Programmatic advertising grew quickly in 2014, but that doesn’t mean that all marketers understand it. This year, expect the growth to continue and that marketers will not only spend more, but also gain a greater understanding of where their money is going.
From 2013 to 2014, programmatic spend doubled to reach $8.5 billion. It’s expected to come close this year, with forecasts showing programmatic spends reaching almost $15 billion this year and $20 billion by 2016.
So, how are marketers going to deal with programmatic in 2015? Here are a few predictions from a Guardian panel of marketing experts:
- Content will be better targeted and more personal – Because of the greater influx of data through programmatic, content will continue to become even more targeted and personable. This will allow the marketer to truly understand the customer, tailor messages to him that are more resonating and relevant, and deliver those messages in a dynamic, real-time environment.
- Marketers will build deeper relationships with customers – Advertisers are more and more able to get a sense of what the customer is interested in, when he is most receptive to messaging and how he digests messaging on different devices and channels. With all of this data, we will be able to tell a seamless story across channels and devices that truly speaks to the customer, meaning stronger ROI for the advertiser and a positive, personal experience for the consumer.
- Publishers will start to leverage programmatic platforms to drive meaningful ROI – As publishers further embrace new ad technologies, marketers will have greater opportunities to plan and execute more sophisticated campaigns across audiences, screens, ad formats, and content types.
- Businesses will join up their communications channels – A central data repository like a data management platform (DMP) opens the possibility of improved interaction between various digital communications departments. As marketing teams use a data-backed, holistic view of the customer like a DMP, they’ll have a better common understanding of the customer and how they interact with a brand at many touch points.