Adsmurai 
In the dynamic digital advertising landscape, programmatic has emerged as a key pillar for marketing strategies. In Spain, the constant evolution of this discipline promises to continue to set the pace through 2024. From shifts from KPIs to attention metrics to the cookieless world, the trends shaping the future of programmatic advertising in the Spanish market are crucial for those immersed in the advertising ecosystem.
In this article, we will explore the key trends that will guide programmatic advertising campaigns in the coming year, uncovering the keys that will define success.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
#1 Challenges of transparency in programmatic advertising
In the programmatic advertising space, and with the impending changes and challenges that lie ahead in the coming year, it is imperative that advertisers take an even more proactive and responsible role in the management of their media investments.
At Adsmurai, we advocate transparency, a philosophy that places us in a privileged position within the programmatic chain. We provide our clients with confidence, clarity and full control over our actions and the results achieved.
The recently published ANA study on the programmatic media supply chain is a rich source of valuable information and actionable proposals for advertisers. Some headline highlights include:
-
The challenge for advertisers today is not what to do, but discerning where to start.
-
It is estimated that there is around $22 billion available for advertisers to optimise costs and results.
-
The alarming proliferation of MFA (Made for Advertising) publishers receiving large investments is a clear indication of the lack of control, opacity and inefficiency in campaign management.
One of the most compelling questions posed to advertisers in the research is: "To what extent are you satisfied with the level of transparency you are getting from your programmatic media investments? The results are worrying.
Over 50% of advertisers (54%) expressed feeling neutral or uncomfortable with the levels of transparency. There is an imbalance in the nature and quality of information held by the various parties to a transaction.
Unfortunately, when the buy/sell lines are drawn, the advertiser is left alone. It is they who perceive advertising as an expense (or, hopefully, a growth investment). For the other participants in the supply chain, that money simply represents revenue, and the goals and outcomes are not always aligned with the desires and decisions of the end customers.
#2 The rise of self-service
In recent years, we have witnessed the rapid expansion of possibilities in programmatic buying, embracing more flexible models where reactivity and real-time, performance-based optimisation take precedence. These innovations, now embedded in programmatic, have been made possible by the development of tools that empower advertisers to interact directly with technology, placements and data, creating what is known as "self-service ad tech".
This type of service, provided by some tools, has both advantages and disadvantages. While some argue that with "managed programmatic" it was easier to run campaigns, it also means less autonomy. Self-service is intricate and demands the presence of programmatic experts who understand the diverse environments and can adapt nimbly to new tools and technological developments that are evolving at an astonishing speed.
A debate is emerging among brands, contemplating the internalisation of programmatic in their teams through self-service tools. However, they face the challenge of bringing this process to levels of excellence comparable to those offered by agencies, where profiles with vast experience in the sector converge.
The ability of senior profiles to manoeuvre nimbly between programmatic buying tools will intensify in the coming years. In our unique environment, which is increasingly geared towards personalisation at all levels of strategy, this will only be feasible in ways in which the specialist has the power of decision making in his or her hands. Consequently, new generations of programmatic specialists will have to prepare themselves for this paradigm shift.
#3 Emerging channels: Audio, DOOH and CTV
As advertising strategies evolve, we have seen an ever deeper integration of various channels covering different stages in the customer journey, providing ample opportunity for successful multi-channel campaigns. Undoubtedly, during 2024, three channels will stand out for their exponential growth and the increasing investment behind them: Audio, Digital Out of Home and Connected TV.
Audio, being an intimate and personal medium, stands out as a channel with a loyal audience that is less prone to distractions compared to visual media. Digital Out of Home, representing the evolution of outdoor advertising in the 21st century, is revolutionising the way we impact, measure and reuse audiences generated in outdoor environments. Finally, Connected TV, emerging amidst the decline of classic TV, provides users with a flexible means to consume audiovisual content with personalisation tailored to contemporary needs.
These three channels are set to be major players in the programmatic landscape of 2024, contributing significantly to the success of advertising campaigns by capitalising on the distinctive features that each offers.
#4 Shifting from KPIs to attention metrics
Increasingly, advertisers are looking for metrics to bolster their branding investments, using terms such as viewability and others to support their campaigns. The search for new metrics has evolved in recent years, leading to aspects of reporting based on attention metrics that go beyond the quantifiable, focusing on the quality of impact. In this sense, biometric eye-tracking technologies are being developed to follow the user's gaze when they are impacted by the ad.
The big challenge for the coming year lies in the standardisation of this new attention metric, which must be uniform across all sites and environments if it is to be established as a multi-channel KPI. In addition to the technological complexity involved, privacy constraints, which also encompass aspects such as "how we look", will be fundamental to the development of this emerging technology. This process implies the need to reconcile technological advances with an ethical approach that respects user privacy in the digital age.
#5 The cookieless world
Undoubtedly, one of the most important events of 2024 will be the elimination of third-party cookies by Google. These cookies, present since the beginnings of programmatic, provided advertisers with information based on data collected by companies external to the site the user was visiting.
Despite Google's multiple postponements of this removal, the year 2024 seems to be the time when the programmatic landscape will undergo a radical change, giving way to a variety of alternatives aimed at strengthening users' privacy.
Concepts such as "Universal IDs," the creation of user profiles based on first-party and offline data, as well as "Cohorts," the grouping of users into large sets based on similar interests, will join first- and zero-party data in shaping the future of the programmatic world for decades to come.
At Adsmurai, we are working closely with Google and various technology partners to ensure that the transition to a cookie-less environment is an opportunity to grow with all of our clients. We are committed to leading this change in a proactive and efficient manner, ensuring the continuity of effective advertising strategies in a context of increased privacy and security for users.
#6 Omni-channel orchestration and measurement platforms
With the scenarios of drastic changes in the technological structures that have underpinned the market in recent years, a new chapter is opening up for omnichannel campaign management and orchestration solutions, as well as for measurement tools capable of providing a comprehensive view of the effectiveness of integrated actions.
Platforms that enable the consolidation of efforts and that can expand their functionality to the field of reporting take on a crucial role in the face of the uncertainty that the lack of signals could generate in our day-to-day lives.
In this context, it is imperative to develop new tools that provide us with more information about the effects of marketing actions, allowing us to make more informed decisions. This is where Marketing Mix Modelling (MMM) can play a key role.
Marketing Mix Modelling or MMM is an advanced statistical methodology that, by analysing the relationship between the various levers of a business, resolves the uncertainties related to the impact of different marketing strategies, both online and offline, on a company's sales curve.
Conclusion
Exploring advances in programmatic advertising, transparency challenges, the evolution of advertising channels, and significant changes in the use of cookies reveals a dynamic and challenging landscape for marketers. We are entering a new era where attention to quality metrics and adaptation to new technologies are crucial.
In the face of these challenges, omni-channel solutions and advanced methodologies, such as Marketing Mix Modelling, are essential tools to understand and optimise the impact of marketing strategies. At Adsmurai, we are committed to leading this transformation, working hand-in-hand with our clients and partners to ensure that advertising strategies not only adapt, but thrive in this exciting new chapter of digital marketing. Together, we are poised to build a future where innovation, effectiveness and transparency drive our collective success.