; marketers are bound to find audiences for their brands across these major platforms.
Moreover, social media ads can provide resourceful insights beyond the usual metrics and KPIs. In a fastly approaching cookie-less future; likes, comments, and shares on social media ads can inform marketers how users feel about their brands.
Artificial Intelligence
More advertisers are turning to artificial intelligence for impactful, and efficient solutions. Through AI, advertisers can predict trends, and eliminate wasteful impressions that would otherwise exist via traditional means. While AI driven advertising sounds enticing, they usually come at a premium cost, and still heavily relies on human inputs to get started. Every AI vendor will offer different solutions. It’s important for marketers to recognize the benefits and limitations of each provider, and see whether AI is even right for your advertising goals.
Take it easy…
The outlook for 2022 can seem both exciting and overwhelming. While it’s easy to get distracted by new technologies and solutions, it’s important to be mindful of the basics. Remember to stay focused, and to keep things simple & grounded. Rather than trying to be in multiple places at once, aim to instead dominate in fewer places. Once you’ve established your presence, then you can slowly expand your reach.
