In this guest post, Oracle Data Cloud’s GVP, product development and international, Kurt Kratchman (pictured below), offers his 2019 digital marketing predictions that, he assures us, are free of the buzzwords that are typical of annual digital marketing predictions…

Each January, marketers are inundated with well-meaning experts offering predictions for the upcoming year. “It’s the year advertisers get serious about voice!” or “Chatbots are the future!!” or “Blockchain is now!!!” (All with exclamation points galore, of course!)

At Oracle Data Cloud, we realise how hard it is to sift through the content to decide which trends are must-haves for your to-do list and which are merely distractions. No matter where you sit on the professional spectrum -whether you’re a CMO, executive, digital strategist, media buyer, or sales director – you’re probably still wondering: “How do we set my agency/brand/company apart in 2019? How can I understand the deeper concepts hidden behind industry acronyms and jargon to truly drive digital marketing success?”

It’s easy to wave a magic wand and declare 2019 the year of [insert buzzword here], but it’s harder to glean true, research-backed insights. Oracle Data Cloud is here to help, with a few data-driven glimpses into the future to make sure you can stay ahead of the game.

1.    2019 is the year of transparency!

Does anyone else feel that it’s been the “year of personalisation” for the past 10 years? Or that every year is the “year of mobile”? We totally get the need to emphasise trends and, sure, predictions are just that: guesses that are subject to being totally off base. But in this industry, which is rife with challenges and complexities, such broad, sweeping statements often leave us skeptical and unconvinced.

Oracle Data Cloud Says: Instead of focusing on one prediction, focus on an overarching theme for the industry. We suggest you consider 2019 as the year that will be marked by a focus on accountability. This year more than ever, we will see more demands for clarity on the value provided by different types of ad tech and a greater emphasis on measurable results across the supply chain.

But to paraphrase LeVar Burton, who hosted the classic children’s learning program Reading Rainbow, “Don’t take our word for it.”

2.    While new technologies will make execution easier, effective strategy will remain audience driven

The technology serving the digital media space has come a long way, and 2019 will be no exception. But it’s important not to get too distracted by shiny tech objects. Effective digital marketing is still all about pinpointing your exact audience and deeply understanding their motivations and habits. At Oracle Data Cloud, we find that our clients who focus on audience-first strategies still win, reaching more potential buyers and generating higher incremental sales.

Oracle Data Cloud Says: Lean on the people you’ve hired to guide you toward the path of audience enlightenment. Here are some efficient ways to learn from the experts:

• Partner with your data providers to cultivate intelligence and measurement across audiences, media optimisation, and personalisation.
• Set high expectations to prove metrics and outcomes, and boost overall campaign effectiveness.

3.    Brand safety will be all about context

Ensuring brand safety continues to keep marketers up at night, especially in these times of never-ending news and instant gratification. No one wants to be the headline in a big story about a brand ending up on the wrong side of the proverbial tracks.

In a world where brand placements across platforms become increasingly automated, the chances of your brand living next to a somewhat dubious article increases.

Oracle Data Cloud Asks: Do you actually have your bases covered?

• Oracle data has shown that full-page contextual intelligence is 3.8x better in identifying unsafe contexts than URL-only analysis. Protect your brand from toxic content with contextual intelligence.
• Follow these three steps to safeguard your brand:
  • First, define what brand safety means to your business (i.e., brand safety likely does not mean the same thing to an airline as a liquor company) to put the brand-safety challenge in perspective.
  • Second, determine where you want your ads to be and where you don’t want your ads to be.
  • Last, find the cross-platform measurement solutions that work for your business. Companies are using these insights to gain more transparency and inform smarter budget and optimisation decisions across campaigns.

Like any year in digital advertising, 2019 will be one that moves quickly, sees many headlines, and embraces (or rejects) various forms of technology. Industry players will need to be on their toes at all times. That’s why we’re committed to helping all levels of marketers become smarter, launch more effective campaigns, and drive better results with a range of powerful resources.

Look out for more predictions and insights to come ahead of Valentine’s Day and other tentpole events throughout the year. They will be the perfect accompaniments to your next digital media up-front discussion, quarterly business review, or top-to-top sales meeting.