FROM ALEXA TO AI: FOUR BUDDING PAID MEDIA TRENDS ON THE RISE IN 2024

By Tyler Taylor, Paid Media Coordinator

In the changing world of digital marketing, trying to keep up with the latest trends can be a never-ending battle. Business owners are constantly looking for the next best way to reach more consumers and stay ahead of the game to maintain their competitive edge. As technology continues to propel forward and consumer habits pivot, the realm of paid media is budding with exciting possibilities and opportunities. Let’s dive into some of the key trends that will help shape the future of paid media. 

AI-Driven Advertising

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionize the advertising landscape, empowering marketers with sophisticated tools and algorithms to optimize campaign performance and enhance targeting precision. Platforms use AI for a plethora of tasks that the average human simply cannot do in the same capacity. Through managing and allocating campaign budgets or creating hyper-personalized ad creatives, AI technologies will play a vital role in driving efficiency and effectiveness. We see this currently playing out in Meta’s platform, where users are encouraged to utilize the AI text option, as well as AI-generated creative asset opportunities to assist in building out a larger catalog of products for Meta to optimize. The goal is to get businesses to work with AI, as opposed to against it. At FWV, we are leveraging and testing the Advantage+, along with other AI-based features, in campaigns to measure increases in performance, while ensuring brand safety.

Interactive and Immersive Ad Experiences

As attention spans become shorter and consumer expectations rise, the demand for interactive and immersive ad experiences continues to grow. Whether it’s augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) or gamified content, brands are embracing innovative formats to captivate audiences and drive engagement. One brand that has leveraged gamification strategies into its marketing tactics is Duolingo, which features games, engaging display and video ads, enticing users to interact and offering opportunities to earn gems and other valuable prizes. Additionally, Charlotte FC rolled out its awesome new primary jersey, The Carolina Kit: Explore by adidas, by giving fans the opportunity to try the kit on virually using their mobile device to create a personal avatar. Using interactive elements and storytelling techniques, marketers can craft memorable brand experiences that connect with consumers on paid media platforms and in the real world.

Cross-Channel Integration and Attribution Modeling

In an increasingly fragmented media landscape, cross-channel integration and attribution modeling are essential for understanding the customer journey. Adopting a holistic approach to paid media opens the doors for marketers to leverage data-driven insights in order to identify high-performing channels and more accurately measure the impact of each point of contact. Seamless integration across channels allows marketers to deliver cohesive messaging and drive measurable results. This comes to life at FWV through our custom dashboard reporting, where we attribute media results and business impact to campaigns and tactics so our teams and client partners are always up-to-date on performance, insights and growth opportunities. 

The Rise of Voice Search

Voice search has gained significant traction in recent years, thanks to the growing popularity of virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri. With the increasing adoption of voice-activated devices, optimizing paid media strategies for voice search will be imperative. Siri and Alexa use each and every voice search to improve the responses to future questions. Marketers will need to tailor their keyword targeting and ad content to match the conversational aspect of voice queries, focusing on long-tail keywords and natural language patterns to enhance visibility and engagement. Curating content that answers specific questions is a great tool to boost recognition in search results.

The future of paid media will be shaped by innovation, adaptability and placing the customer front and center. By anticipating emerging trends and embracing technological advances, businesses can unlock new opportunities for growth and engagement. From improved efforts in voice search optimization and AI-driven advertising to navigating the tricky waters of privacy regulations, the journey ahead promises both challenges and triumphs for any and all marketers ready to put these changes into action and harness the power of paid media!