3+1 CES 2017: trends publishers need to know

Time flies, it was only yesterday that we pulled together our piece on last year’s Consumer Electronics Show. For 2017 we’ve narrowed our focus to concentrate on trends that matter the most to the digital advertising industry.

We are curious to learn how content will evolve, how it will be consumed, and what it means to publishers in the new year.

CES sets the tone for tech for the entire year – read on to discover which key trends will leave their mark on digital publishing.

1: Virtual Is Becoming Reality

Like this Time article predicts, virtual and augmented reality applications and gadgets continue to make waves. VR isn’t exactly a novelty anymore, yet it is still a little away from becoming a consumer commodity. That said, companies are innovating fast in this space to bring VR to the masses. We are already seeing VR and AR apps that enhance reality with an extra layer of content.

Why should publishers care?

This category will move quickly past gaming and expand into content in general. We’re seeing interest building on the brand side with 360-degree content, for instance. Early adopters will win the game in the long run. The question is, are you ready to cater to your audience’s growing appetite for VR early enough to catch the wave of opportunity?

2: Everything Live

Live-streaming is the latest content buzz, thanks to platforms such as Facebook driving the trend for video and audio. It’s more affordable than ever to connect with audiences in real time. At CES we are seeing a plethora of devices that make it easy to create live content, and with the new 5G phones, it will be a pleasure to consume, as well.

Why should publishers care?

Audiences expect live content from publishers. Video has proven its power in terms of monetization – Facebook for one is already testing live ads as part of their content stream. Innovative publishers can leverage live-streaming to differentiate themselves from competitors.

3: Let Machines Do the Learning

Artificial intelligence has steadily gained momentum in the past six months. Smart personal assistants including Alexa and Siri have been the stars in the conversation. This year, all companies touching digital services or software will adopt machine learning to optimize performance. An article on VentureBeat even encourages companies to hire a chief machine intelligence officer in 2017.

Why should publishers care?

Digital advertising technologies will benefit from the rise of AI; programmatic advertising engines will be able to make faster and smarter decisions to help publishers leverage their inventory efficiently. This year, publishers should look to partner with ad tech providers that have incorporated a machine learning component to their offering.

+1: User Experience

On the notion of trends that matter to publishers, don’t forget the critical topic of designing user-friendly experiences. In 2017, it’s all about striking that balance of monetizing while delighting audiences. This can be achieved by adopting a less is more approach where users are targeted with fewer high-performing ads. Publishers bold and visionary enough to do this will win the game, period.

To help publishers gain more control and freedom to their ad mix, we launched our Amplify offering. The ad server plugin unlocks a full portfolio of dynamic, UX-friendly ads with a single click.

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