Five key trends shaping the future of marketing

Rachel Lyall at Mediaocean explores the top trends influencing today’s marketers

As technological innovations continue to evolve and consumer preferences shift, the marketing landscape is undergoing rapid transformation. To stay ahead of these changes, Mediaocean surveyed over 1,200 senior marketing professionals from around the globe to identify the trends that will have the most significant impact on strategy and planning for the remainder of 2024.

Below, we have outlined five pivotal trends shaping marketing decisions in the current climate.

1. Marketing budgets hold steady amid global uncertainty

Despite a backdrop of economic uncertainty, the outlook for marketing spend remains positive. A large portion of survey respondents indicated plans to either maintain or boost their investment across key advertising channels. Social media continues to be a priority, with 66% of marketers increasing their spending on these platforms, followed closely by digital display and video, and Connected TV (CTV).

Looking to 2025, there is optimism around further budget increases as global markets stabilise, with marketers positioning themselves for growth by aligning their strategies with economic recovery.

2. CTV surpasses AI as the top priority

In an interesting shift from earlier this year, Connected TV (CTV) and streaming platforms have become the most critical trend for marketers, outpacing the previous leader, Generative AI. CTV is fast becoming the go-to channel for advertisers as audiences continue to migrate from traditional television to digital alternatives.

The rise of free ad-supported streaming services (FAST) like Pluto TV, and ad-supported tiers from giants like Netflix and Disney+, highlight the growing appeal of CTV. Marketers are capitalising on this shift, not only because of the wide reach of CTV but because it offers the data-driven precision of digital advertising with the engaging format of TV, making it a highly effective medium for brand-building campaigns.

While Generative AI was a top focus in early 2024, its prominence has slightly diminished as marketers shift from experimentation to practical applications.

3. AI powers data and insights over creative production

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to influence marketing, but its use is focused more on data analysis and research than content creation. The majority of marketers are leveraging AI to enhance their understanding of audiences and improve campaign performance, with 45% utilising AI for data analytics and 40% for market research.

While tools like AI-driven content generation and copywriting are still in play, they remain secondary. As AI becomes more integrated into marketing tech stacks, the focus is on responsible implementation, particularly in training large language models to provide accurate insights for decision-making.

4. First-party data strategies take the lead

First-party data has risen sharply as a priority, reflecting the industry’s move away from third-party data due to increasing privacy regulations and the ongoing phase-out of cookies. Since our last survey, there’s been a marked increase in the number of marketers who see first-party data as essential, with 35% now citing it as critical to their strategy.

This shift comes as no surprise given the tightening privacy landscape and the need for more direct, consumer-consented data. As platforms such as social media and CTV continue to grow in importance, marketers are adopting multi-ID approaches to ensure effective targeting across various channels without relying on third-party data.

5. Ad verification and measurement drive accountability

With the rise of made-for-advertising (MFA) sites and Oracle’s decision to exit the ad tech space, the spotlight has shifted to ad verification and measurement. Ensuring the accuracy and effectiveness of ad spend is paramount, with marketers placing significant value on robust measurement capabilities.

The Media Rating Council’s (MRC) accreditation remains a key factor, providing advertisers with confidence in their ad performance across platforms such as CTV, desktop, and mobile. Additionally, comprehensive reporting and real-time data are crucial, allowing marketers to make informed, proactive decisions that optimise campaign effectiveness.

As ad tech evolves, marketers are looking for verification solutions that offer seamless integration with ad servers, streamlining workflows and enhancing decision-making capabilities.

These five key trends—resilient ad spend, the rise of CTV, evolving AI applications, first-party data strategies, and the growing importance of ad verification—are shaping the future of marketing. The ability to adapt and harness these developments will be critical to staying competitive in an increasingly complex landscape. 

Rachel Lyall is Marketing Director for EMEA and APAC at Mediaocean

For those interested in exploring these trends further, Mediaocean recently hosted a webinar featuring Karsten Weide, Principal and Chief Analyst at W Media, and Deborah Wahl, a Forbes CMO Hall of Fame member, to unpack the findings of the 2024 H2 Advertising Market Report. The full session is available for on-demand viewing

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com