Kristina: How is marketing tech changing the game for marketers across the industry?

Maria Pousa, CMO, Integral Ad Science: There is an overwhelming number of channels, platforms, and tools now available for marketers to collect and analyze data. A few years ago, we built campaign strategies based on limited information about consumers and their path to purchase. Now we have granular data on every step of the journey – shopping habits, environments where interactions happen, share of voice, exposure time, and many more. Marketing tech has given us the tools to leverage the wealth of data and personalize the experience for consumers. At IAS we use data and technology to help our customers measure and maximize the impact of their advertising by reaching real (human) consumers, on the right environments, with the right exposure time. And we have focused on making this data available through multiple distribution channels, so our customers can

Kristina: Any tips for marketers who may be struggling to get the most out of all the data that’s now available to them?

Maria: The biggest thing to consider when you’re inundated with data (as most marketers are) is to focus on the consumer and their needs. My tip for all marketers is to take the time to put the right tools and people in place. You can slice and dice the data you have in so many ways, and what’s right for one part of the business, may not be for another. Find the right people, use the right tools, and collaborate across internal teams to get a better, more comprehensive view of the consumers, and what are the objectives that matter to your business. Then you can decide what metrics matter and define what marketing success looks like.

Kristina: What will marketing pros be focusing on a year from now that they may not be right now? What emerging trends do you see stepping into the spotlight in 2017?

Maria: Similar to how fast tech is changing, we’re also seeing new avenues for engagement emerge. As we move into 2017 and beyond, marketers must re-evaluate advertising and how they reach consumers. There is still a traditional mindset that was built in the industry decades ago – that being louder, bolder, and virtually everywhere was the key to reaching customers. But this isn’t true anymore. Going forward, everything from where consumers are engaging, to the various formats available, to the types of spokespeople brands use and what creative will resonate best, must be considered. Your creative might need to be vertical, three seconds long, and have a social media star on it. Another conversation that is happening today, but I believe we’ll see expand in the future, is the role time plays in engaging consumers and driving ROI. Formats like TV settled in 30 seconds commercial because it allowed to trigger recall of messages. Many marketers are starting to ask what’s the impact of device fragmentation in exposure time to messages, and how it affects engagement with their brands. At IAS we are focused on helping brands and publishers understand this new dimension to improve results and influence consumer’s actions.

Kristina: What should marketers be getting excited about when it comes to digital advertising?

Maria: The ability to completely personalize experiences is what our marketing team talks about constantly. With the data IAS supplies to our customers today, marketers can use insights found to optimize their campaigns and ensure they are connecting with consumers in the right context and on the right platforms. Marketers can follow alongside consumers on their journey, deliver the right message at the right time, and then understand behavior patterns based on these messages. There is such a wealth of data today, and with content, commerce, and communication becoming even more digitized, we’ll see more engagement. It’s incredibly exciting to think about what brand-consumer interactions could look like five, 10, 20 years from now.

See the original article on BizReport here.