2020 Digital Advertising Trends: Predictions for Publishers

The digital advertising industry will continue to shift toward new technologies in 2020, and publishers and advertisers must evolve to stay top of mind with consumers. In our new white paper, ‘2020 Digital Advertising Trends: Predictions for Publishers,’ you’ll gain clarity on which innovations signal trends to watch rather than passing fads. These include ever-pervasive data privacy regulations, increasingly popular streaming services, voice technology, personalized subscription models, and more.

Here’s a sneak peek of the content:

Consumers expect personalized experiences

Publishers and advertisers can capture ROI in 2020 through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. News UK is one example, having seen impressive consumer engagement via JAMES, its “digital butler” content service. JAMES uses machine learning to personalize news for readers, which has resulted in 70% of readers clicking on suggested stories and 49% fewer subscription cancellations.

“Any tool a publisher can use that leads to a more personalized experience for the reader ultimately impacts the advertiser as well,” said Sarah Hartland, Marketing Manager and Editor of Lineup Systems’ industry blog, the Newsroom. “If publishers can provide a personalized experience that people will pay for, the quality of their audience and the level of first-party data they have will attract premium advertisers.”

It’s clear that personalization will become increasingly innovative and prevalent in 2020. At least 90% of online advertisers are expected to use the tactic, and fully personalized websites will see significant growth by 2021. This is good news for consumers, as 51% expect brands to provide them relevant suggestions at the outset of any communication.

Hearst is one example of a publisher that has recently rolled out targeted, personalized ads—in a print product, nonetheless. Hearst piloted the project in U.S. subscriber copies of Elle magazine, using first-party data to track readers’ online activity and serve them with ads for a skincare brand in the print magazine.

Video and audio must be part of your brand’s strategy

Streaming video and audio will continue to gain ground and present exciting opportunities for publishers and advertisers to reach audiences in 2020. In the case of video, the fact that 82% of direct-to-consumer shoppers take action after they see an ad on connected TV means this platform will continue to deliver results.

“We're just starting to see how big this bubble is going to get,” said Lineup’s Sarah Hartland. “We're not in danger of it popping—yet.”

Digital audio will also have a record year in 2020, and is set to surpass radio in terms of listener market share for the first time ever. The podcast advertising market alone is estimated to grow to $1.6 billion by 2022. Given that podcasts draw a captive audience, with most listeners tuning in for at least 90% of a show’s duration, publishers and advertisers can be confident in the role podcasts will play in their business models going forward.

Lean into disruption to achieve success

There’s no doubt that the digital advertising industry’s rapid evolution presents complex challenges. However, publishers and advertisers can leverage trends and technology in 2020 by working with an expert media partner like Lineup Systems to build stronger relationships with their customers and drive revenue.

Take a few minutes to get up to speed for 2020 with this free report.