THE NEXT YEAR IN
ADVERTISING

Is there something in particular you would like your industry to discuss or tackle in 2020?

I’d like our industry to tell more stories that bring people together through commonality, rather than perpetuating stereotypes. I would like to see a continuation of the progress towards more diversity in advertising. But also making sure that representation happens both in front and behind the camera, especially with the teams making the work.
 
What trends or stylistic attributes do you think we’re going to see in advertising in 2020?

I think we’re going to see continued growth in native and contextual ads, but also editorially driven content – content that is not only valuable, relevant, easily consumable and sharable but, critically, is delivered with an editorial tone of voice that will excite the target audience and provoke conversation. We’ll also see more cross-platform consumer behaviour, leading to cross-platform creative, for example, TV interacting with Alexa or Google Home.

Are there any major innovations or events that are likely to impact your industry, and its creative work, next year?

There will be greater use of AI to drive not only personalisation, but also distinctive brand advertising and experiences, finding the magic balance between optimised and engaging. We’ll also see advertising becoming even smarter. The recent launch by Google of Google Ad automation and smart bidding means brands can manage their exposure and interaction more closely than ever – the biggest win being able to change bids automatically when sales start or stop. Finally, AR and voice will provide opportunities for multi-channel storytelling innovation. 5G will also explode the potential for interactive branded content, especially for entertainment brands.
 
Who or what (apart from you and your agency!) should we be keeping an eye on next year, and why?

The Mill – it’s always playing on the edge of creativity and emerging technology, often experimenting with brands on future experiences, products and services before they become the norm.