HookedOnMedia’s own oracle, Stewart Roode, predicted much of what we are seeing today in digital marketing. While Stewart could always foresee the future without a crystal ball – some suspect it has something to do with secret DMT trips – his foretellings are highly accurate. Don’t believe us? Well… let’s take a trip down memory lane to one of the first posts published on HookedOnMedia. This was back when Stewart wrote most of the posts himself!

Before reading these predictions, it’s important to recall how things were nearly seven years ago, in 2016. There was no TikTok back then, and Meta was just a word to describe meta descriptions. So, with that in mind, let’s dissect Stewart’s astute predictions.

The Growth of Cross Advertising

 

All the way back in 2016, Stewart spoke about Smart TVs & the prominence of cross advertising:

 

“Currently, consumers watching television at home are shown a plethora of extremely un-targeted adverts; consider a teenager watching a TV advert for a cruise holiday or a senior watching a TV advert for extreme sports – it’s very hit & miss.”

 

Fast forward to the present day, and cross advertising is precisely what we are seeing. Most people don’t watch TV anymore and are hooked on streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, Hulu or something similar. So, now you have an ecosystem of cross-platform advertising which is a lot more targeted than it was back in 2016. 

This targeting is so well-dialled, in that it can be down to every individual’s preferences. As such, some people suspect advertisers are spying on their buying habits, which aren’t entirely connected. But the fact that an advertiser can follow you based on when you accessed their website to the morning news is just the tip of the iceberg. We’ll see a lot more of this moving forward. 

 

“As advertising providers (such as Google & Facebook) tie together cross-device browsing habits, linked by account IDs, tracking & prediction – expect tv advertising to become much more targeted.”

 

Most websites no longer need you to sign up as you can now sign in with your Google or Facebook account. This unified sharing of information makes signing into a new website quick and easy, but it also shares vital information with advertisers.

 

“Expect to see that holiday or those retail goods you’ve been researching online to also appear on your home shared TV adverts; just be careful what you browse for – if you haven’t already discussed with your partner…”

 

This type of unified account system has already been integrated into our smart TVs, thus inevitably making TV advertising more targeted in the UK and worldwide. However, it’s important to note that TV advertising is still less targeted than online. As smart TVs evolve and digital broadcasting becomes the norm, advertising will become more targeted. In fact, it will become as good as the advertising you see on YouTube.

 

“YouTube has more specific targeting capabilities than linear TV. With traditional television ads, advertisers can choose when and where an ad shows. On YouTube, advertisers can target specific behaviours and interests, allowing them to select who sees a certain ad. This targeting still exists when advertising on CTV, allowing for a more tailored ad placement than traditional television.”

 

What Will All This Mean For Businesses?

 

In 2016, Stewart predicted that:

 

“Businesses seeking ROI will need to up their game in terms of marketing prioritisation a lot more than at present.”

 

What he prophesied is incredibly relevant today. Any business that wants an excellent ROI from its advertising must think beyond running Google ads or local listings. Marketing prioritisation is much more critical than ever before, and will only become more competitive. 

 

“Today, the boom of engagement opportunities to reach businesses & consumers is growing exponentially. Previously, search engines, display adverts and email marketing were part of an online marketers arsenal. Today, consider video, re-marketing, performance marketing, gaming, social platforms & multitude of mobile apps, such as Instagram & Snapchat, to name only a few. As we move forward, deciding where to place budget focus will be the only way to ensure ROI; having so many options opens the trap of wasted effort & spend if not carefully implemented.”

 

The biggest thing you need to make sense of, especially if you are considering advertising on YouTube versus perhaps television ads, is the following:

 

• Back in 2016, when Stewart predicted this, YouTube had slightly over 1.6 billion users. Advertising on YouTube was significantly cheaper, but at best, you’re reaching a limited number of people from a global audience.

 

• Fast forward to 2021, and there were 2.16 billion users. Today, this figure hovers at around 3 billion. Many of the top content creators and influencers on YouTube have a larger audience than legacy television channels like the BBC. Plus, those following influencers and their channels are a lot more loyal than those watching, let’s say, the BBC. So, anything these influencers recommend tends to have a higher ROI than any television or newspaper advertisement.

 

• Influencers are instrumental to a brand’s marketing and sales strategy, making it vital for brands to reach out and network with these notable individuals. However, this requires a slightly different marketing approach than what most brands have become accustomed to because trustworthy influencers must offer their audience quality. As such, brands need to be open about their product’s value instead of blatantly stating they are the best.

 

Final Word

While there is no arguing that digital marketing is changing, only businesses that can change as fast as it does will be able to capitalise and win. One way to do this is to foresee the future, and that’s where gurus like Stewart and us at HookedOnMedia can help you!