1) As per your observations, how is digital marketing evolving? What has changed the most in the last 5 years?

The biggest shift has been the understanding. For instance, just because an ad is viewable doesn’t mean it’s been viewed. Ad placements are in cluttered environments, where publishers make them easy to skip or scroll past.

In fact, Statista reports that 66% of app users will always skip an in-app video ad if given the option. Brands still measuring solely by reach and impressions are wasting their ad spend. Instead, their focus has evolved to engagement and attention.

Another major shift has been mobile advertising, which has shifted from an app growth platform to much more. Brands leverage mobile ads to build relationships, cultivate brand loyalty, protect market share, and reduce customer churn.

This has led to a rise in the popularity of video advertising that has enabled brands to craft compelling narratives and facilitate interaction to accomplish a broad spectrum of goals.

Video advertising is also taken to the next level through the power of connected devices.  With consumers taking their entertainment from home to on-the-go, brand touchpoints can follow users no matter where streaming video or gaming occurs. Brands can create multiple touchpoints with their audiences throughout the day, especially with captivating video ads.

2) Which type of advertising medium is the most preferred by marketers today? Can you share any stats backing it?

Video advertising has become the preferred medium for marketers, with 91% of businesses incorporating it into their marketing strategies.

Despite cluttered screens, video provides a more immersive experience through sight and sound. It’s also a versatile medium allowing advertisers to get the most out of their budgets.

In fact, traditional TV spots can be leveraged for mobile, whether through managed service or programmatic. On top of that, mobile can add interactive elements to an ad that can further boost engagement.

3) How can businesses objectively measure the ROI if they choose attention as their goal behind marketing efforts?

For brands to prioritize attention as a marketing goal, they must look beyond specific metrics and focus on overall brand impact. Attention vendors like Lumen and Amplified Intelligence use innovative techniques like eyeball tracking to measure attention accurately.

High attention rates are directly correlated with improved brand recall, leading to increased awareness, loyalty, and ultimately, sales. By tracking attention, advertisers can objectively measure ROI by assessing the impact on these broader brand objectives.

4) People of all sorts play mobile games today. How can a brand filter out irrelevant audiences and ensure accuracy in their marketing campaigns?

Privacy changes have limited micro-targeting in recent years, but in-app ads have always relied on audience groups. To ensure accuracy, brands can leverage external resources like Comscore to create audience groupings based on demographics and interests, such as "Head of Households," "Soccer Moms," and "Outdoor Enthusiasts."

Additionally, targeting should extend beyond who the person is by understanding their mobile behavior, ensuring campaigns reach the right audience at the right time and place. For instance, most people kick off their day with a weather check on their favorite app. Hitting your audience early in the morning ensures they catch your ad at just the right time.

5) Will the gaming industry soon trump other social media giants in terms of becoming the preferred marketing platform? How?

Currently, time spent on gaming constitutes 11% of all time, while ad spend is only 4% of the total. This gap presents a substantial opportunity for marketers.

Contrary to myths, mobile games have mass-market appeal across diverse demographics, from children to parents and grandparents engaging in different types of games.

The unique advantage of mobile games lies in the 5-10 times higher attention levels compared to social platforms. This happens due to the timing and format of in-game ads.

Savvy advertisers are recognizing this opportunity for increased impact and are likely to shift focus toward the gaming industry.

6) As we dive into 2024, what advice would you like to give to brands looking for some marketing action?

This year, brands should navigate the evolving landscape by focusing not only on targeting the right audience but also on targeting for impact. Google’s Privacy changes will definitely have an impact on the market. But if advertisers aren’t focused on capturing attention today, it won’t matter how they handle the privacy challenge.

Estimates show that brands are already wasting up to 65% of their ad spend on ads that are never seen. That’s even before you consider the cost and creative time put into creating ad campaigns. The emphasis must shift to finding ways to capture attention and engage consumers in ways that create emotional and memorable experiences.

There’s been a rise in the popularity of mobile gaming, both in user growth and time spent. Despite this, brand advertisers have been slow to follow suit. Brands that look to games in 2024 will find a massive at-scale opportunity. And that’s even before you consider that it offers a better ad experience.

Thanks to non-interruptive ad formats and reward options, users can engage with their fingers and eyeballs. Attention vendors have shown that in-game video can capture up to 10X more attention than social video.