The Changing Landscape of Digital Marketing
by Shane O’Neill, Chief Marketing Officer
The digital marketing world has plenty of options we’re all familiar with: social media, paid search, retargeting, YouTube ads, and more. Retailers use some or all of these to promote their products and services. But you know what’s not so obvious? The sneaky changes happening behind the scenes in these marketing tools. They keep evolving and getting better, but nothing groundbreaking has rocked the boat in the last ten years. Well, that might change soon.
Let’s talk about Netflix and Disney. They’ve begun to launch ad-supported options for their streaming services. And guess what? These ads might be totally different from the usual pre-roll stuff. Instead of forcing ads on people, they might let users choose what they want to see. Imagine that! It could make ads more engaging and memorable. Heck, even Amazon Prime could jump on this bandwagon. They could show you ads for products you’ve already checked out or bought. And if you’re using Alexa to watch Prime, they might say, “Just say ‘Add to Cart’ to order now.” No official word on this from Amazon yet, but who knows what they’ll come up with?
But hold up, Apple might be the real game-changer here. Data shows that a huge chunk of website traffic comes from Apple devices, 80% or more in many cases. So, if you’re a luxury brand, it makes sense to target Apple users. After all, they’re more likely to own iPhones and have a higher income. Now, Apple doesn’t have the most dominant ad platform, but they’re apparently hiring like crazy for their Ad Platforms division. Some think they’re gearing up to disrupt the ad market. They tightened their privacy rules to keep user data safe, and it might just be part of their strategy to outdo rivals like Google and Facebook. And knowing Apple, they love shaking up markets, just like they did with the iPhone in 2007.
It’s been ages since something big happened in the digital advertising scene. So, brace yourself, ’cause 2024 could be the year when everything changes. With Apple possibly making moves and other cool stuff happening with AI, digital marketing might never be the same again!
