On a global level, programmatic adspend has grown from $5 billion in 2012, to a whopping $39 billion in 2017! This is faster than all other digital channels, including social media and online video. Today’s digital marketing has brought about enormous changes in the way we look at the personalization of ads. They are no longer generic—one-size-fits-all—messages; they’re catered to specific audiences that, through their online behavior and other factors, have indicated that they are shopping for a particular item or service. This is made possible by the continual advancements in programmatic digital technology.

The cost of human attention has increased 700 — 800% in real terms over the last 27 years. It is the most drastic increase in any business expense over the last quarter-decade. Because of its value, human attention is a commodity in the advertising market. This is why marketers must remain up-to-date with the latest “attention-grabbing” technology as they decide on an advertising platform. They need to take the most cost-effective steps to get the most out of their adspend.

Currently, in 2017, there are more than 2 billion mobile phone (or tablet) users that have conducted some form of mobile commerce transactions this year. More than 95% of mobile users will use their smartphones to look up information in order to call or visit a store. Mobile devices currently account for 19% of all US retail e-commerce sales. It is expected to become 27% by the end of 2018. This means that 1 out of every 4 US retail dollars will be spent via mobile.

As the evolution of effective video ads continues, we constantly see trends that favor this ever-growing form of advertising. Case in point: Over 500 million hours of video are watched on YouTube each day. Each week, 45% of internet users watch over an hour of content on video share sites. 82% of Twitter users watch video content on Twitter. There is more video content uploaded in 30 days, than all of the major U.S. television networks have created in the last 30 years. Video share sites have over a billion users. Currently, 87% of marketers are already using video ads to get the word out. Back in the day of traditional mass marketing, brands would have to reach their demographically targeted customers by putting a message out to the world via television, radio, billboards, magazines, etc., and hoping that the right people would happen to see it. It was referred to as the “Spray and Pray” method. While these mediums are still going strong, and still effective, there are ways to enhance them to boost their reach and refine their targeting by incorporating a programmatic platform into their marketing strategy. It can be compared to casting a large net behind your boat, hoping to catch one particular kind of fish. What you’d catch, though, is whatever happened to be swimming by at the right time (or wrong time, if you’re the fish)!

Experts at eMarketer anticipate a 24% lift in adspend on digital video in 2017, boosting the total spending to $13 billion. In addition, 75% of that money will be transacted through programmatic means.1 In a study conducted by Yahoo, in conjunction with Ad Perceptions, 251 marketers and agencies were surveyed. What they learned from their findings were these four facts: Personalization is Key A decade ago, television was the way to go for marketers. But it was so impersonal. How many viewers ever thought that the television commercials were tailored just for them and their needs? Nobody, but if they did, they were wrong. But, over the last decade video has made its mark in the ad industry by reaching out to people on a personal and engaging level, and surpassing television by a very wide margin. Digital video ads make it possible for marketers to deliver personalized information that’s relevant to the members of the targeted audience. These ads play an integral role in advertising platforms around the globe.

Mobile is continually growing, playing an integral part in the Business to Business (B2B) customer journey. So much, in fact, that today, 50% of B2B search queries are initiated on smartphones. By the year 2020, this figure is expected to increase to 70%. In addition, mobile drives, or at least, influences, an average of more than 40% of revenue throughout the top B2B companies. The consumers of today are not making a comparison of your business to other businesses; they’re comparing your services to the best experiences in digital marketing they have ever had. This is especially true with B2B buyers, who are getting more and more savvy with this technology. They are beginning to realize that they must keep abreast of the latest technology and the most effective methods to disseminate their message to their targeted audience. In addition, studies show that positive mobile experiences boost loyalty and repurchasing. Over 90% of B2B customers state that they would continue to purchase from the company with whom they’ve had a positive and seamless transaction.

The days of summer are gone and the holidays are coming on quickly. If your holiday marketing plan isn’t in place, you’d better get rolling! Let’s first take a look at two of the most dominant devices; mobile and desktop, and what the digital landscape looks like for them. According to comScore data, in 2016 during the months of November and December, there was a 44% increase in mobile ecommerce retail sales over the same time in 2015. As far as desktop goes, during the same months of 2016, sales from desktop orders were over $63 billion compared to mobile’s $17 billion. On Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) of 2016, comScore reported that desktop ecommerce sales escalated 19% year-over-year, while mobile jumped a whopping 41%. In fact, in 2017 the overall spending on mobile ads increased by 26%, while desktop surged a mere 5.4%. Obviously, the mobile ads, as well as the dollars spent to support those ads, have grown exponentially.

Over the last 20 years, the cost of buying just one minute of a consumer’s attention from a television ad in the United States has gone up by 700%. Conversely, the percentage of advertisements that are considered to be “fully viewed” with a high factor of attention has decreased from 97% in the early 1900s to less than 20% just a few years ago. It’s no mystery that every brand marketer has one goal in mind, and that’s to catch the attention of consumers. With the recent explosion of video content over the last few years, as well as the ever-changing consumer behavior, the advertising industry should have adapted, but it has not done so yet … not completely, anyway. The attention paid to today’s ads isn’t equal across all screens and mediums, for which advertisers aren’t properly accounting.

1. Omni-channel marketing Today in the United States, 35% of companies currently have an Omni-channel marketing strategy. Of the businesses that do not, 27% intend on implementing one shortly. Additionally, 70% of businesses that have this strategy believe that it is imperative for their success. However, 38% of businesses do not see the importance—yet. As most marketers know, the advertising industry is constantly changing, along with the technology that’s continually being upgraded and improved. Consumers also have new tools to help them in their decision making. Many of us are old enough to remember the pre-internet life. Making a purchase was most always in the brick and mortar stores. You probably went to different locations, seeking the lowest price and possibly a better selection. Although, it was always a better shopping experience if you could make it a one-stop-shop!

Mobile has been driving its way to becoming the most preferred way to watch video. According to recent research, in the fourth quarter of 2016 mobile devices saw 54% of all video starts. This figure is up from 52% in the third quarter, which is a substantial rise in just three months. ZenithOptimedia recently reported that global consumers are currently spending close to 20 minutes per day watching videos on their mobile devices. This exceeds their viewing of desktop computers and smart TVs in 2016 by four minutes. That’s a rise of 40% from the previous year, and Zenith predicts that viewing videos on mobile will increase 33% in 2017, and 27% in 2018.