2014 is NOT the “Year of Mobile”

Digital Marketing Predictions and Tips from Aggregate Knowledge (Neustar)

2013 has been a whirlwind of a year for the ad tech industry and 2014 shows no signs of slowing down. We saw continued consolidation in 2013, as several “digital darlings” went IPO (some faring well and others not as much), while a few opted for a different investment strategy. As the digital chess match wages on, we all have the same end goal in mind:  how to lead our organizations into the future and deliver technology that empowers marketers to better serve their customers and drive conversions. In reflecting on the year, here are three predictions I see coming to light in 2014:

In 2014, Marketers Will Have Complete Visibility into the Consumer Journey

Over the last year, there have been great strides made in the quest to achieve a holistic view of the consumer journey, but bridging the great online/offline divide still remains a critical issue for marketers. That will change in the coming year, as marketers will finally close the gap and tie online influence back to offline sales. Doing so will provide marketers with a better understanding of the impact offline factors can have on online purchases, and vice versa, ultimately providing marketers with the ability to more effectively and efficiently drive more reach and sales.

Expert Tip: Deploy a complete marketing platform (data management and marketing analytics) to manage data from all sources and achieve a holistic view of the customer journey, to inform strategy, and create a true connection between brands and customers.

Marketing Solutions Companies Will Walk the Walk

Many companies are in a race to create a full end-to-end marketing solution that will allow brands and marketers to plan, target, engage and measure performance all from a unified view. While many companies claim to have a "marketing stack" – few actually do – and sophisticated marketers are beginning to see through the noise.  The demand for a true marketing stack will reach a fever pitch in 2014, and companies like SFDC, Adobe, IBM –  who have begun to pull these pieces together through strategic acquisitions – will have to move fast to develop true integrated solutions and messaging that educates the market on their end-to-end value proposition.

Expert Tip: Marketing solutions are moving from early adoption into the mainstream. Stay educated about which integrated marketing suite offers the most effective technology to address your marketing needs and steer clear of point solutions.

2014 is NOT the “Year of Mobile” – But We’re Getting Closer

If you’ve paid attention to predictions for the last five years, then you’d know that prognosticators have declared every year as the year of mobile. Sorry to break the news to you, but 2014 won’t be the year of mobile either…however, we’re getting closer.   The mobile phone is now arguably the primary content consumption device for a majority of consumers. The canvas is there, and now savvy mobile marketers need to identify the best approach to driving conversion. In the year ahead, marketers will continue to experiment with the formats and types of content that drive conversion, while also identifying how to better leverage mobile as an additional revenue stream. While 2014 won’t be the year of mobile, marketers will get closer than ever to demystifying the platform.

Expert Tip: Continue experimenting with mobile advertising strategy, but know it isn’t an exact science, just yet.