A 2024 Preview: From AI to frictionless ad experiences—here’s what’s next for advertisers
posted by Nick Lamb & Will Batson on January 24, 2024
CES always offers a chance to glimpse what’s next, including the latest tech products hitting the market and the newest, most innovative ways advertisers can hope to get those products in front of consumers. This year was no exception.
And while many of the conversations we had with constituents across the advertising and media ecosystem continued to reinforce many of those inevitabilities we’ve long anticipated—like the continued expansion of clean rooms and push toward omnichannel advertising—the showroom floor revealed many fresh opportunities, and possibilities for advertisers looking to shake things up in 2024.
Connecting the dots between AI and what it can enable
A surprise to no one, AI was an inescapable theme at this year’s trade show. While many are still beginning to scratch the surface of what will be possible to offer consumers via AI, some brands were able to showcase how they are already integrating AI-powered advancements into both the product and the customer journey. For all, the message was clear: AI's ubiquity isn't just likely, it's inevitable. The advertisers, agencies, and ad providers that can connect the dots between conceptual models and tools to optimize their customer reach—like Walmart's foray into Adaptive Retail and Stagwell’s Smart Assets platform—are already ahead of the curve.
More Frictionless Tech & Ad Experiences
All indicators also pointed toward more frictionless and more adaptive tech, entertainment, and advertising opportunities as we continue to push toward largely omnichannel & AI-powered solutions. A standout among these was Disney’s Gateway Shop, which will allow viewers to interact with ads while they stream entertainment, without disruption. Innovations like LG’s new transparent, cordless TVs and Samsung’s next generation of smart home appliances, will also open up largely new avenues and canvases for targeting audiences, especially via e-commerce and digital OOH channels, and will also make shopping experiences more fluid and engaging.
Leveraging data & streamlining the ad tech stack is more important than ever
Considering all that we previewed at CES this year, the implications for advertisers are profound. As with any new innovation, there will be new challenges.
Want to dive deeper?
Let’s talk! Reach out to a member of our expert team to discuss your media team’s goals and how we can help.
Before and since CES, we’ve been hearing the same thing from advertisers again and again—with every new opportunity to collect audience data and every new opportunity to expand deeper into omnichannel, there are growing pains. The proliferation of data means advertisers and agencies must leverage this information to optimize and measure results more effectively. These new, more significant leaps toward omnichannel buying, with new dynamic ad units and new audience data, cost structures will make measuring return on ad spending increasingly complex. Without systems to automate and harness that data, even the least glamorous aspects of the workflow—like bill pay and reconciliation—will become even more arduous. Advertisers and agencies must work harder to ensure they don’t overburden their teams.
For years now, we’ve been working with our clients to solve these problems, building a platform robust enough to move billions through our system, automate previously gargantuanly resource-depleting tasks, and be configurable and flexible enough to be truly future-proof, adaptable for whatever is next.
One thing that this year’s trip to Vegas made clear? That the future we’ve been building toward is now.