

A study by the New York based Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) identified programmatic buying as the dominant trend of last year. The possibilities of the automated real-time trade of advertising were welcomed by many for the speed and innovation they brought to marketing while being mindful of issues like data control and transparency. But in 2016 the emphasis has shifted. This year’s number one key trend is cross-channel-tracking, while programmatic buying for new formats was rated second, with the cross-channel identification of target groups in third.
For me, this change in priority is significant. Programmatic buying is a self-contained, technology-driven process that takes milliseconds. It is fast and efficient but it doesn’t really help us to communicate more effectively with individuals in our target markets.
However, with the increase of cross-channel identification and cross-channel-tracking and attribution we’re seeing the rise of hyper-personalisation. Hyper-personalisation allows us to focus on the individual according to their interests and needs, across devices and in real-time. It is marketing returning to its core values, with the technology of the digital age. Here are the six significant consequences I believe the rise of hyper-personalisation will have:
Innovative and forward-looking marketers have realised: cross-channel user identification and one-to-one cross-channel communication with users – in short, hyper-personalization – will significantly shape our industry in the coming months and years. So, what are we waiting for?