I do a lot of press interviews and speaking engagements – and sometimes I am forced to condense and summarize everything to a couple of sentences. The following has some of those basic thoughts that underpin everything we do at Microsoft Digital Advertizing Solutions. Let’s call it a vision for lack of a better & different word.
Revolutionary Evolution: the digital future of advertising
Today, ‘digital media’ is the buzz phrase, but in the next ten years all forms of media will be digital. For the advertising community digital has disrupted traditional models, forcing advertisers seeking to creatively engage with consumers to think differently, pursue opportunities on new technology platforms and plan their media differently. However, the goal for brands is the same – to connect with the right audiences, at the right time, in the right way.
In the converging new media world, TV will become interactive and internet-based; gaming will be a mainstream form of entertainment; mobile will become more than just a communications device; and concepts such as search will evolve to deliver new types of services. In fact, at Microsoft we look at the world in three screens – Mobile, Laptops/Desktops and TVs – and what is interesting is that people are doing the same thing across these screens as the worlds of new media converge.
Time is being created where it did not exist before, as people consume media on their mobiles, watch videos at work and play games late into the evening. The implication of these trends for advertisers is dramatic – as the new media world drives brands to re-examine opportunities to create new and dynamic experiences to excite consumers. Over time, we’ll see more brands trying innovative ways to connect with engaged consumers. For example, GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters) has done this through in-game advertising to recruit young people to the British Intelligence services.
Reaching the consumer is a new ball game for brands. Consumers are adapting to technology quicker, their expectations are higher and they are in control. They have turned media into something social, have buying power and knowledge. It’s less about feeding consumers information and more about establishing a connection and becoming part of their conversation across multiple mediums.
In an age where young people have much power over one another relating to brands, friendship groups are becoming important to brands to influence this audience.
Social networks such as Facebook, for example, offer huge scope to advertisers to engage with a vast online audience, but brands and advertisers need to have a conversation with consumers and provide them with content they want to share. Only then will they be rewarded with the loyalty of these brand-savvy groups.
This is why Microsoft made its biggest acquisition in its history, aQuantive, and set up the Advertiser and Publisher Solutions Group. This enables advertisers to explore ways of delivering engaging ad experiences, allowing them to facilitate this conversation with consumers, while maximizing ROI on their advertising investments.
It is why we have spent the last year building our credentials in the advertising community through our Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions salesforce – enabling advertisers to understand the opportunities across the Microsoft digital network of assets including MS.com, MSN, IPTV and Xbox Live. We are also investing in emerging media – gaming, video and mobile – as consumers migrate towards a world of online and IP-served platforms.
As the lines between software and media and advertising continue to blur, digital technologies will play an increasingly relevant role in the future of advertising. We see advertising as the future of Microsoft’s business and we are committed to helping advertisers and brands make the most of the opportunities open to them.
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