When considering the future of digital advertising, there are many developments that will influence how, and over which channels, campaigns will be executed. I can see the Alexa devices, and other AI platforms, becoming a forerunner in these future advertisements. Currently, echo dots and other similar devices are able to give data upon request, and answer off the wall questions. My favorite device as of yet is the echo show. Just last night two new recipes that had cycled through the advertisements screen without prompt caught my attention. When I asked Alexa to show me that recipe, I was given a list of similar recipe I might also like.
As each generation becomes more comfortable and dependent on tech devices, companies will have to adapt their advertising strategies to accommodate non-traditional page listings, such as mobile screens or verbal devices like the Amazon collections (Olson). Every morning, I tell my echo dot to play some sort music from Spotify. While Alexa will tell me it is a radio based on the band of my choosing, there are frequently songs I have never heard of that filter through. More often than not, I quite enjoy listening to these new songs. This is a basic example of advancements in AI. My device is able to analyze the type of music I listen to, and then recommend new songs and artists based on my activity.
Another significant development I expect to see will be live streaming through the use of video advertising (What is digital advertising). As people spend more time on their mobile devices, we are losing the human connection we still crave. This route satisfies the growing technology addiction each younger generation shows, as well as allows us to connect on the human level with our family, friends, and even favorite celebrities. Many businesses are advancing their ecommerce practices, and becoming more tech savvy. Facebook is an example of how entrepreneurs can advertise their business on their own terms while still generating user specific content.
There are many pages and groups dedicated to jewelry making, wood crafting, and even music production that advertise a person’s or business’s product. My own brother in law made a page for his wood working business to highlight their products and even book new clients. More and more business are using these types of platforms to host live sales and parties to share their work. One large site to sell handmade items is Etsy. I have bought many of my Christmas gifts this year from Etsy because I believe in shopping small, even if not local. While many sellers have an array of photos to display their work, I become increasingly frustrated when the photos do not show certain angles or sides of the item I am interested in. If these sellers were to post live sales or even upload videos showcasing their talents, I would be much more inclined to buy from their stores rather than visiting chains like Wal-Mart or Target to get costume jewelry or whatever I may be searching for.
Social media seems to power everything. With the transition from Vine to TikTok, Pinterest how-to’s, and Facebook marketplace, it’s a wonder why companies are still printing hard copied advertisements. Within the next five years, I foresee companies transitioning the bulk of their advertisements to social media channels (Brenner). While keyword searches are critical when finding a specific product or service, the demonstration videos and item descriptions really capture the audience’s attention. For example, the new Bissell Crosswave vacuum is going viral on all of my social media pages. When searching the item on the Bissell page, I am shown a picture and description of the vacuum. However, on my Facebook and Instagram pages, my friends are raving about the drastic difference between this machine and their experiences with Shark products and even the Roomba vacuums. In fact, their demonstration videos convinced me I needed a better vacuum myself, even if I don’t get one as high valued as the Crosswave.
Another example of this would be of a local company, EER Windows. Today I received a small magazine advertising $1000 off whole house window replacements. Upon visiting their webpage, I was given the same deal. While the paper did catch my initial interest, had I not been looking for window replacements I would have just tossed the ad in the garbage. EER is a small company, so I understand their need to boost brand awareness in the community, however they would benefit more from advertising on media pages like Facebook as they can filter listing based on location, much like their printed material.
Works Cited
Brenner, M. (2018, November 12). The Future of Digital Marketing: Predictions for 2021 and Beyond. In Marketing Insider Group. Retrieved from https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/the-future-of-digital-marketing-predictions-trends/
Olson, L. (2018, November 14). The Future of Digital Advertising: Exciting New Trends in Emerging Media. Deg. Retrieved from https://www.degdigital.com/insights/future-digital-advertising-trends/#:~:text=The%20Future%20of%20Digital%20Advertising%3A%20Exciting%20New%20Trends,3%20Voice-assisted%20devices.%20…%204%20Digital%
What is Digital Advertising and Getting started as a Digital Advertiser. (2019, January 31). Martech Advisor. Retrieved from https://www.martechadvisor.com/articles/display-and-native-advertising/digital-advertising-primer-martech-101/
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