1

INTRODUCTION 3THE NEW REALITY OF VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED WORLDS 4THE REBIRTH OF NATIVE ADVERTISING 6THE ARRIVAL OF LIVE STREAMING 7THE NEW FOCUS ON THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE 8THE CROSS-DEVICE MARKETING AMP-UP 9THE NEW ‘NICHE’ 10THE VISUAL JOURNEY 11

WHAT’S INSIDE

3

Digital marketing is an industry in flux, and with a constant barrage of

new tech and trends, it can be difficult to guess what’s here to stay and

what’s a passing fad. That’s why IgnitionOne put together our guide to

the Top 7 Trends for 2017. From the arrival of live streaming to a native

advertising throwback, in this guide you’ll find the trends and stats you

need to prep for the year ahead.

INTRODUCTION

If the viral rise of Pokemon GO this summer taught marketers anything,

it’s that augmented reality – and by extension, virtual reality –

have officially arrived in mainstream marketing. The integration

of augmented reality into shopping experiences presents yet

another layer of online/offline connection, particularly for

retail marketers.

AR and VR are also making a mark in the automotive and

hospitality industries, with virtual test drives and 360-degree hotel

room views setting a new standard for what’s possible in

customer experience.

THE NEW REALITY OF VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED WORLDS

4

1

5

BY THE NUMBERS

$5.2 BILLION

43 MILLION

44% OF CONSUMERS

Virtual reality is estimated to reach a market size of

$5.2 billion by 2020

There are currently 43 million active VR users worldwide

consider themselves “very interested” in virtual reality

*Statista

6

THE REBIRTH OF NATIVE ADVERTISING

2

The “advertorial” is arguably one of the oldest methods of marketing, but native advertising

as a whole is experiencing a renaissance. In the age of the ad blocker, marketing content

that adds value and blends in with the user experience is critical, far more so than page

takeovers or pop-ins that are so dreaded by consumers. The key to an improved marketing

and advertising experience is the integration of campaigns into the organic landscape, while

ensuring the consumer still maintains ultimate control.

BY THE NUMBERS

74% 309 MIL $20.9 BILBy 2021, the estimated

amount of ad revenue

driven by native ads is 74%

At least 309 million people

are currently blocking ads

on their mobile device

Within the next year, the

estimated revenue from

native ads is $20.9 billion

* Business Insider

77

THE ARRIVAL OF LIVE STREAMING

3

As the first United States Presidential debate was live streamed in October to the tune of

several million viewers, it became safe to say that streaming “arrived”. As a fringe trend over

the past few years – largely due to consumers and marketers alike waiting for technology

to catch up to provide a smoother experience – live streaming has finally caught up with

its own hype. The idea of viewing something “live” has always held a place in consumer

attention, the challenge for marketers lies in finding new methods of campaign creativity.

BY THE NUMBERS

3X 40% 92%Average amount of time

spent watching Facebook

live: 3x longer than pre-

recorded video

of smartphone users

express specific interest in

watching live content

of mobile video

consumers share video

content with others

* Global Web Index

88

THE NEW FOCUS ON THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

4

The New Focus on the Customer The idea of being customer-obsessed isn’t new, but what

qualifies a strong customer experience is constantly changing. This is largely due to the

increased competition of the instant-everything marketplace, where brands are forced

to answer the consumer question “Why should I choose you?” But there’s a difference

between putting on a dog and pony show and architecting a genuinely positive experience.

Consumers expect smooth on-site transitions, paths-to-purchase and personalized follow-

up. Brands need to be ready to deliver.

BY THE NUMBERS

89% 5.2X 70%of companies now expect

to compete mostly on

the basis of consumer

experience

Customers are 5.2x more

likely to purchase from

companies with a great

customer experience

of buying experiences

are based on how the

customer feels they are

being treated

* Gartner

9

THE CROSS-DEVICE MARKETING AMP-UP

5

The average consumer now has 5 electronic devices they use on a regular basis – from

laptops to desktops to tablets, phablets and smartphones, we are more connected than

ever. That means cross-device marketing has never been more important. The rise in

number of household devices coincides with the steadily growing expectations consumers

have of the brands with which they interact. Not only is cross-device marketing becoming

more important, but so is cross-device attribution. Following a consumer from device to

device throughout the purchase process while making sure their experience is personalized

on every screen is an expectation, not a request.

BY THE NUMBERS

40% 90% 77%of all transactions now

involve multiple devices

of consumers use

multiple screens

sequentially

When watching TV, 77% of

consumers are also interacting

with another device

* Google and Ipsos Market Research Report

10

THE NEW ‘NICHE’6Market fatigue? Consumers have it. As the amount of digital noise increases, consumer

patience for irrelevant messages decreases. Marketers in 2017 may find themselves going

niche to be heard above the noise. Find one thing you do, and do it well. Marketers who live

by a “jack of all trades, master of none” mentality are floundering in the midst of customers

who can find a specialized product or service for their every need. The key isn’t to focus

on owning your entire industry, but rather to focus on carving out a corner in that industry

based on what you do exceptionally well. The marketplace is crowded, and odds of success

increase when you go niche.

91% 5000 241%of CMOs

support hyper-

targeted, niche

marketing

Consumers are exposed to over 5,000

pieces of content per day and need to see

information 7 times to remember it – going

niche increases odds of memorability

Refining target marketing

through data to reach

your niche can increase

ROI by up to 241%

BY THE NUMBERS * Target Points

1111

THE VISUAL JOURNEY7If you’re starting to wonder if anyone really reads anymore, you’re not alone. Consumers

respond best to highly visual, text-sparse content. The term “Snackable” has increased

in popularity over the past year, meaning content that can be consumed in short, simple

bursts with one focused message. It’s the age of show, don’t tell. Another 800-word

news article will fade into the background. An interactive infographic is more likely to hold

attention long enough for consumers to buy into your message, and motivate them to share

it with others.

BY THE NUMBERS

80% 94% 3XBrightly colored visuals

increase a reader’s

willingness to read

content by 80%

Content with relevant

images gets 94% more

views than content

without

Infographics are liked and

shared 3x more on social

media than any other

type of content

* Hubspot

12

IgnitionOne simplifies life for marketers, providing deeper insights and robust targeting of

individuals through the use of proprietary engagement scoring and integrated marketing

and advertising solutions. The IgnitionOne DMS is full-featured digital marketing hub which

significantly improves performance across all devices and channels. IgnitionOne allows

marketers to better understand their customers and activate personalized 1:1 messaging across

search, display, social, mobile, email, and website personalization.

With a global footprint of over 450 employees in 17 offices across 10 countries, IgnitionOne is one

of the largest independent marketing technology companies in the world. IgnitionOne currently

scores over 300 million users monthly in 75 countries and powers more than $60 billion in

revenue each year for leading brands, including General Motors, CenturyLink, Bridgestone, La

Quinta and Acer, as well as advertising agencies such as 360i, GroupM and Zenith Optimedia.

For more information, please visit http://www.ignitionone.com, follow the company on Twitter

@IgnitionOne or read our blog at http://www.ignitionone.com/the-latest.

Copyright © 2017 IgnitionOne, Inc. All Rights Reserved.