Ever since the early days when ads were more of an announcement than a promotion you can clearly see the history of society writing itself based on what is being advertised. The natural progress from print, to the radio, to TV brought on different forms but what really transformed the industry was the internet. Some don’t even use the term “advertising” anymore since the message is far more interactive. The sector is in turmoil as changes are taking place and the debate seems to be raging on as what is more effective TV commercials or social media. In an industry that is ephemeral by nature, since ad placements don’t have a long shelf life, finding the next big thing might prove to be a little more tricky than it ought to. The only thing certain is that the industry will keep reinventing itself as the display keeps changing. Looking at the landscape of emerging technologies we can see which ones might be a good fit.
One big category that comes up right away is augmented reality or glass. As the tech becomes more immersive we have developed a visual language based on emojis, memes, and gifs. Expectations for progress and ease have risen as business models shift towards instant gratification making products deliverable in a day. Cell phone devices have become so advanced that they pick up on moods and react in an even more personal way. This is changing the way brands communicate with their clients. Today it’s more about building a relationship and creating an experience. In the future, it is going to be an invitation into that brand’s world. The ads have become so native in format that they blend in naturally with the environment that makes them look like they belong on that page.
But what we’d really like to see in the world of advertising is things settle down a bit. As placements become much more personalized it means platforms can track your activity across all devices. This makes the ad much more tailored to you and in some cases reduces all the noise in the system. Is this invasive or a kind reminder of new products that you would like to use? Well, it depends on your point of view. Some are concerned about privacy while others see it as a more effective way to connect and promote. Whatever the case might be we would like to see a more inclusive industry where priority is refining the system by putting the consumer first, thus making advertising be something more than just data on a screen.
