2022 Media Predictions With Robert Jenkyn, CEO Of Media Experts

How has the pandemic changed media consumption? If so, will it be a permanent change?

With COVID-19, we were all locked up in our homes, either proactively or through mandate.  As greater amounts of time spent at home increased the need for entertainment, this translated to a reduction of broadcast TV investments in favor of cable TV and streaming services, driving Digital video and audio to new heights in 2020.

On the other hand, as the amount of people commuting from home to the workplace dropped, OOH and Radio investments were drastically reduced.

The increased number of sensitive topics being shared on social media also redefined the media approach in 2020. Social spend slightly decreased YoY as brand safety measures were reinforced.

This will be a permanent change. While individuals won’t give up their increased consumption of digital media, we are seeing the slow return of some traditional channels.  There is opportunity for advertisers is to use radio, print and out of home in creative, strategic ways in order to really stand out.

Sources: eMarketer, Coronavirus Impact: Change in Total Media Ad Spending in Canada, by Media, July 2020-Sep 2020

Mobile has been leading the channel consumers towards for content, will that change in 2022? If so, what will be the next channel that consumers turn too?

The smartphone topped out at 93% penetration of the Canadian market in the first half of 2020.  Short of supplying newborn babies with their own mobile device, growth in terms of penetration is about to hit a plateau.  That said, we also saw growth in terms of minutes spent with the mobile devices. So, until we hit the 24-hour mark, there is still room for more attention to be given to these mobile devices. And, people are searching for content. Mobile is fast becoming the centre of everyone’s lives for both information and entertainment.  While Quibi missed the mark and folded after six months, TikTok has certainly established itself very quickly and has influenced companies like YouTube to jump on board with their “Shorts”.  Most mobile devices today can be the entertainment system for the car, the go-to streaming device, even connecting to another screen or speaker. Until we have better wearable or implanted technology, mobile is here to stay.

Social shopping – are we there yet?

Though there is still a reliance on advertiser websites and third-party eCommerce partners, social shopping is more advanced now than it has ever been. Using product feeds, advertisers can create dynamic shopping experiences based on real-time product data. Social platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat have rolled out immersive shoppable formats, using Collection Ads and Carousels to create storefront and catalogue-esque experiences. In some cases, they have even utilized Augmented Reality solutions to enable users to try on products using only the camera on their phone. Social platforms also have the ability to personalize your shopping experience, tailoring the products you see based on the ones you’ve engaged with or previously shown interest in. Even TikTok is in the process of rolling out shoppable experiences on its platform, and with Instagram being the first social platform to roll out full in-app purchasing (with likely more to follow), social shopping is only going to become more prevalent.

Facebook (now Meta) has certainly been in the news over the last year – any thoughts/ comments? Facebook owns 4 of the top 10 apps in the app store – what does this mean for media planning, today and tomorrow? Will planners be looking at Meta any different in 2022?

Facebook’s place as the biggest social media platform is not guaranteed.  Now, let’s put that in context – their bottom line isn’t suffering despite past and recent bad press. They still have the most Canadians on their platform than any other social media platform. So, why isn’t Facebook’s future guaranteed?  They are losing the trust of their users, Canadians included, and they have yet to earn the trust and build cache with the next generation. Furthermore, their re-branding to “Meta” has been viewed by many as admission that the future of the company may not lie with its biggest property, Facebook. They have real questions to answer about how their algorithm may be helping to spread negativity across the globe and Meta feels like diversion at best, given the timing.

Our media planners have been diversifying social media spend for a while.  Facebook’s #1 position is being eroded and will continue to decline. Such is the natural order of the social media lifecycle. 

Long form or short form content – which will win in 2022?

Content will definitely win in 2022. That prediction is fairly safe. As for long form or short form, that I cannot say.  TikTok’s sharp growth seems to suggest short form is winning with audiences but from a marketer’s point of view, it really is based on the context, the quality, the relevance and the impact on their brand and business outcomes.  Think serialized content, like podcasts or streaming video versus TikTok.   

What does metaverse mean for media planning in 2022?

The metaverse has received a great deal of attention recently thanks to Facebook, but we believe it will have little bearing on media planning in 2022.  That said, we do see a resurgence of a virtual world that combines the best of tech today and provides an immersive diversion of the “real world”.  We could have used this during lockdown, where lying on my couch could have become vacationing on a beach.  The tipping point for adoption will be 100% linked to the technology used to access the metaverse. As long as we are still using “brick on face” tech like the current generation of VR goggles, we don’t see a user base achieving the pervasiveness that we believe it may eventually have.

As the metaverse does become more accessible though, it will increase the advertising opportunities available.  Brands have played in this space before (Second Life anyone?) and will continue to do so.  If the audience, the context and creative are relevant it makes sense for the brands to be there.  I think context is also key here.  If the medium is the message as McLuhan said, what does it say about a brand advertising in the metaverse?

Where will the industry go in a cookie-less future?

While the disappearing cookie has caused companies all over the world to consider whether they can continue to reach their audience directly with ads specific to them on a one-to-one level, IPG has been planning for this change all along. We have been working closely with the major digital platforms and data providers in Canada to build an Intelligent Identify Graph.

We are building for a continually fragmented advertisement space thanks to a decentralization of audience segmentation with the removal of the cookie and the rise of the walled gardens. We know that operating across disparate frameworks is going to be critical in ensuring a seamless customer journey. Our audience solutions based on the IPG technology and data stack are fueling this journey. They allow us to not only understand people behinds the screens, but also tailor the individual messaging to make every exposure as effective as possible. Data flows through the stack creating countless signals used to measure and optimize in real time and deliver against real world business outcomes.

When we erase the lines in classic marketing between upper, mid-, and lower funnel, and look at the consumer journey holistically, we reach the opportunity to seamlessly communicate with real people, in a fashion that allows us to be relevant and adaptable within a changing digital landscape.

With a huge labor shortage in the industry – what does the agency model of the future look like?

Even before the pandemic, our industry was working on finding efficiencies.    While creativity, strategy and applying key learnings still require a human touch, we are increasingly relying on scripts, bots, AI, and project management tools to automate repetitive tasks, organize teams, prioritize optimization, and improve quality controls. In addition to automation, the last two years has forced our industry to look at its talent pools, hiring streams and hiring practices.  For over a year we have started to, and truly need to, appeal to a broader, more diverse population.  This is a dynamic industry that is evolving at a rapid pace.  We need talent from all quarters to bring new skillsets (coding, data science, creativity, strategy) as well as truly reflect the communities that we serve and live in.

There seems to be a bit of a mass exodus from the industry all together, why is this happening?

I am not sure that the movement in our industry is unique or that it is a mass exodus from the industry.  Certainly, there is a lot of movement within our industry right now.  Fast Company made reference to the “resignation tsunami” and this phenomenon is hitting a number of industries at the moment.  The pandemic has given everyone a chance to slow down and rethink their priorities.