MEDIA PREDICTIONS 2019 - KANTAR

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MEDIA PREDICTIONS 2019 - KANTAR
MEDIA
PREDICTIONS
    2019
MEDIA PREDICTIONS 2019 - KANTAR
FOREWORD: A TRANSFORMATIONAL
   TWELVE MONTHS IN MEDIA

                        Richard Ingleton                               Andy Brown
               GLOBAL CEO INSIGHTS DIVISION, KANTAR             CEO & CHAIRMAN, KANTAR MEDIA

    Before we gaze into our crystal ball and make predictions for 2019, we wanted to reflect on
    2018 and what has been another year of change in media - and its implications for research
    organisations like Kantar.

    We’ve seen the continued fragmentation of audiences and the ever-fierce battle for eyeballs with
    the growth of Netflix and Amazon. Making sense of this changing landscape is challenging and
    increasingly we’re seeing a ‘connected intelligence’ approach, where syndicated data solutions of
    all types are being directly integrated with advertisers’ first party data.

    Away from the screen, we’re witnessing a renaissance in audio through the rise of voice activation
    for consumer applications. As with all new technologies, voice is creating both challenges and
    opportunities for the research industry. This year, we have started tracking and measuring voice
    activation and can already see the ways in which it is changing consumer behaviour.

    And 2018 will of course be remembered for the introduction of the General Data Protection
    Regulation across Europe. From the point of view of a market research organisation, GDPR is one of
    the best things that could have happened. It has not only put clear blue water in between market
    research and other data solutions, but also placed a greater emphasis on the provenance of data
    and transparency for consumers, both of which have always sat at the heart of market research.

    There has never been a more exciting time in media. We look forward to working together with our
    clients & partners to better understand this changing landscape throughout 2019 and beyond.

                                             Media Predictions 2019                                      2
MEDIA PREDICTIONS 2019 - KANTAR
MEDIA PREDICTIONS 2019 - KANTAR
EDITOR’S
                 INTRODUCTION

                                        Jane Ostler, Kantar

Ten years ago, we made our first Media and Digital Predictions. Presented in an earnest-looking
4:3 format, they look old fashioned now, but the content wasn’t far off the mark. The growth of
online video, mobile marketing and even voice-activated search were all highlighted as things to
come. And they still are.

A few trends that will be guaranteed in 2019: further consolidation in the AdTech market, GDPR’s
impact spreading beyond the EU; the widespread use of Artificial Intelligence in most marketing
applications, and maybe a new realisation that there is no Holy Grail in measurement, but you can
continue to improve marketing’s impact through the intelligent application of insights.

So for 2019 here’s a set of 12 lively predictions from our experts around the world. We’re not focusing
on grand, airy-fairy concepts, but useful, practical ideas that will help marketers and their agencies
tackle media and effectiveness measurement challenges head on, without fear. And this year we’re
renaming them Media Predictions, because most media is now becoming digital.

                                          Media Predictions 2019                                          4
MEDIA PREDICTIONS 2019 - KANTAR
MEDIA PREDICTIONS 2019 - KANTAR
ANALYTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
  WILL FINALLY BRIDGE THE ROI DIVIDE

                                                                    Gonzalo Fuentes, Kantar

  More sophisticated use of data, combined               see significant changes in this area. The biggest   What will make a difference? Firstly,
  with analytics techniques and Artificial               dilemma is that there is still a strong divide      advancements in data management systems
  Intelligence (AI), will allow marketers to             in the way measurement is done for different        and analytics will help to solve the offline/
  understand true ROI.                                   investments.                                        online conversion dilemma, and also navigate
                                                                                                             the online and offline investments ecosystem.
  The pressure to understand the ROI of                  Traditional Market Mix Modelling and                And all this in an always-on data ingestion
  marketing investments is increasing all around         econometric models have the advantage               environment.
  us. Measuring/proving ROI is the #1 struggle           of being able to give an overall perspective
  for advertisers globally, with understanding           of marketing investment’s impact on sales.          Secondly, the increased use of AI/Machine
  omnichannel behaviour and optimizing media             They were perfect when the media plans              Learning during the modeling process will
  investment close behind [Source: Kantar’s              and marketing investments followed a fairly         expedite the process and allow greater
  Getting Media Right, 2018]. The appearance             standard approach. In today’s ever-changing         sophistication in the number of modelling
  of the “Chief Growth Officer” replacing the            marketing environment, these models lack            solutions used as well as real-time validation
  good old CMO is not just a phonetic curiosity.         granularity and are not very sensitive to digital   (i.e. what is actually happening in the market).
  It signals a clear trend that marketing                investments, so they are increasingly seen as
  professionals need to talk the ‘money’ language        non-actionable tools for optimisation.              Getting this right is important for demonstrating
  for everything they do, or they will lose their seat                                                       the ROI of marketing investments and will be a
  at the table. As a client of mine put it recently:     Multi-touch attribution approaches are detailed     massive competitive advantage to help forecast
  “if you can’t show your dollar contribution, you       and provide great platforms for optimisation        ROI for our clients’ strategies.
  become a cost - and costs can be cut”.                 of digital spend, but are too campaign-specific
                                                         and limited to digital conversion. What use is
  With this pressure, effectiveness measurement          this for companies that still have 90% of their
  will need to up its game. My bet is that 2019 will     sales happening offline?

                                                                         Media Predictions 2019                                                                  6
MEDIA PREDICTIONS 2019 - KANTAR
MEDIA PREDICTIONS 2019 - KANTAR
BRANDS RAISE
                                               THEIR VOICE

                                                                 Jane Ostler, Kantar

Marketers will start to explore voice               With around 24% of US households owning           even more important in determining who
technologies in creative ways.                      a smart speaker, voice retail gives rise to new   moves to the top of the list.
                                                    branded search opportunities, the equivalent
We predict a veritable outburst in voice/audio      of being at the top of a paid search, or on an    Alexa and others will start to be integrated
activity undertaken by brands in 2019. Far          eye level shelf instore. It means a whole new     into in-car entertainment, overcoming the
removed from the traditional 30” broadcast          landscape for branded content too. How about      horrendous in-car UX experience. Voice
radio spot, the growth in connected audio           sponsored audio recipes from manufacturers        capability will expand to other currently dumb
devices (smart speakers, connected in-car           which link to a basket of ingredients?            objects – ask your microwave how long to
entertainment) and formats (podcasts, voice                                                           defrost that fish!
search, voice assistants), gives rise to new        There’s also more potential for brands to
creative opportunities for brands to use audio      target their advertising, based on audiences’     And finally, we’ll see voice used more as a
in their communications.                            demographic and voice search behaviour.           market research tool; you’ll be in your kitchen,
                                                    The use of AI in deciding the optimal target      answering questions, reviewing experiences,
This raises some interesting questions for          audience in real time will be based on other      or submitting product reviews. This means
marketers: how to integrate voice activity          consumers’ past behaviour, and will determine     connection and integration with other brand
with the rest of the campaign and how they          what results you hear.                            channels will become crucial - any innovation
find their own voice. This will include decisions                                                     is pointless if you don’t test and learn. And a
about what voice (or voices) to choose, and         Voice means some tricky challenges in             host of new exciting jobs will be established:
means they need to develop an approach for          company structure: voice content means            who wants to be an audio influencer, a
sonic logos /taglines /mnemonics.                   merging the traditional silos of marketing and    sponsored voice assistant, or the voice of
                                                    customer service. Trust in brands will become     branded audio content? Sounds great to me.

                                                                   Media Predictions 2019                                                                8
MEDIA PREDICTIONS 2019 - KANTAR
MEDIA PREDICTIONS 2019 - KANTAR
BUILDING TRUST AND INTERACTIVE
  EXPERIENCES ON SOCIAL MEDIA

                                                            Coolio Yang, Kantar China

Marketers will turn to China to                   New solutions are emerging to quantify              in social media who can learn cognitive
understand how social media can use new           the influence of key opinion leaders,               functions to develop a human personality
technologies to develop trusted and richer        including a Kantar Media CIC partnership            and interacting with other social media
experiences.                                      using blockchain. The concept is simple:            users. These AI users are gaining popularity
                                                  the influencer sets up an account on the            and even becoming influencers. One such
Paid and earned use of social media by            platform with an opt-in profile to their digital    example is Microsoft’s Xiaobing, a popular
brands in China is thriving; Tik Tok, the short   influencing power data, e.g. number of fans,        virtual social media character, and is able to
video sharing platform, reaches more than         average reads per posts, etc. The data is then      interact with users on Weibo, WeChat and
100,000 users with social ads. Meanwhile          verified by other users on the blockchain,          Meipai and even write poetry, children’s books
there are more than 500,000 product-              providing an accurate indication of the             and songs.
related posts every minute on Red, the social     influencers’ reach.
media site [Source: Kantar Media CIC]. Given                                                          In 2019 we’ll see the continued evolution of
the vastness of social media in China, with       In effect users become the quality controllers,     social media in China as a channel for rich
more than 700 million regular users, the          building trust when it comes to how many            brand experiences with consumers.
importance of influencers continues to grow.      fans an influencer has, and how many of
Marketers in China are increasing investment      them read, engage and interact with them.           ADAPTED FROM KANTAR MEDIA’S ‘CHINESE SOCIAL
in influencer and celebrity partnerships on                                                           MEDIA LANDSCAPE’ REPORT
social media. However, brands are finding it      The use of social media by brands is
challenging to measure the real ROI among         becoming even more sophisticated with
the many walled garden platforms.                 a third generation of social media user -
                                                  artificial intelligence. AI is an emerging “user”

                                                                 Media Predictions 2019                                                                10
BRANDS BUILD
                EXPONENTIAL EXPERIENCES

                                        Niels Neudecker, Kantar                  Maura Coracini, Kantar Brazil

Brands will create new kinds of experiences      goes beyond selling products: we now have           media managers will need to move from
for consumers, and learn how to integrate        the mission to create experiences, more than        thinking about media channels to thinking
and evaluate them.                               converting leads and driving consumers in one       about consumers. How will consumers
                                                 single journey. But what does that all mean for     make use of the internet of everything in the
Welcome to disruption: Social platforms          media managers? Media channels like TV, radio       various categories? For automotive brands,
becoming marketplaces, eCommerce                 and social media, will evolve into the internet     the connected car is becoming a standard
businesses becoming publishers, publishers       of everything – a vast experience network.          infrastructure, but nearly half of connected car
becoming content creators, data scientists       Our Connect database, with over 350,000             owners don’t understand the features they have
becoming advertisers, ad agencies becoming       touchpoint evaluations, reveals that experiential   [Source: Kantar TNS Connected Car study]. For
technology businesses. Within just three         brand moments contribute up to nearly 50% of        consumer products like food, the smart fridge
months of 2018, Amazon launched their first      brand desirability, and paid media contribute       or microwave might be a relevant touchpoint.
voice-controlled microwave, Apple introduced     around 25% of the overall success in building
their fourth generation of smart watches, and    long-term brand equity. Media managers will         This development has just started, and it’s
6 million new smart speakers were sold into      turn into network managers and will be forced       more than a trend - it’s a fundamental change.
our homes.                                       to create an integrated experience across all       Those that rethink media management will
                                                 touchpoints consumers interact with.                lead this development and create exciting use
The consumer is at the centre of this                                                                cases in 2019.
development and is turning the marketing         How can a brand message create value in this
world upside down. The conversation now          new infrastructure? To answer this question,

                                                                Media Predictions 2019                                                                  12
GENDER TARGETING
                                   GETS REAL

                                                          Duncan Southgate, Kantar

Brands will start to take the portrayal of       example, while 75% of ads tested by Kantar        typified by more statement campaigns which
women in advertising seriously.                  feature women, just 6% portray women              turn gender stereotypes on their head, such
                                                 in authoritative roles [Source: Link global       as Always #LikeAGirl and Axe #isitokforguys,
We predict that in 2019 advertisers will start   database, 2018]. Major brands such as Sofitel     as well as many less heralded but equally
getting to grips with societal issues, and       are still unwittingly causing offence, and        important steps, such as toy manufacturers
use their power and leverage to promote          needing to pull their ads.                        adjusting stereotypical gender assumptions in
progressive gender portrayals in advertising.                                                      how they target children.
Not being gender progressive would be            As more marketers accept they are
to “reinforce rather than help eradicate         ‘consciously incompetent’, we will see a          It may not be until 2020 before we see many
harmful gender-based stereotypes” [Source:       thirst for knowledge about how to address         advertisers making progressive targeting
Unstereotype Alliance]. When it comes to         these media and creative challenges. People       seem like second nature – ‘unconscious
gender targeting, the marketing industry is      will pore over the insights and case studies      competence’. The ones who will get there
going back to school. As with any new skill,     being shared via platforms such as the            first will be marketers who establish
there are four stages of learning, commonly      Unstereotype Alliance, as well as enhancing       progressiveness measurement systems to
known as the Hierarchy of Competence.            their copy testing with gender equality           benchmark themselves and drive institutional
                                                 metrics, and ensuring suitable checks and         change, like Diageo and Unilever. Gender
There are still many people in the marketing     balances are in place prior to launch. This       targeting is obviously just one aspect; other
industry who don’t realise there is a problem    will lead to proactive action, and the gradual    factors such as race, sexual orientation and
– ‘unconsciously incompetent’, if you like.      eradication of the worst offending ads            age are also vital considerations. Best in class
But in 2019 evidence will continue to emerge     (hopefully).                                      marketers will embrace gender as part of a
showing that gender targeting is not                                                               wider inclusion and diversity programme,
sufficiently progressive. Women cannot relate    By the end of 2019 many more advertisers          and will expect the same of the agencies that
to many of the ads they see, and progressive     will be ‘consciously competent’. The transition   work with them.
male role models are also a rare sight. For      will not be without some missteps. It will be

                                                                Media Predictions 2019                                                                14
HERE COMES
                                                    AMAZON!

                                                         Andy Gallagher, Kantar Germany

Amazon becomes a fast mover in the digital         other market they enter, they squarely have        With evolution like this, marketers are never
advertising race across all its platforms.         their eye on being a big dominant player.          far behind. Advertisers are now embracing the
                                                   Google and Facebook: the duopoly of digital        Amazon platform as a marketing vehicle for
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the     ad revenue is now over, you now have a third       branding, given these large engaged audiences.
past few years, you’re aware of the rapid rise     member knocking on the door - the much
of Amazon in the marketplace. Amazon is            heralded ‘triopoly’. Oh, and advertising revenue   Amazon recently leapfrogged Microsoft into the
the archetypal disruptive brand. By making         is Amazon’s fastest growing sector, now            #3 position for digital advertising share [source:
people’s lives simpler, less expensive, and more   totaling $2.2bn.                                   eMarketer] with lots of wind in their sail to get
convenient, Amazon has grown its brand value                                                          closer to the big 2 in the coming year. Amazon’s
by 2,228%, far outdistancing the 2018 BrandZ™      How has Amazon been able to grow so                advantage over Google and Facebook is the
Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands (which         quickly? While consumers have historically         ability to link on-platform behaviours (like
grew by a creditable 152% overall).                viewed Amazon mainly as an ecommerce               purchases, search, and content consumption)
                                                   channel, their ecosystem has been rapidly          back to the advertising campaign. We’ll
While the Amazon brand is embedded in              evolving. Amazon has become a powerful             certainly be watching the battle to grab the
many different pieces of everyday life, they       medium for content consumption for millions        most digital dollars next year. Clearly there is
have recently expanded their presence into         of new consumers across multiple platforms         a new contender in the race.
the advertising platform space. And, like every    like Amazon Prime Video, Kindle, and Fire TV.

                                                                  Media Predictions 2019                                                                   16
THE VIDEO SAGA
                                        MOVES ON

                                                    Nicole Jones, Kantar North America

Video ads will start to develop their own       decisions about the ending or the characters    that consumers will remember. Consumers
personality, rather than being an edit of       in ads. Involvement allows the consumer to      are 32% more likely to enjoy an ad on a TV
the TV ad.                                      be in control of what they see next or even     set than via online platforms [Source: Kantar
                                                allows them to make a purchase within the       Media DIMENSION study].
Video ads have gone through many                ad unit.
iterations; from simply putting the TV ad                                                       We know that integrated and customised
online, to developing customised ads for each   Vertical video is a great example of mobile     campaigns are 57% more effective than
device. Brands can no longer get away with      first advertising which takes advantage of      non-integrated campaigns [Source: Kantar
a 30s TV ad, or a 6s cutdown to convey their    the full screen and consumers attention.        Millward Brown AdReaction 2018]. With the
message. Consumers expect an authenticity       Advances in technology have also allowed        rise of ad-free platforms such as Netflix
in video, rather than simple versioning for     augmented reality to be available from          and ad-free Hulu, it is even more important
each platform. The proliferation of Snap and    testing paint colors to seeing how furniture    for advertisers to diversify how they
Instagram story ads allow brands to entertain   will look in your home to even news.            reach consumers. Brand integrations and
consumers in a more personal way.                                                               sponsorships are the lifeline to consumers,
                                                While video ads have continued to evolve,       but only if they connect on an emotional
In the past online videos talked more to        we need to keep in mind that consumption        level. In 2019 marketers will use video to
consumers, while now technology has allowed     habits have changed, with younger               capture consumers’ attention and generate
consumers to be involved in that conversation   audiences consuming more mobile and             an emotional journey, leading to better short-
and interact with the video. AdReaction         distractions vying for our attention. We need   term and long-term response.
2017 shows us that 27% of GenZ like to take     to understand how content can be created

                                                               Media Predictions 2019                                                            18
BACK TO THE…BIG SCREEN

                                                         Hanne Teigum, Kantar Norway

The big screen is making a comeback,              Consumers turn to the best available screen      olds, 9% of viewing takes place on a PC or
bigger and better than before.                    for their TV and video viewing.                  Mac compared to 2% of the total population.
                                                                                                   Netflix content is predominantly watched on
TV is the proven brand-building medium: the       In Norway we measure all TV and video            the big screen, with 61% of all Netflix viewing
dominant cultural and advertising channel         content, in-home and out of home, where          in-home happening on a connected TV set.
of choice. Far from the killing television, the   the TV set continues to dominate 96% of          YouTube content watched in the home is
internet is now part of the TV and video          all viewing across the population [Source:       predominantly watched on PCs, tablets and
ecosystem in its scramble to launch OTT           Norway data Aug-Oct 2018]. Our figures           smartphones whilst the TV set accounts for
services and commission the next series.          reveal that 56% of on-demand broadcaster         only 12% of in-home viewing.
                                                  content takes place on a TV set, 20% on PC
When we started measuring television              and Macs, 13 % on a tablet and 10% on a          These figures from Norway reinforce why
beyond the TV set in 2010, smart TVs had          smartphone. Audiences aged 40+ still watch       brands need to measure the effectiveness
low penetration and tablets were new. The         more than 95% of their overall viewing on        of their marketing campaigns and exposure
latest UK data now shows that smartphone          a TV set.                                        across screens, as we make the move from
purchases may be reaching a plateau. Tablet                                                        TV Audience Measurement to Total Video
sales grew steeply at first but may now be        However, this isn’t a trend seen within the      Audience Measurement in 2019.
on the wane, and smart TV penetration has         younger population. Total TV and video
grown from under 10% to nearly 40% in 4           viewing on tablets represents 7% of the          Yes, we are still watching television, but it’s TV
years [Source: Ofcom Technology Tracker].         viewing for children 2-9 years old, compared     in all of its forms.
So what does 2019 hold?                           to 1% for the total population. For 20-29 year

                                                                 Media Predictions 2019                                                                 20
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WILL
            DRIVE MEDIA TARGETING

                                                     Chris Borchert, Kantar North America

New developments in marketing                     at a specific price point, through determined    Today we bucket individuals into predefined
automation will be helped by AI, using            channels. When building any kind of model,       segments, but with the future use of AI, we
attitudinal and behavioural data.                 not just propensity models, the effectiveness    will be able to continually optimise targeting.
                                                  and accuracy of the model is dependent on        This will enable the real-time reassignment of
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the        the quality of the data going into it. AI will   individuals into new segments, based upon
greatest developments of our time. In 2019,       further help improve the modelling process       both their thoughts and feelings about a
the application of AI within the media and        by identifying errors within the datasets        brand or product, as well as the behaviours
marketing industry will increase beyond a         that feed these predictive models. All of this   they exhibit both online and offline. We have
50% adoption rate and significantly affect        will lead to further marketing automation,       seen this type of positive AI impact help
the following areas: predictive analytics,        which will establish the most effective time     clients to deliver marketing messages to the
advanced marketing automation, and ad             and place for delivering a specific type of      most receptive audiences. However, with the
targeting. These three areas will accelerate      message to the right consumer.                   implementation of GDPR protecting personal
the media decision-making process for                                                              data in Europe, advertisers need to be careful
marketers and agencies.                           In 2019 we will also continue to see major       that they are not compromising themselves
                                                  developments within the ad targeting space,      to achieve the most effective targeting.
With AI, the accuracy of predictive modelling     due to the application of AI. Programmatic
and the amount of data that can be                systems (DMPs) will be able to quickly run
processed will increase exponentially. It’s       through historical attitudinal and behavioral
with this increased computing capability          data to determine which ads perform best
that AI will allow us to design highly tailored   for different types of people throughout the
marketing campaigns that will be driven by        consumer journey.
the probability of an individual to convert,

                                                                 Media Predictions 2019                                                              22
INFLUENCE WITH
                                       CONFIDENCE

                                Agustina Servente, Kantar Argentina          Karina Kuczynski, Kantar Argentina

Brands will seek to gain trust by using          Influencer Fatigue (BIF). This can put the          Brands will want to measure effectiveness
micro-influencers, and its evaluation will       brands they endorse at risk.                        and efficiency of micro-influencers and
start to include brand performance.                                                                  compare with other touchpoints and media
                                                 In 2019 brands will use influencers in a more       channels. They will need to justify the higher
Two-thirds of multinational brands (65%)         intelligent way by increasing their share of        investment on this touchpoint. We see,
are planning to increase their spending on       investment in micro-influencers: experts in a       via Brand Lift Insights studies, the great
influencer marketing in the next year [Source:   niche topic in a world of diversity, with lower     effectiveness micro-influencers can achieve
WFA]. But as influencers gain importance as      individual reach but with higher credibility.       when they are appropriate and in line with
a brand marketing platform rather than just      The successful micro-influencers will be the        brand values. The brand performance of
for PR, they need to watch out.                  ones who offer relevant content, with high          micro-influencers could be similar to social
                                                 quality aesthetics and meet their followers’        networks or online video.
Influencers continue to gain followers and       needs: entertainment or new information.
so maintain a lively business recommending       These influencers won´t change because of           To gain trust and brand credibility, micro-
brands and products, from shampoo to             the brands. As micro-influencers tend to have       influencers could be a good option in 2019.
telephones. They’ve turned into celebrities,     a genuine and specific profile, it will be easier   However, they will need managing, and
but as a result their credibility has been       for brands to associate with them - and the         strategies need to be constantly refreshed
compromised, and transparency hasn’t             other way around.                                   and adapted to the audience’s needs.
always been obvious, generating Branded

                                                                Media Predictions 2019                                                                24
TARGETING WITH PURPOSE IS THE
KEY TO BUILDING STRONG BRANDS

                                                   Mark Henning, Kantar Australia

Brands will embrace more sophisticated       simply as ‘targeted eyeballs’ ignores the      on keyword searches. Users searching for
data sources for smarter targeting,          human context.                                 Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies’ were asked if they
combined with digital creativity.                                                           needed ‘dinner for one’. Here, targeting
                                             In 2019, trust and privacy will be an even     maximised the impact and relevance of
Over the last decade, data collection        bigger challenge in media. Highly publicised   the message.
and targeting has been marketing’s hot       data breaches and flaws in privacy mean
property. The ready availability of data     consumers are more distrustful than ever,      Get intimate with data by using your own:
promises to only speak to the seemingly      and the introduction of GDPR (with big         third party data can be a commodity, not
most interested consumers, leading to a      penalties for misuse of data) means that       unique and ripe with privacy issues. Data
trend of hyper-targeting. In 2019 however,   data is no longer as freely available. So      from a trusted partner or your own client /
targeting will find a new purpose.           as marketers get to grips with GDPR, a         customer data should be of higher quality,
                                             pull-back in hyper-targeting practices will    but the data sets will be smaller, and if
Hyper-targeting focuses only on purchase     continue in 2019.                              you’re only using customer databases
decisions and neglects to speak to a                                                        you’re not expanding your market, so this
broader range of people to build interest    There will be more emphasis on attitudinal     will need to be accompanied by a broader
in a product or service. There have been     and contextual targeting. With soup            communications strategy. Every piece of
large variances in data quality, leading     sales declining in Australia, Campbell’s       content counts. In 2019 marketers will focus
to under delivery on results and poor user   created 1,700 variations of a single video     on measuring its effectiveness to ensure it
experience. Treatment of consumers           for YouTube, targeting audiences based         delivers on the targeting promise.

                                                           Media Predictions 2019                                                          26
A NEW REALITY
                                       FOR MARKETERS

                                                       Leonie Gates-Sumner, Kantar UK

Brands will start to explore and                 it may be the year of AR; enabled by the          examples of AR are where it addresses a real
understand Augmented Reality’s role              availability of AR on mobile web, consumers       consumer need, like an app from US retailer
in brand building.                               will become increasingly familiar with            Lowe which uses your smartphone camera to
                                                 immersive experiences.                            measure a room or object – much easier than
One day in the future, screens and headsets                                                        a tape measure! This kind of application may
will become defunct, replaced by contact         Both AR and VR open new opportunities for         not lead to a direct sale, but is a great way to
lenses which deliver a merged version of         consumers and marketers. Ikea use both to         build meaningful difference for a brand. For
the digital and real world, moderated by         allow customers to visualise furniture in their   VR, the power is in its ability to tell a story.
AI, ensuring we receive the most relevant        home, and by linking this to ecommerce            Storytelling will always be at the heart of
experiences for us. But we’re not there yet.     they offer a truly end-to-end experience.         every great ad, and VR could be our greatest
                                                 Travel companies like Thomas Cook are             opportunity yet to immerse consumers in a
First, a quick definition: Augmented Reality     using in-store headsets to allow customers to     brand story and create engaging experiences,
(AR) is a digital overlay onto a real-world      experience destinations before they buy, and      moving from solitary to multi-user.
view and is accessible via most screens          even including Google cardboard headsets
(think Pokémon Go), while Virtual Reality is     with their brochures. And many fashion,           Recent research by Kantar shows that only
currently an immersive computer-generated        beauty and home brands are using AR,              24% of marketers see AR as a must-have for
experience with no real-world view, accessed     allowing consumers to ‘try’ their products        brands, with VR even lower at 18%. But as
through a headset.                               anywhere.                                         with all new marketing channels, impact will
                                                                                                   be greatest at the start, and brands which
While VR may play a role in B2B applications,    Most of these experiences are product-            experiment now will reap the benefits when
2019 will not be the year of VR for consumers,   focused, but what about using these               immersive experiences become the norm.
as demand is still not great enough. But         new realities for brand building? The best

                                                                Media Predictions 2019                                                                28
CONTACTS
Jane Ostler
Jane.Ostler@kantar.com

Heather Parke
Heather.Parke@kantar.com

                           Kantar Media Predictions 2019
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