In 2024, connected TV (CTV) platforms raced to expand ad-supported content, Google delayed its cookie plans (again), and brands chased insights from social media giants on how to break through to consumers.
Here are our top five stories from the year, from a mini out-of-home (OOH) renaissance to a Google document leak.
Google delays deprecation of third-party cookies once again
Why it mattered:
While Google began 2024 with a plan to deprecate third-party cookies by the end of the year, the company went back on its word in April. While Google’s unpredictable relationship with cookies is a consistent pain point for marketers, our analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf said many are understandably concerned that the alternative, the Google-led Privacy Sandbox API, cannot adequately support products like video ad formats.
While Google's backtrack buys advertisers more time to pivot to a cookieless future, it doesn’t mean they should halt their post-cookie plans. They can take advantage of this delay to advance their first-party data and approach to measurement.
Extending OOH campaign reach through social media traffic
Why it mattered:
While our forecast found that OOH only saw a small uptick this year (4.8%), it is largely dodging the decline of its traditional media peers like TV and radio.
This year, marketers got smarter at building 360-degree campaigns that tethered OOH ads to their social media strategy. Brands like Oatly and Amazon Prime capitalized on the opportunity for free social media amplification of work that leaned into humor and encouraged conversation.
This pivot has also forced marketers to rethink traditional best practices and consider what is most likely to go viral. For example, don't expect a highway billboard to make waves on social media if consumers can't stop to take a picture of it. .
Why it mattered:
Google’s alleged document leak drew in excitement from marketers and advertisers, who were eager to dive into the inner workings of the company without a PR filter.
While this moment sparked industry conversation, SEO experts told EMARKETER that marketers should not uproot their strategies. Instead, SEO experts said the leak could provide helpful insights, such as naming conventions that Google might favor and the importance of brand marketing and high-quality content in building a winning SEO strategy.
Why marketers should understand the differences between CTV and OTT
Why it mattered:
Jargon often complicates the ad industry, and the growth of CTV in 2024 makes a universal dictionary to navigate the space even more crucial. While CTV refers to an ad that comes up on an actual TV screen, including smart TVs, OTT refers to an ad that appears on any screen, including mobile, desktop, and tablet devices.
While the terms are often grouped together to encompass an expanding space, marketers need to know where an audience sees their ad to make the right investment. Understanding where to invest depends on your campaign goals—CTV ads have a significantly higher watch through rate than mobile ads, but consumers are more comfortable shopping on mobile.
How to build the perfect TikTok ad campaign, according to TikTok
Why it mattered:
In a report earlier this year, TikTok laid out its Web Auction Best Practices Guide. The guide included actionable tips, like “consider using under 20% of your budget during the learning phase” and “wait 1-2 days to observe KPIs before scaling” your campaign. Social media algorithms are often considered a black box to marketers, so specific business insights from TikTok will always spark conversation.
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