TRENDS TRENDS 20192019

Adsyndicate bags the ‘Most Innovative Technology

Initiative of the Year 2019’ Award

Dear Friends,

The year 2018 was an eventful year with the digital advertising market size crossing a major milestone reaching Rs.10,819 crore for the first time. The coming years ahead will further fuel the growth momentum of digital to reach Rs.24,000 crore by 2021 at a CAGR of 32% on a base of 924 Mn connected users. The industry is poised to grow with the advent of smartphone penetration and internet connectivity due to affordability.

The year also saw some major brands in India embracing new-age tech such as AR and VR to enable their communication apart from video and voice. One such instance, Nissan India partnered with Adsyndicate to develop India's first VR based test drive experience across major Indian cities putting to test technology to showcase its products in an innovative environment effectively.

2019 will be an interesting year for digital marketers as markets grow bigger both vertically and horizontally. The growth witnessed in nos. will now drill down further giving shape to new platforms and extensions such as ShareChat – Regional social platform, SEO for voice enabled devices, Micro-influencers and local-regional video going mainstream.

We are at an interesting cusp wherein brands will not only be required to be digital ready but ready for a digital future wherein the business model and competition is digital driven. The sheer amount of data generated will drive the next phase of marketing and communications decisions requiring even the agencies to be data driven.

We wish you a successful year ahead.

Akshay S RaoCHIEF DIGITAL OFFICERakshay.r@adsyndicate.in

03

About Adsyndicate's Digital Trends Report

Adsyndicate's team releases a Digital Trends Report annually covering major digital trends impacting the

industry in India over the next year. The report is prepared by in-house digital experts in discussion with

clients across a variety of Industries.

Printed at: Manipal Technologies Ltd., Manipal | Released: Feb - 2019

FOR

EWO

RD

DIGITAL MARKETINGTRENDS

Dear Friends,

The year 2018 was an eventful year with the digital advertising market size crossing a major milestone reaching Rs.10,819 crore for the first time. The coming years ahead will further fuel the growth momentum of digital to reach Rs.24,000 crore by 2021 at a CAGR of 32% on a base of 924 Mn connected users. The industry is poised to grow with the advent of smartphone penetration and internet connectivity due to affordability.

The year also saw some major brands in India embracing new-age tech such as AR and VR to enable their communication apart from video and voice. One such instance, Nissan India partnered with Adsyndicate to develop India's first VR based test drive experience across major Indian cities putting to test technology to showcase its products in an innovative environment effectively.

2019 will be an interesting year for digital marketers as markets grow bigger both vertically and horizontally. The growth witnessed in nos. will now drill down further giving shape to new platforms and extensions such as ShareChat – Regional social platform, SEO for voice enabled devices, Micro-influencers and local-regional video going mainstream.

We are at an interesting cusp wherein brands will not only be required to be digital ready but ready for a digital future wherein the business model and competition is digital driven. The sheer amount of data generated will drive the next phase of marketing and communications decisions requiring even the agencies to be data driven.

We wish you a successful year ahead.

Akshay S RaoCHIEF DIGITAL OFFICERakshay.r@adsyndicate.in

03

About Adsyndicate's Digital Trends Report

Adsyndicate's team releases a Digital Trends Report annually covering major digital trends impacting the

industry in India over the next year. The report is prepared by in-house digital experts in discussion with

clients across a variety of Industries.

Printed at: Manipal Technologies Ltd., Manipal | Released: Feb - 2019

FOR

EWO

RD

DIGITAL MARKETINGTRENDS

Let's admit – our search for shopping seldom begins with text. It's the visual search that comes to our aid. We put faith in clear-cut visuals, rather than elongated descriptive text. With newer digital trends emerging every day and innovative progress occurring in the AI domain, marketers are in a constant race of adopting new strategies to thrive in the market. In Pinterest's CEO Ben Silbermann's own words, ‘The future of search will be about pictures rather than keywords.’ In terms of visual search, we are about to witness swift advancements in a number of marketing strategies in 2019.

A study conducted by MIT suggests, the human brain can classify images seen for as little as 13 milliseconds. The report states that visual data transmitted to the human brain comprises of 90% of the overall information. As visuals have a natural advantage over texts, visual- based search are gaining popularity, especially after AI has begun to revolutionize digital marketing. In 2018, Pinterest reported that an average of 600 million visual searches is carried out every month – and these statistics are increasing ever since. In 2019, image recognition market will grow to $ 25.65 billion with a CAGR of 21.6% from 2014-2019 (MarketsandMarkets).

In order to capitalize on Visual Search, giant retailers including Google, Amazon, Bing and Pinterest have already started developing in this area. For instance, using Pinterest Lens alone, brands can target over 5000 categories through visual search advertising. Image-based

Pinterest Ads have a conversion rate of 8.5%. Visual Search is known to be majorly influencing the Lifestyle sector. Business Insider indicates 39% of the visual searches were related to Apparels, while 31% of them were in search of Home Décor. Electronics are leading the third-position by 24%

In 2018, Google, Snap, Inc. and Amazon revealed new visual search tools that highlighted forthcoming changes in the way consumers search for products and information. Pinterest Lens alone has increased the rate of visual searches by 140% in 2018. In the fall of 2018, Google introduced the release of Google Lens within Google images. This is good news, as it provides users a unique feature of identifying particular elements within an image so as to search for additional relevant images or product pages.

Similarly other players such as Amazon, Snapchat, Bing and eBay have also released visual search tools that are increasing awareness of visual search among smartphone users. In 2018, visual search contributed to one billion queries per month. Although it is low compared to 105 billion text queries, the increasing numbers of visual search will soon compete with text search along with its improved accuracy and utility. Since visual search is on the rise, there will a significant change in SERPs rankings. Hence, marketers must employ high caution in deciding the descriptive image file names, descriptive alt text, image titles, image sitemap, schema markup, open graph tags in order to top the rankings based on visual search.

Digital Marketing is driven by what is known as the ‘Micro-moment’: a new consumer behaviour that occurs when people reflexively turn to a smart-device to satisfy a need to learn, do, buy or get to know something. This momentary urge is what draws the users to digital platforms. According to Google, users experience an average of 150 micro-moments every day. Given the dominance of visuals over text, increase in accessibility of smart-devices and the intensifying completion among digital marketers – Visual Search is one of the fundamental areas that marketers need to focus on in 2019.

VISUAL SEARCH IN

TR0

DU

CTI

ON

0504

With every passing year, the art of digital marketing gets better and better. This continuous change may be attributed to two things: High-speed Internet Connectivity and Accessibility of Smart Devices. 2018 was a milestone year in the growth of Indian digital marketing sector, where the sector witnessed a record growth of 31.96%, reaching a mark of INR 10,819 crores.

The major contributors of digital marketing in 2018 were Start-ups, Real Estate, Education, Media/Entertainment, BFSI, E-Commerce, FMCG, Healthcare and Tourism. The same sectors will continue as major contributors to digital marketing, however their shares are set to alter. Particularly, a lot of changes can be expected in the ways education and e-commerce sectors approach digital marketing. Moreover, digital marketing will make it possible to promote newer interlinked sectors such as medical tourism or VR/AR based education. Amazing potential of these sectors will be deemed as reality in 2019.

2019 will be an exciting year in terms of technological growth. The precursors of 5G broadband internet will be introduced in the Indian market, which will radically change the way we approach digital marketing. AR/VR technology will be a common place whose applications will alter the shopping experiences. High speed internet also opens broader doors for media/

entertainment sector, which will witness a large flood of regional audiences. In this regard, regional content marketing will see immense growth in 2019.

In 2018, Start-ups/Apps sector were amongst the top contributors to digital marketing. In 2019, the scope will widen further due to the rapid growth of regional networking apps. The popular trend of 'going local' will impact influencer marketing. As a result, micro-influencers will gain more credibility and will be reliable.

To sum it up, 2019 will be a challenging yet fascinating year for digital marketing. 'Convergence' will be the main keyword for digital marketing in 2019. Untapped potentials and possibilities will be manifested, as a result of convergence of technology, sectors, domains, applications and strategies on the digital platform.

Let's admit – our search for shopping seldom begins with text. It's the visual search that comes to our aid. We put faith in clear-cut visuals, rather than elongated descriptive text. With newer digital trends emerging every day and innovative progress occurring in the AI domain, marketers are in a constant race of adopting new strategies to thrive in the market. In Pinterest's CEO Ben Silbermann's own words, ‘The future of search will be about pictures rather than keywords.’ In terms of visual search, we are about to witness swift advancements in a number of marketing strategies in 2019.

A study conducted by MIT suggests, the human brain can classify images seen for as little as 13 milliseconds. The report states that visual data transmitted to the human brain comprises of 90% of the overall information. As visuals have a natural advantage over texts, visual- based search are gaining popularity, especially after AI has begun to revolutionize digital marketing. In 2018, Pinterest reported that an average of 600 million visual searches is carried out every month – and these statistics are increasing ever since. In 2019, image recognition market will grow to $ 25.65 billion with a CAGR of 21.6% from 2014-2019 (MarketsandMarkets).

In order to capitalize on Visual Search, giant retailers including Google, Amazon, Bing and Pinterest have already started developing in this area. For instance, using Pinterest Lens alone, brands can target over 5000 categories through visual search advertising. Image-based

Pinterest Ads have a conversion rate of 8.5%. Visual Search is known to be majorly influencing the Lifestyle sector. Business Insider indicates 39% of the visual searches were related to Apparels, while 31% of them were in search of Home Décor. Electronics are leading the third-position by 24%

In 2018, Google, Snap, Inc. and Amazon revealed new visual search tools that highlighted forthcoming changes in the way consumers search for products and information. Pinterest Lens alone has increased the rate of visual searches by 140% in 2018. In the fall of 2018, Google introduced the release of Google Lens within Google images. This is good news, as it provides users a unique feature of identifying particular elements within an image so as to search for additional relevant images or product pages.

Similarly other players such as Amazon, Snapchat, Bing and eBay have also released visual search tools that are increasing awareness of visual search among smartphone users. In 2018, visual search contributed to one billion queries per month. Although it is low compared to 105 billion text queries, the increasing numbers of visual search will soon compete with text search along with its improved accuracy and utility. Since visual search is on the rise, there will a significant change in SERPs rankings. Hence, marketers must employ high caution in deciding the descriptive image file names, descriptive alt text, image titles, image sitemap, schema markup, open graph tags in order to top the rankings based on visual search.

Digital Marketing is driven by what is known as the ‘Micro-moment’: a new consumer behaviour that occurs when people reflexively turn to a smart-device to satisfy a need to learn, do, buy or get to know something. This momentary urge is what draws the users to digital platforms. According to Google, users experience an average of 150 micro-moments every day. Given the dominance of visuals over text, increase in accessibility of smart-devices and the intensifying completion among digital marketers – Visual Search is one of the fundamental areas that marketers need to focus on in 2019.

VISUAL SEARCH

INTR

0D

UC

TIO

N

0504

With every passing year, the art of digital marketing gets better and better. This continuous change may be attributed to two things: High-speed Internet Connectivity and Accessibility of Smart Devices. 2018 was a milestone year in the growth of Indian digital marketing sector, where the sector witnessed a record growth of 31.96%, reaching a mark of INR 10,819 crores.

The major contributors of digital marketing in 2018 were Start-ups, Real Estate, Education, Media/Entertainment, BFSI, E-Commerce, FMCG, Healthcare and Tourism. The same sectors will continue as major contributors to digital marketing, however their shares are set to alter. Particularly, a lot of changes can be expected in the ways education and e-commerce sectors approach digital marketing. Moreover, digital marketing will make it possible to promote newer interlinked sectors such as medical tourism or VR/AR based education. Amazing potential of these sectors will be deemed as reality in 2019.

2019 will be an exciting year in terms of technological growth. The precursors of 5G broadband internet will be introduced in the Indian market, which will radically change the way we approach digital marketing. AR/VR technology will be a common place whose applications will alter the shopping experiences. High speed internet also opens broader doors for media/

entertainment sector, which will witness a large flood of regional audiences. In this regard, regional content marketing will see immense growth in 2019.

In 2018, Start-ups/Apps sector were amongst the top contributors to digital marketing. In 2019, the scope will widen further due to the rapid growth of regional networking apps. The popular trend of 'going local' will impact influencer marketing. As a result, micro-influencers will gain more credibility and will be reliable.

To sum it up, 2019 will be a challenging yet fascinating year for digital marketing. 'Convergence' will be the main keyword for digital marketing in 2019. Untapped potentials and possibilities will be manifested, as a result of convergence of technology, sectors, domains, applications and strategies on the digital platform.

VOICE SEARCH AND THE ROLE OF SMART SPEAKERS

2019 holds high hopes for Voice Search, which has now already surpassed by one billion. It is estimated that voice recognition market is going to cross the $600 million mark in 2020. It is predicted by 2020, nearly 50% of the searches will be voice based, while 30% of all the searches will be done without a screen. In this regard, smart speakers hold a great advantage as they can be used by multiple people at once, unlike other smart devices such as smart watch. Since the full potentials of smart speakers are not explored yet, it is sure that they are here to stay in 2019.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for smart speaker developers is to get creative in formulating efficient search techniques to enable users to look for what they want. Although the popularity of smart speakers continues to attract more customers, a lot of development is yet to be done, rather than simply inserting ads into smart speaker's regular function of entertainment.

Amazon is likely to reduce the prices of its smart speakers due to the launch of Google's more affordable Home Mini Speaker. Amazon continues to dominate the market share in 2019, despite Google challenging it as a new potential competitor. Other players such as Microsoft's Cortana and Samsung's Galaxy Home is set to compete with them too. It is also possible that Facebook will be working on its own smart speaker.

Interestingly, though Apple has plans for its HomePod, it is unlikely to enter the market in 2019 mainly because of its high price tag.

Until now, SEO was considered as the elixir of digital marketing. With voice searches marching their way as 'voice-to-text' technology is being incorporated as a fundamental feature of new smart-devices, digital marketing is faced with a challenge to optimize the effects of voice searches to its SEO strategy.

One example that reflects how virtual assistants are changing the dynamics of search queries is when you want to order Chinese food. Generally, in text search query, the input would be “Chinese restaurant.” However, this would be replaced by a typical voice search query as “where's the closest Chinese food place?” Moreover, in many cases, what the user utters would not be the keywords, as the virtual assistant may rephrase the speech-to-text query before submitting a request to the search engine.

In 2019, user experience and intent will play a fundamental role in SEO, as the primary goal of Google is to encourage more people to conduct searches and thereby make them use its products. But user experience and intent are extensive and dynamic variables that depend on different target audience. Hence optimising SEO to sync with voice search is an art that needs to be mastered in

2019 for every aspiring business to thrive in the market.

Indian regional market is not an exception to voice search. In 2018, Google had introduced voice search in eight Indian languages i.e. Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Adding to this, the digital revolution invoked by Reliance Jio has created ripples in India, where internet usage has been transforming exponentially. By June 2018, there were 500 million internet users in India, which is 35% of the total population. These two facts imply that Indians can now conduct voice search in vernacular languages like never before.

Google has declared that by 2019, Google Assistant will be able to speak 30 languages, contributing to a reach of 95% Android smartphones worldwide. This gives Google a clear edge over its rivals like Siri and Alexa, whose language support is limited and not localized. Similarly, Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart acquired AI company Liv.AI for $ 40 million recently. Liv.AI's API is capable of recognizing 10 Indian languages and their accents. This undermines the importance of voice search and scope of smart speakers in 2019.

0706

VOICE SEARCH AND THE ROLE OF SMART SPEAKERS

2019 holds high hopes for Voice Search, which has now already surpassed by one billion. It is estimated that voice recognition market is going to cross the $600 million mark in 2020. It is predicted by 2020, nearly 50% of the searches will be voice based, while 30% of all the searches will be done without a screen. In this regard, smart speakers hold a great advantage as they can be used by multiple people at once, unlike other smart devices such as smart watch. Since the full potentials of smart speakers are not explored yet, it is sure that they are here to stay in 2019.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for smart speaker developers is to get creative in formulating efficient search techniques to enable users to look for what they want. Although the popularity of smart speakers continues to attract more customers, a lot of development is yet to be done, rather than simply inserting ads into smart speaker's regular function of entertainment.

Amazon is likely to reduce the prices of its smart speakers due to the launch of Google's more affordable Home Mini Speaker. Amazon continues to dominate the market share in 2019, despite Google challenging it as a new potential competitor. Other players such as Microsoft's Cortana and Samsung's Galaxy Home is set to compete with them too. It is also possible that Facebook will be working on its own smart speaker.

Interestingly, though Apple has plans for its HomePod, it is unlikely to enter the market in 2019 mainly because of its high price tag.

Until now, SEO was considered as the elixir of digital marketing. With voice searches marching their way as 'voice-to-text' technology is being incorporated as a fundamental feature of new smart-devices, digital marketing is faced with a challenge to optimize the effects of voice searches to its SEO strategy.

One example that reflects how virtual assistants are changing the dynamics of search queries is when you want to order Chinese food. Generally, in text search query, the input would be “Chinese restaurant.” However, this would be replaced by a typical voice search query as “where's the closest Chinese food place?” Moreover, in many cases, what the user utters would not be the keywords, as the virtual assistant may rephrase the speech-to-text query before submitting a request to the search engine.

In 2019, user experience and intent will play a fundamental role in SEO, as the primary goal of Google is to encourage more people to conduct searches and thereby make them use its products. But user experience and intent are extensive and dynamic variables that depend on different target audience. Hence optimising SEO to sync with voice search is an art that needs to be mastered in

2019 for every aspiring business to thrive in the market.

Indian regional market is not an exception to voice search. In 2018, Google had introduced voice search in eight Indian languages i.e. Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Adding to this, the digital revolution invoked by Reliance Jio has created ripples in India, where internet usage has been transforming exponentially. By June 2018, there were 500 million internet users in India, which is 35% of the total population. These two facts imply that Indians can now conduct voice search in vernacular languages like never before.

Google has declared that by 2019, Google Assistant will be able to speak 30 languages, contributing to a reach of 95% Android smartphones worldwide. This gives Google a clear edge over its rivals like Siri and Alexa, whose language support is limited and not localized. Similarly, Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart acquired AI company Liv.AI for $ 40 million recently. Liv.AI's API is capable of recognizing 10 Indian languages and their accents. This undermines the importance of voice search and scope of smart speakers in 2019.

0706

India set a record in 2018 by acquiring number of internet users close to 500 million. Among them, majority of the users are vernacular language speakers. It's also estimated that 95% of the video consumption among Indians occur in vernacular languages. Interestingly, the mobile internet market is further triggered by digital revolution brought in by faster connectivity, cheaper smartphones and affordable internet services.

Given that mobile internet penetration, voice search, video consumption and regional app usage are on the rise, there lies an immense scope for marketing in regional languages in India. Google predicts that by 2023, 9 out of 10 internet users are likely to be Indian language users. There is an 88% chance that users respond to digital ads in their own language. Based on these calculations, internet giants such as Google, Amazon, Facebook and others have already started investing in Indian vernacular content.

As a result, we will witness the rate of internet adoption by vernacular users

surpassing English users. 2019 will be a landmark year in this process. By 2021, it is estimated that Hindi speaking userbase will be 2.5 times more than that of English. Thus, in 2019, it will become more common to see content being driven by Hindi or other vernacular languages than by English. In 2019, the vernacular language trend can be predominantly observed in the increasing popularity of voice search and video consumption, since both the trends will dominate this year.

Among vernacular languages, Hindi will contribute more than others in terms of internet users. It is predicted that by 2021, more than 201 million Hindi users will form 38% of the Indian internet userbase. Given that users are likely to respond to an ad in their native language, advertising and marketing sector in India will be going through a huge vernacular makeover.

A distinctive trend in Indian local language marketing is the rise of social networking apps such as ShareChat, Roposo, Clip, Valmeeki, Shabd Nagari, Pratilipi and Dailyhunt. For example, in Kerala alone, ShareChat has about 4 lakh active users who converse, share news, posts, photos, ideas and jokes in Malayalam. Other major local language apps offer services in Telugu, Bengali, Bhojpuri and Marathi among other prominent languages. This is a significant development, especially when social networking was primarily driven by English. It is estimated that by 2020, Indian regional language networking and content publishing apps will contribute to the digital ad spends worth USD 1.5 billion, with an additional 250 million Indians subscribers. This reflects the potentials of app networking in terms of local language marketing in India in 2019.

REGIONAL LANGUAGEMARKETING

“ HindiAssamese

BengaliGujarati

KannadaMarathi

Malayalam

Tamil Telugu

OriyaPunjabi

Manipuri

Urdu

Maithili

Sindhi

Kashmiri

Rajasthani

English

08 09

India set a record in 2018 by acquiring number of internet users close to 500 million. Among them, majority of the users are vernacular language speakers. It's also estimated that 95% of the video consumption among Indians occur in vernacular languages. Interestingly, the mobile internet market is further triggered by digital revolution brought in by faster connectivity, cheaper smartphones and affordable internet services.

Given that mobile internet penetration, voice search, video consumption and regional app usage are on the rise, there lies an immense scope for marketing in regional languages in India. Google predicts that by 2023, 9 out of 10 internet users are likely to be Indian language users. There is an 88% chance that users respond to digital ads in their own language. Based on these calculations, internet giants such as Google, Amazon, Facebook and others have already started investing in Indian vernacular content.

As a result, we will witness the rate of internet adoption by vernacular users

surpassing English users. 2019 will be a landmark year in this process. By 2021, it is estimated that Hindi speaking userbase will be 2.5 times more than that of English. Thus, in 2019, it will become more common to see content being driven by Hindi or other vernacular languages than by English. In 2019, the vernacular language trend can be predominantly observed in the increasing popularity of voice search and video consumption, since both the trends will dominate this year.

Among vernacular languages, Hindi will contribute more than others in terms of internet users. It is predicted that by 2021, more than 201 million Hindi users will form 38% of the Indian internet userbase. Given that users are likely to respond to an ad in their native language, advertising and marketing sector in India will be going through a huge vernacular makeover.

A distinctive trend in Indian local language marketing is the rise of social networking apps such as ShareChat, Roposo, Clip, Valmeeki, Shabd Nagari, Pratilipi and Dailyhunt. For example, in Kerala alone, ShareChat has about 4 lakh active users who converse, share news, posts, photos, ideas and jokes in Malayalam. Other major local language apps offer services in Telugu, Bengali, Bhojpuri and Marathi among other prominent languages. This is a significant development, especially when social networking was primarily driven by English. It is estimated that by 2020, Indian regional language networking and content publishing apps will contribute to the digital ad spends worth USD 1.5 billion, with an additional 250 million Indians subscribers. This reflects the potentials of app networking in terms of local language marketing in India in 2019.

REGIONAL LANGUAGEMARKETING

HindiAssamese

BengaliGujarati

KannadaMarathi

Malayalam

Tamil Telugu

OriyaPunjabi

Manipuri

Urdu

Maithili

Sindhi

Kashmiri

Rajasthani

English

08 09

Moreover, recent research conducted by established agencies yield the following statistics:

Ÿ 70% of consumers share their brand's video on social media.

Ÿ Videos boost conversion rate by 72%.

Ÿ Videos are 52% more efficient in persuading online customers and instigate confidence in them to make sales.

Given the competitive edge of videos, two contradictory video forms are going to be talked about a lot in 2019. These are short-form videos and long-form videos. However, long-form content, such as webinars and vlogs

will retain their popularity, but will be replaced by short-form videos on social media. This will place long-form videos in the category of go-to for brand communication on social networks, which will be ruled by micro-moments.

While the attention span of online users is decreasing, it naturally looks like long-form videos will have the tough task of standing the test of time. But 2019 is definitely not that year. Despite the predominance of micro moments on social media, long-form videos will succeed to stay; thanks to the space it provides for creativity and entertainment to thrive. Long-form video strategies are crafted to be new and motivated, allowing space for influencers and marketers to find new brand partners. Perhaps, the advantage of long-form videos is that it is capable of delivering in-depth educational content unlike short-form videos. Thus, long-term videos continue to remain central to many marketing strategies.

In terms of the type of content, it is evident by now that users desire to know completely about a topic or video that draws their interest. Some of the key video trends for 2019 include infotainment videos in form of Q&A, Behind-the-scenes, feature videos, live videos, user generated content, trending/breaking news, how-tos videos and events.

Long-form videos continue to dominate in 2019 with a significant rate. About one-third of the total view time in Youtube – world's largest video platform is attributed to long-form videos alone. The major reason behind this figure is Youtube's personal support to publishers to upload broadcast-like programs, since Youtube intends to compete

with television for consumer attention. Some of the major categories of long-form videos that are certain to yield results in 2019 includes events, vlogs, tutorials, interviews, product reviews etc.

Short-form videos too continue to prosper in 2019, particularly on social media, where users tend to be quick in assessing news feed. Hence, shorter content suits social media users who have reduced attention span. Short-form video categories like snaps, sizzles, live-streams and teasers continue to continue the legacy of short-form videos into 2019. Nevertheless, YouTube continues to be the dominant video platform among the youth demographics. A recent survey conducted among youth of 18-24 age group revealed that 94% of the respondents prefer to stream videos on YouTube, while only 80% prefer Facebook. This is an interesting fact that marketers need to keep in mind to promote their brands in 2019.

BrowseBrowse

2.30

9.7k views 188 comments

SHORT AND LONG FORM VIDEOS

SHORT AND LONG FORM

VIDEOS

Unlike other trends that generally have a shorter lifespan, video trends are not going to be deemed irrelevant any time soon, for a simple reason: videos are more appealing over texts, and visuals convey a message more clearly and creatively – two major elements that determine the success of every campaign.

1110

Moreover, recent research conducted by established agencies yield the following statistics:

Ÿ 70% of consumers share their brand's video on social media.

Ÿ Videos boost conversion rate by 72%.

Ÿ Videos are 52% more efficient in persuading online customers and instigate confidence in them to make sales.

Given the competitive edge of videos, two contradictory video forms are going to be talked about a lot in 2019. These are short-form videos and long-form videos. However, long-form content, such as webinars and vlogs

will retain their popularity, but will be replaced by short-form videos on social media. This will place long-form videos in the category of go-to for brand communication on social networks, which will be ruled by micro-moments.

While the attention span of online users is decreasing, it naturally looks like long-form videos will have the tough task of standing the test of time. But 2019 is definitely not that year. Despite the predominance of micro moments on social media, long-form videos will succeed to stay; thanks to the space it provides for creativity and entertainment to thrive. Long-form video strategies are crafted to be new and motivated, allowing space for influencers and marketers to find new brand partners. Perhaps, the advantage of long-form videos is that it is capable of delivering in-depth educational content unlike short-form videos. Thus, long-term videos continue to remain central to many marketing strategies.

In terms of the type of content, it is evident by now that users desire to know completely about a topic or video that draws their interest. Some of the key video trends for 2019 include infotainment videos in form of Q&A, Behind-the-scenes, feature videos, live videos, user generated content, trending/breaking news, how-tos videos and events.

Long-form videos continue to dominate in 2019 with a significant rate. About one-third of the total view time in Youtube – world's largest video platform is attributed to long-form videos alone. The major reason behind this figure is Youtube's personal support to publishers to upload broadcast-like programs, since Youtube intends to compete

with television for consumer attention. Some of the major categories of long-form videos that are certain to yield results in 2019 includes events, vlogs, tutorials, interviews, product reviews etc.

Short-form videos too continue to prosper in 2019, particularly on social media, where users tend to be quick in assessing news feed. Hence, shorter content suits social media users who have reduced attention span. Short-form video categories like snaps, sizzles, live-streams and teasers continue to continue the legacy of short-form videos into 2019. Nevertheless, YouTube continues to be the dominant video platform among the youth demographics. A recent survey conducted among youth of 18-24 age group revealed that 94% of the respondents prefer to stream videos on YouTube, while only 80% prefer Facebook. This is an interesting fact that marketers need to keep in mind to promote their brands in 2019.

BrowseBrowse

2.30

9.7k views 188 comments

SHORT AND LONG FORM VIDEOS

SHORT AND LONG FORM

VIDEOS

Unlike other trends that generally have a shorter lifespan, video trends are not going to be deemed irrelevant any time soon, for a simple reason: videos are more appealing over texts, and visuals convey a message more clearly and creatively – two major elements that determine the success of every campaign.

1110

In terms of digital revolution, we have reached a state where we cannot escape coming across live videos as we navigate across any social network. Although live video is a big technology trend that began in 2017, its popularity is still increasing as we embrace 2019. The main reasons for this growing trend are the swelling number of high-speed internet users brought about by telecom companies that offers 4G for an affordable price.

Many marketers feel sharing live video is the most suitable way to connect and communicate with the audience in real-time. This is why brands, businesses and even social media users utilise live videos to deliver real-time experience. One cannot deny the fact that technology is the fastest growing sector and hence a successful business always makes constant attempts to leverage its potential by utilising technology.

Ÿ Live video has become an integral part of every effective marketing strategy. Live videos help promoters who seek to stand out and receive instant attention from the audience whose attention span is diminishing in the high-speed internet era. Moreover, live videos have been successful in achieving the objectives because of three main reasons:

Ÿ Live Videos are economical. Unlike pre-recorded videos, broadcasting a live video is economical because of time and money spent on production and editing.

Ÿ Live videos are authentic since target audience is more likely to trust it. Unlike pre-recorded videos, there is no conspiracy such as vomiting undesired and misleading content involved in live video streaming. Hence live video is perceived to be authentic.

Ÿ Live videos are compelling as they trigger spontaneity and instant discussion from the audience. In fact, users spend three times longer watching live videos compared to pre-recorded videos.

Ÿ Live videos increase the quality of the views as most

users involve in commentary, debate and discussions about the video. This is not always the case with pre-recorded videos.

Live streaming is becoming popular on social media like Facebook and Instagram. A research by Impactbnd suggests live videos promote audience engagement and retains the viewers for a longer time compared to pre-recorded videos. In fact, 8 out of 10 users would rather watch live video from a brand than read a blog, while 82% of them expect a brand to post live video on social media. This means, live videos are not only a part of effective marketing strategy, but also an obligation to keep the customers and potential stakeholders informed and entertained.

Live streaming is also a good method of persuasion. 67% of the live viewers agree that they are more likely to purchase a ticket or attend an event if they have watched a similar event live online. Further, 45% of the live audience is willing to pay to watch their favourite celebrity/persona on live streaming. Realising its potential, organizers of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 and IPL 2019 have decided to stream the matches in real-time. Additionally, this can also serve as an advertising channel.

Live videos have arrived at a time where smart-age customers dislike watching generic marketing content, as they wish to engage and connect with a brand on a deeper level. Considering the current 4G wave sweeping across India, live videos are the best way to introduce products and services, interact and engage the users in 2019. Live videos have the potential to reach out to thousands of new customers with a click of a button in real-time. Moreover, it is almost a free way of generating tons of revenue; raking in the moolah. Within two years of its introduction, live streaming market has been growing at an alarming rate and has already been established as a USD 30 billion industry. But, this is just the icing on the cake. 2019 is going to be a year of advancement, expansion and growth for live-streaming.

LIVE VIDEOS

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In terms of digital revolution, we have reached a state where we cannot escape coming across live videos as we navigate across any social network. Although live video is a big technology trend that began in 2017, its popularity is still increasing as we embrace 2019. The main reasons for this growing trend are the swelling number of high-speed internet users brought about by telecom companies that offers 4G for an affordable price.

Many marketers feel sharing live video is the most suitable way to connect and communicate with the audience in real-time. This is why brands, businesses and even social media users utilise live videos to deliver real-time experience. One cannot deny the fact that technology is the fastest growing sector and hence a successful business always makes constant attempts to leverage its potential by utilising technology.

Ÿ Live video has become an integral part of every effective marketing strategy. Live videos help promoters who seek to stand out and receive instant attention from the audience whose attention span is diminishing in the high-speed internet era. Moreover, live videos have been successful in achieving the objectives because of three main reasons:

Ÿ Live Videos are economical. Unlike pre-recorded videos, broadcasting a live video is economical because of time and money spent on production and editing.

Ÿ Live videos are authentic since target audience is more likely to trust it. Unlike pre-recorded videos, there is no conspiracy such as vomiting undesired and misleading content involved in live video streaming. Hence live video is perceived to be authentic.

Ÿ Live videos are compelling as they trigger spontaneity and instant discussion from the audience. In fact, users spend three times longer watching live videos compared to pre-recorded videos.

Ÿ Live videos increase the quality of the views as most

users involve in commentary, debate and discussions about the video. This is not always the case with pre-recorded videos.

Live streaming is becoming popular on social media like Facebook and Instagram. A research by Impactbnd suggests live videos promote audience engagement and retains the viewers for a longer time compared to pre-recorded videos. In fact, 8 out of 10 users would rather watch live video from a brand than read a blog, while 82% of them expect a brand to post live video on social media. This means, live videos are not only a part of effective marketing strategy, but also an obligation to keep the customers and potential stakeholders informed and entertained.

Live streaming is also a good method of persuasion. 67% of the live viewers agree that they are more likely to purchase a ticket or attend an event if they have watched a similar event live online. Further, 45% of the live audience is willing to pay to watch their favourite celebrity/persona on live streaming. Realising its potential, organizers of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 and IPL 2019 have decided to stream the matches in real-time. Additionally, this can also serve as an advertising channel.

Live videos have arrived at a time where smart-age customers dislike watching generic marketing content, as they wish to engage and connect with a brand on a deeper level. Considering the current 4G wave sweeping across India, live videos are the best way to introduce products and services, interact and engage the users in 2019. Live videos have the potential to reach out to thousands of new customers with a click of a button in real-time. Moreover, it is almost a free way of generating tons of revenue; raking in the moolah. Within two years of its introduction, live streaming market has been growing at an alarming rate and has already been established as a USD 30 billion industry. But, this is just the icing on the cake. 2019 is going to be a year of advancement, expansion and growth for live-streaming.

LIVE VIDEOS

1312

Chatbots are on the rise and are exceeding voicebots and visual search in the race of AI. Chatbots are already taking over customer service for many global brands. By 2020, it is predicted that 85% of the customer interactions will be done via chatbots. This means, 2019 is going to be a year of transition in terms of proliferating chatbots.

The main reason for their increasing reliability is that chatbots are not only an effective way of mass communication, but also a 24/7 channel for bi-directional communication between the audience and a firm. Thus, two advantages arise from utilising chatbots: enhanced customer satisfaction and increased response rate that improves SEO.

According to Facebook IQ, more than 2 billion business related messages are sent by Facebook Messenger chats. Chatbots are found to be extremely helpful in online retail, healthcare, telecommunications, banking, financial advice, insurance, car dealership and e-governance, as chatbots hold a huge potential in terms of assuring faster response to customer inquiries. This is significant, as a study be Harvard Business Review and InsideSales indicates a five minute delay to respond to a customer inquiry results in the low chances to attract lead conversion. A 10 minute delay to answer a query reduces one's chances to get effective contact by 400%.

With the development of AI, chatbots are set to initiate

“conversational advertising,” where customers shall be able to 'converse' with an ad while watching it. Embedding a chatbot at the bottom of an ad will allow the consumers to ask questions and more details regarding the ad.

However, considering the context of multi-lingualism in India, chatbots have a long way to go. Until now, chatbots primarily functioned in English. But, given the scope of regional marketing in India, developing chatbots to function in regional languages seems to be highly beneficial in the business. In fact, India is a key player of the chatbot market, with chatbots launched by the Indian startups not only in India, but also across the globe. In India alone, where there are 300 million smartphone users currently, introducing chatbots to take care of their daily chores can generate business in a great way.

In this regard, Ola app and HDFC Securities have launched their apps in Indian regional languages. In fact, on a daily basis, close to one million bookings are done in local languages using Ola app that functions in 11 different Indian languages. Similarly, HDFC Sec is an android app that offers stock trading facilities in 12 Indian languages. Hike and BHIM UPI have also found success in catering to the needs of regional audience in local languages.

MICRO-INFLUENCERS

Ever since the advent of digital marketing, influencers have always been the most efficient way to connect with a community. 2018 was not an exception for the growing popularity and reliability of influencer marketing. By 2018, India had over 200 million active social media users among whom 12 million were college students alone. The scope of influencer marketing is high in India. A recent research reveals that about 70% of the teenage YouTube subscribers in India trust influencer opinions, while 71% of the overall consumers are highly influenced to make a purchase based on social media reference.

This success can be attributed to influencer marketing, who are capable of persuading consumers to make a purchase by connecting with them on a more intimate level than that of a celebrity. The greatest benefit of influencer marketing is that unlike celebrity endorsed ads, the common consumers can relate with the influencer, whose traits match up with that of regular users. Until 2018, we have witnessed several influencer marketers with over a million followers persuading customers to “try-out” a new product. But this trend is on the verge of extinction. 2019 is all about micro-influencers.

Micro-influencers can be considered as people that have much lesser following than mega influencers. A

micro influencer is someone who may have less than 10 thousand followers on social media. Micro-influencers necessarily need not be famous or have many fans. Their followers are less in number and generally share some sort of tie such as friends, family, colleagues. Micro-influencers have a high degree of influence over them. Marketers have realized the advantages of micro-influencers to drive sales more effectively than mega influencers. The major advantage is that micro-influencers are perceived to have more credibility, more knowledge and passion about the specific niche that they discuss. For this reason, online users regard them as experts of subject matter and trusted sources of information. Studies also reveal that increase in followers leads to decrease in engagement rate; thus audience find micro-influencers more relatable.

In 2019, micro-influencers will be the buzzword in influencer marketing for several reasons. One reason is that they have higher authenticity and appeal to the users as “genuine people who are passionate about what they speak and do.” It is no secret that micro-influencer marketing is highly personalized like never before. The industry trends are also shifting from mega-influencers to micro-influencers for economic reasons as well. Micro-influencers

could be paid a kind sum, or even be offered free products in return for their endorsements. Micro-influencers are not only more affordable but also are cost-effective and have higher ROI than that of mega-influencers with over million followers. In 2019, we will see brands hiring about ten micro-influencers instead of one mega-influencer. Or at least, brands now have the option to choose between mega-influencers and micro-influencers in a more efficient way.

Due to the dominance of visuals over texts in terms of appealing to the users, Instagram has been the more reliable platform for influencers to reach out to target audience in India. Hence, in 2019 Instagram will be a popular choice for micro-influencers, followed by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat. Fashion will be the major industry that will dominate micro-influencer marketing sector. Followed by beauty, food, travel and home/design. Thus, in 2019, we will see influencers connecting with the audience in a more personalized way than before.

CHATBOTS IN 2019

1514

Chatbots are on the rise and are exceeding voicebots and visual search in the race of AI. Chatbots are already taking over customer service for many global brands. By 2020, it is predicted that 85% of the customer interactions will be done via chatbots. This means, 2019 is going to be a year of transition in terms of proliferating chatbots.

The main reason for their increasing reliability is that chatbots are not only an effective way of mass communication, but also a 24/7 channel for bi-directional communication between the audience and a firm. Thus, two advantages arise from utilising chatbots: enhanced customer satisfaction and increased response rate that improves SEO.

According to Facebook IQ, more than 2 billion business related messages are sent by Facebook Messenger chats. Chatbots are found to be extremely helpful in online retail, healthcare, telecommunications, banking, financial advice, insurance, car dealership and e-governance, as chatbots hold a huge potential in terms of assuring faster response to customer inquiries. This is significant, as a study be Harvard Business Review and InsideSales indicates a five minute delay to respond to a customer inquiry results in the low chances to attract lead conversion. A 10 minute delay to answer a query reduces one's chances to get effective contact by 400%.

With the development of AI, chatbots are set to initiate

“conversational advertising,” where customers shall be able to 'converse' with an ad while watching it. Embedding a chatbot at the bottom of an ad will allow the consumers to ask questions and more details regarding the ad.

However, considering the context of multi-lingualism in India, chatbots have a long way to go. Until now, chatbots primarily functioned in English. But, given the scope of regional marketing in India, developing chatbots to function in regional languages seems to be highly beneficial in the business. In fact, India is a key player of the chatbot market, with chatbots launched by the Indian startups not only in India, but also across the globe. In India alone, where there are 300 million smartphone users currently, introducing chatbots to take care of their daily chores can generate business in a great way.

In this regard, Ola app and HDFC Securities have launched their apps in Indian regional languages. In fact, on a daily basis, close to one million bookings are done in local languages using Ola app that functions in 11 different Indian languages. Similarly, HDFC Sec is an android app that offers stock trading facilities in 12 Indian languages. Hike and BHIM UPI have also found success in catering to the needs of regional audience in local languages.

MICRO-INFLUENCERS

Ever since the advent of digital marketing, influencers have always been the most efficient way to connect with a community. 2018 was not an exception for the growing popularity and reliability of influencer marketing. By 2018, India had over 200 million active social media users among whom 12 million were college students alone. The scope of influencer marketing is high in India. A recent research reveals that about 70% of the teenage YouTube subscribers in India trust influencer opinions, while 71% of the overall consumers are highly influenced to make a purchase based on social media reference.

This success can be attributed to influencer marketing, who are capable of persuading consumers to make a purchase by connecting with them on a more intimate level than that of a celebrity. The greatest benefit of influencer marketing is that unlike celebrity endorsed ads, the common consumers can relate with the influencer, whose traits match up with that of regular users. Until 2018, we have witnessed several influencer marketers with over a million followers persuading customers to “try-out” a new product. But this trend is on the verge of extinction. 2019 is all about micro-influencers.

Micro-influencers can be considered as people that have much lesser following than mega influencers. A

micro influencer is someone who may have less than 10 thousand followers on social media. Micro-influencers necessarily need not be famous or have many fans. Their followers are less in number and generally share some sort of tie such as friends, family, colleagues. Micro-influencers have a high degree of influence over them. Marketers have realized the advantages of micro-influencers to drive sales more effectively than mega influencers. The major advantage is that micro-influencers are perceived to have more credibility, more knowledge and passion about the specific niche that they discuss. For this reason, online users regard them as experts of subject matter and trusted sources of information. Studies also reveal that increase in followers leads to decrease in engagement rate; thus audience find micro-influencers more relatable.

In 2019, micro-influencers will be the buzzword in influencer marketing for several reasons. One reason is that they have higher authenticity and appeal to the users as “genuine people who are passionate about what they speak and do.” It is no secret that micro-influencer marketing is highly personalized like never before. The industry trends are also shifting from mega-influencers to micro-influencers for economic reasons as well. Micro-influencers

could be paid a kind sum, or even be offered free products in return for their endorsements. Micro-influencers are not only more affordable but also are cost-effective and have higher ROI than that of mega-influencers with over million followers. In 2019, we will see brands hiring about ten micro-influencers instead of one mega-influencer. Or at least, brands now have the option to choose between mega-influencers and micro-influencers in a more efficient way.

Due to the dominance of visuals over texts in terms of appealing to the users, Instagram has been the more reliable platform for influencers to reach out to target audience in India. Hence, in 2019 Instagram will be a popular choice for micro-influencers, followed by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat. Fashion will be the major industry that will dominate micro-influencer marketing sector. Followed by beauty, food, travel and home/design. Thus, in 2019, we will see influencers connecting with the audience in a more personalized way than before.

CHATBOTS IN 2019

1514

DATA DRIVEN MARKETING

It has been become very common that while surfing internet, almost every

webpage you visit o�ers you cookies i.e. in other words the webpage seeks your

browsing details. Marketers have realised that by using these data, it will be

much easier for them to present you with more personalized ads. 2019 is the

year where Data Driven Marketing continues to sustain its relevance as more

marketers and retailers are seeking out newer data driven ways to achieve

competitive advantage by understanding customers' behaviour.

1716

Earlier, Microsoft had launched Ruuh, India's first chatbot operating in Hinglish. Ruuh's quick, friendly and witty responses have been winning the hearts of the Indians who love talking on wide range of topics like cricket or sharing intimate emotions. Within a year of launch, Ruuh had 40 million conversations, and is highly active on social media.

Similarly, Oxford University Press has launched a Hindi Chatbot to converse Hindi language data and transfer it to online Hindi dictionary. Microsoft, Amazon and Google too have applied enormous linguistic data accumulated by OUP. It is interesting to know that the chatbot's conversational interface is a 'user magnet' for the development of Hindi dictionary website. Hindi chatbot makes use of gamification to draw Hindi speakers, language learners and scholars to the webpage which offers a wide range of facilities such as to learn Hindi online, enlarge their vocabulary or contribute to Hindi language database.

Employing gamification is interesting to improve language database. For instance, a Hindi chatbot pops up as a plugin and offers the visitors a guessing game or a puzzle. This is an entertaining way of teaching them to converse in Hindi. In this way, a simple Hindi chatbot can transform into a huge regional marketing tool that is capable of generating more quality traffic on the internet. This same strategy can be used to develop chatbots in other Indian languages.

Given the potential of regional content marketing and personalized ads, chatbots when developed in local languages can generate more business, especially in a multilingual diverse nation like India. Although a lot has to be done in this regard, it is clear that the revolution has only just begun. In 2019, we are going to witness more desi-chatbots, as leading firms have realized the importance and benefits of appealing to the customers in their local language.

DATA DRIVEN MARKETING

It has been become very common that while surfing internet, almost every

webpage you visit o�ers you cookies i.e. in other words the webpage seeks your

browsing details. Marketers have realised that by using these data, it will be

much easier for them to present you with more personalized ads. 2019 is the

year where Data Driven Marketing continues to sustain its relevance as more

marketers and retailers are seeking out newer data driven ways to achieve

competitive advantage by understanding customers' behaviour.

1716

Earlier, Microsoft had launched Ruuh, India's first chatbot operating in Hinglish. Ruuh's quick, friendly and witty responses have been winning the hearts of the Indians who love talking on wide range of topics like cricket or sharing intimate emotions. Within a year of launch, Ruuh had 40 million conversations, and is highly active on social media.

Similarly, Oxford University Press has launched a Hindi Chatbot to converse Hindi language data and transfer it to online Hindi dictionary. Microsoft, Amazon and Google too have applied enormous linguistic data accumulated by OUP. It is interesting to know that the chatbot's conversational interface is a 'user magnet' for the development of Hindi dictionary website. Hindi chatbot makes use of gamification to draw Hindi speakers, language learners and scholars to the webpage which offers a wide range of facilities such as to learn Hindi online, enlarge their vocabulary or contribute to Hindi language database.

Employing gamification is interesting to improve language database. For instance, a Hindi chatbot pops up as a plugin and offers the visitors a guessing game or a puzzle. This is an entertaining way of teaching them to converse in Hindi. In this way, a simple Hindi chatbot can transform into a huge regional marketing tool that is capable of generating more quality traffic on the internet. This same strategy can be used to develop chatbots in other Indian languages.

Given the potential of regional content marketing and personalized ads, chatbots when developed in local languages can generate more business, especially in a multilingual diverse nation like India. Although a lot has to be done in this regard, it is clear that the revolution has only just begun. In 2019, we are going to witness more desi-chatbots, as leading firms have realized the importance and benefits of appealing to the customers in their local language.

Programmatic Marketing continues to gain momentum in every sector for three basic reasons:

Ÿ It presents an opportunity to leverage connections with an audience across multiple platforms

Ÿ It enables the purchase of inventory in real-time

Ÿ It makes the process of measuring campaign performance very easy.

Programmatic is digital advertising and is set to extend its scope in 2019, with two-third of digital media embracing it. In other words, about 66% of the money invested in digital advertising will be traded programmatically in 2019. This is a giant leap for advertisers, clients and marketers, especially during the time where the threats of ad fraud, brand safety and misplacement are still prevalent. Industry experts predict Programmatic ad spend will reach USD 84 billion mark, with a growth of 19% in 2019.

Further, the breadth of existing ad formats in programmatic trading is getting better, which can include more mobile, audio and video formats online. This is one of the major factors that will drive the programmatic ad revenue. However, firms and enterprises intending to monetize via programmatic advertising must now focus on improving the quality of their inventory, which must at least be secure and viewable. In fact, customers are seven times less likely to consider a brand if the ads are served against inappropriate content. Thus, brands with ineffective brand safety strategy will now have to confront a lot of stakes.

Particularly, in the Indian ad market, programmatic is still in its infancy and hence has a great potential in the coming days. Currently, in India only 20% of the ad budgets are allocated to programmatic advertising. Yet, one must note that India is still on a learning curve and is increasingly becoming aware of its immense scope, thanks to the digital revolution sweeping across India. In terms of prominent programmatic trends that will become commonplace in 2019, videos will retain their popularity among all ad formats. Increasing rate of mobile video consumption can be attributed as the leading cause of this trend. Similarly, in-apps will be buzzing in 2019, due to rise in mobile internet consumption and deviation in preferences of users from mobile browsers to wide array of in-apps.

Since quality inventory is the key criteria in programmatic, valuable data will be prized by every organization. In 2019, we will witness newer trends in data collection techniques. First-party data will continue to be the most valuable form of data, gathered explicitly either through customers themselves, or gained by tracking their activity. Second-party data collections will become more commonplace among brands and online retailers by forming wider data sharing partnerships. Because of these developments, third-party data will be less beneficial for brands to gain a competitive edge, although these data will be widely available.

common that whenever you log on to LinkedIn, you come across news on “retail apocalypse.” In reality, these are the brands which are unsuccessful to clasp omnichannel marketing. In 2019, omnichannel marketing will be the fundamental part of every marketing strategy.

Ÿ Account-Based Marketing will embrace Predictive Analytics. In simple terms, predictive analytics refers to the use of data, statistics, algorithms and machine learning techniques to determine the probability of future outcomes based on historical data. The objective is to surpass the knowledge about past in order to deliver the best assessment about the future. Predictive analytics will rise in 2019.

Ÿ Data onboarding will determine the path of ad campaigns. Data onboarding is a data driven marketing trend that transfers offline customer data to online platforms and identifies them online. There is a correlation between data onboarding, omnichannel marketing and identity resolution: as their collaboration helps to reach the same target audience across multiple channels with more personalization.

Ÿ Machine Learning will continue to grow gigantically. For example, in order to improve the quality and personalization of voice search and chatbots, it is very essential to gather a user's preference details. Hence, data-driven marketing will assist machine learning and artificial intelligence.

If a brand wants to attract new customers, it is vital to make a lasting impression at the starting point. In this regard, data driven marketing helps to achieve that objective. Moreover, understanding the preferences of your customers helps to retain their trust in you. In 2019, data driven marketing continues to be the backbone of ad personalization in a more profound way.

These are the following predictions that are deemed to occur in 2019.

Ÿ You will start seeing only those advertisements that “get you,” as the digital marketing campaigns in 2019 will be organized based on your proximity and daily habits. Modifying advertisements based on your location, where you eat, shop and hang-out will become a standard practice.

Ÿ Streaming Analytics will open new revenue streams for marketers. Streaming services are an unexplored pool of psychographic data that more marketers will dive into to analyse and identify target segments based on lifestyle, values, views and preferences.

Ÿ Opportunities for data driven marketing will rise with the increasing POS devices, thanks to the developments in location intelligence. This will help to build more vigorous customer profiles at a larger level that has higher accuracy of ROI estimation.

Ÿ Personalized user experiences are created by the data gathered. For instance, when you log on to your Amazon account, you can see personalized product recommendation based on your shopping and browsing history. This is done with the help of your browser cookies. Tools such as Optimizely will make user experiences more personalized in 2019.

Ÿ Identity Resolution (i.e. recognising user behaviours on both online and offline platforms) will create a 360 degree profile of your customers. This will help to deliver the best experience to your customers on multiple channels as identity resolution determines their identities on those channels and provides you with a heightened understanding of your customers, their interests and app usage. Identity resolution helps in increased precision in targeting and enhanced personalization.

Ÿ Omnichannel Marketing will become the fundamental criteria in data driven marketing because of its ability to reach the same target audience effortlessly across multiple channels. For instance, it has become

PROGRAMMATIC MARKETING

1918

Programmatic Marketing continues to gain momentum in every sector for three basic reasons:

Ÿ It presents an opportunity to leverage connections with an audience across multiple platforms

Ÿ It enables the purchase of inventory in real-time

Ÿ It makes the process of measuring campaign performance very easy.

Programmatic is digital advertising and is set to extend its scope in 2019, with two-third of digital media embracing it. In other words, about 66% of the money invested in digital advertising will be traded programmatically in 2019. This is a giant leap for advertisers, clients and marketers, especially during the time where the threats of ad fraud, brand safety and misplacement are still prevalent. Industry experts predict Programmatic ad spend will reach USD 84 billion mark, with a growth of 19% in 2019.

Further, the breadth of existing ad formats in programmatic trading is getting better, which can include more mobile, audio and video formats online. This is one of the major factors that will drive the programmatic ad revenue. However, firms and enterprises intending to monetize via programmatic advertising must now focus on improving the quality of their inventory, which must at least be secure and viewable. In fact, customers are seven times less likely to consider a brand if the ads are served against inappropriate content. Thus, brands with ineffective brand safety strategy will now have to confront a lot of stakes.

Particularly, in the Indian ad market, programmatic is still in its infancy and hence has a great potential in the coming days. Currently, in India only 20% of the ad budgets are allocated to programmatic advertising. Yet, one must note that India is still on a learning curve and is increasingly becoming aware of its immense scope, thanks to the digital revolution sweeping across India. In terms of prominent programmatic trends that will become commonplace in 2019, videos will retain their popularity among all ad formats. Increasing rate of mobile video consumption can be attributed as the leading cause of this trend. Similarly, in-apps will be buzzing in 2019, due to rise in mobile internet consumption and deviation in preferences of users from mobile browsers to wide array of in-apps.

Since quality inventory is the key criteria in programmatic, valuable data will be prized by every organization. In 2019, we will witness newer trends in data collection techniques. First-party data will continue to be the most valuable form of data, gathered explicitly either through customers themselves, or gained by tracking their activity. Second-party data collections will become more commonplace among brands and online retailers by forming wider data sharing partnerships. Because of these developments, third-party data will be less beneficial for brands to gain a competitive edge, although these data will be widely available.

common that whenever you log on to LinkedIn, you come across news on “retail apocalypse.” In reality, these are the brands which are unsuccessful to clasp omnichannel marketing. In 2019, omnichannel marketing will be the fundamental part of every marketing strategy.

Ÿ Account-Based Marketing will embrace Predictive Analytics. In simple terms, predictive analytics refers to the use of data, statistics, algorithms and machine learning techniques to determine the probability of future outcomes based on historical data. The objective is to surpass the knowledge about past in order to deliver the best assessment about the future. Predictive analytics will rise in 2019.

Ÿ Data onboarding will determine the path of ad campaigns. Data onboarding is a data driven marketing trend that transfers offline customer data to online platforms and identifies them online. There is a correlation between data onboarding, omnichannel marketing and identity resolution: as their collaboration helps to reach the same target audience across multiple channels with more personalization.

Ÿ Machine Learning will continue to grow gigantically. For example, in order to improve the quality and personalization of voice search and chatbots, it is very essential to gather a user's preference details. Hence, data-driven marketing will assist machine learning and artificial intelligence.

If a brand wants to attract new customers, it is vital to make a lasting impression at the starting point. In this regard, data driven marketing helps to achieve that objective. Moreover, understanding the preferences of your customers helps to retain their trust in you. In 2019, data driven marketing continues to be the backbone of ad personalization in a more profound way.

These are the following predictions that are deemed to occur in 2019.

Ÿ You will start seeing only those advertisements that “get you,” as the digital marketing campaigns in 2019 will be organized based on your proximity and daily habits. Modifying advertisements based on your location, where you eat, shop and hang-out will become a standard practice.

Ÿ Streaming Analytics will open new revenue streams for marketers. Streaming services are an unexplored pool of psychographic data that more marketers will dive into to analyse and identify target segments based on lifestyle, values, views and preferences.

Ÿ Opportunities for data driven marketing will rise with the increasing POS devices, thanks to the developments in location intelligence. This will help to build more vigorous customer profiles at a larger level that has higher accuracy of ROI estimation.

Ÿ Personalized user experiences are created by the data gathered. For instance, when you log on to your Amazon account, you can see personalized product recommendation based on your shopping and browsing history. This is done with the help of your browser cookies. Tools such as Optimizely will make user experiences more personalized in 2019.

Ÿ Identity Resolution (i.e. recognising user behaviours on both online and offline platforms) will create a 360 degree profile of your customers. This will help to deliver the best experience to your customers on multiple channels as identity resolution determines their identities on those channels and provides you with a heightened understanding of your customers, their interests and app usage. Identity resolution helps in increased precision in targeting and enhanced personalization.

Ÿ Omnichannel Marketing will become the fundamental criteria in data driven marketing because of its ability to reach the same target audience effortlessly across multiple channels. For instance, it has become

PROGRAMMATIC MARKETING

1918

‘Marketing Automation' is the word that created a lot of buzz in 2018. According to Radicati Group Email Statistics Report, 281 billion emails were sent every day in 2018. This massive statistics indicates email is still vital for a strong marketing strategy.

Marketing Automation is inevitably deemed to be the future of marketing. The new-age marketing automation tools such as WishPond, SalesManago, GetResponse and SimplyCast are steadily gaining devoted users and commencing to begin a new era of marketing automation. However, there are a lot of things to be done in terms of technological development. Industry expert, David Raab opines that over 70% of marketers are either unhappy or marginally happy with their marketing automation software. Moreover, experts hold a view that there is a 'lack of automation' in marketing automation.

Nevertheless, marketing automation is a technology that is still in the progress of development, and has not achieved its full potential yet. Given its increasing popularity and its capabilities, marketing automation is 'the' marketing technology of the future that promises several marvellous possibilities. So what can we expect in 2019 in terms of marketing automation? Here are some of the trends that will pave way for marketing automation to reach its potential:

Ÿ Personalization is the key to marketing automation in 2019. Litmus' State of Email Survey revealed that targeted emails are 108.5% more likely to generate almost half of a company's email marketing revenue via automated emails than other types of emails.

Ÿ Technology has enabled marketing automation to occur across multiple channels, be it a landing page or social media. In 2019, there is no escaping marketing automation.

Ÿ Until now, email marketing had limited effect since most of the emails in an inbox go unread. But thanks to the developing marketing automation tools, marketers have realized it's the quality of a mail and not the quantity that determines the outcome. Here too, personalization is the key. A good example for this is Spotify, a music platform that sends users a personalised playlist based on their taste on a weekly basis.

Ÿ Predictive Lead Scoring will lead marketing automation in 2019. It is a tool that records factors such as behavioural data, demographics, social

information etc. and evaluates them to give a score. This score will determine whether a lead is qualified or not. This is very useful to determine the right content for the target audience across various channels, particularly in sector based targeting and demographic based targeting.

Ÿ The role of AI in marketing automation will enhance as it tracks user behaviour, requirements & needs and delivers the right content to the user when the user wants something.

Ÿ 2019 is going to witness smart chatbots playing a crucial role in generation of lead, as chatbots have the ability to analyse user needs, requirements and can engage users with a brand. Integrating AI with chatbots will surely increase sales. Further, it can be observed that there were 2 billion users who availed messaging apps. In 2019, this number shall increase, and so does the potential of chatbots to engage with them.

Ÿ Cross-channel marketing is going to dominate marketing automation in 2019. Marketers have found that rather than a solo strategy, incorporating multiple channels such as mobile marketing, email marketing, social media marketing and content marketing will intensify user engagement with a brand. As a user is exposed to a brand 24/7 due to various channels, the business is set to leverage.

Despite several speculations, marketing automation is growing at a rate of 8.55% transforming itself into USD 5.5 billion industry in 2019. In fact, 51% of the industries across the world are already using marketing automation in their business strategy.

Due to the limitations of internet speed, VR was perceived more as a fad and was limited to gaming and entertainment. Tech giants such as Facebook, Microsoft, Samsung and others were pioneering by developing VR-enabled headsets that generated significantly better gaming ecosystems. But as the technological changes are occurring in broadband internet sectors, VR will soon set its footsteps in sectors such as retail, real estate, automotive, ecommerce, film and entertainment. This will not only enhance the customer experience, but also impacts their buying behaviour and reduces cost involved in the process as well.

Hence, it is crystal clear that VR is not a fad, and is here to stay for a long time to come. As an indicator, it is estimated that VR market will grow by 76% in the next five years, crossing a networth line of USD 120 billion. The year 2019, in this regard will be an important year where the greater potentials of VR begins to unfold.

MARKETING AUTOMATION

VIRTUAL REALITYVirtual Reality (VR) has been buzzing in marketing since few years. In fact, its applications have become common place by the end of 2018. However, it must be noted that VR is a technology that is driven by fast speed internet. Although, VR and 4G continue to conquer the Indian digital market, the real potentials of VR will be brought by the adoption of 5G, predicted to be launched in 2020. As a precursor, the base for mobile network assisted VR applications will be launched in 2019. This network functions as ever-present and uninterrupted. Later this network will be leveraged by 5G by adding more spectral bands of wider bandwidths to boost its capacity.

The current limitations of VR until now are due to the inability of 4G to provide wider bandwidth, latency and uniform experience. But VR devices can function differently with 5G network which can drive 100 times improvement in traffic capacity and network efficiency. It will also decrease the existing latency by 10 times. These facts suggest, the original glory of VR will be witnessed in 2019.

210520

‘Marketing Automation' is the word that created a lot of buzz in 2018. According to Radicati Group Email Statistics Report, 281 billion emails were sent every day in 2018. This massive statistics indicates email is still vital for a strong marketing strategy.

Marketing Automation is inevitably deemed to be the future of marketing. The new-age marketing automation tools such as WishPond, SalesManago, GetResponse and SimplyCast are steadily gaining devoted users and commencing to begin a new era of marketing automation. However, there are a lot of things to be done in terms of technological development. Industry expert, David Raab opines that over 70% of marketers are either unhappy or marginally happy with their marketing automation software. Moreover, experts hold a view that there is a 'lack of automation' in marketing automation.

Nevertheless, marketing automation is a technology that is still in the progress of development, and has not achieved its full potential yet. Given its increasing popularity and its capabilities, marketing automation is 'the' marketing technology of the future that promises several marvellous possibilities. So what can we expect in 2019 in terms of marketing automation? Here are some of the trends that will pave way for marketing automation to reach its potential:

Ÿ Personalization is the key to marketing automation in 2019. Litmus' State of Email Survey revealed that targeted emails are 108.5% more likely to generate almost half of a company's email marketing revenue via automated emails than other types of emails.

Ÿ Technology has enabled marketing automation to occur across multiple channels, be it a landing page or social media. In 2019, there is no escaping marketing automation.

Ÿ Until now, email marketing had limited effect since most of the emails in an inbox go unread. But thanks to the developing marketing automation tools, marketers have realized it's the quality of a mail and not the quantity that determines the outcome. Here too, personalization is the key. A good example for this is Spotify, a music platform that sends users a personalised playlist based on their taste on a weekly basis.

Ÿ Predictive Lead Scoring will lead marketing automation in 2019. It is a tool that records factors such as behavioural data, demographics, social

information etc. and evaluates them to give a score. This score will determine whether a lead is qualified or not. This is very useful to determine the right content for the target audience across various channels, particularly in sector based targeting and demographic based targeting.

Ÿ The role of AI in marketing automation will enhance as it tracks user behaviour, requirements & needs and delivers the right content to the user when the user wants something.

Ÿ 2019 is going to witness smart chatbots playing a crucial role in generation of lead, as chatbots have the ability to analyse user needs, requirements and can engage users with a brand. Integrating AI with chatbots will surely increase sales. Further, it can be observed that there were 2 billion users who availed messaging apps. In 2019, this number shall increase, and so does the potential of chatbots to engage with them.

Ÿ Cross-channel marketing is going to dominate marketing automation in 2019. Marketers have found that rather than a solo strategy, incorporating multiple channels such as mobile marketing, email marketing, social media marketing and content marketing will intensify user engagement with a brand. As a user is exposed to a brand 24/7 due to various channels, the business is set to leverage.

Despite several speculations, marketing automation is growing at a rate of 8.55% transforming itself into USD 5.5 billion industry in 2019. In fact, 51% of the industries across the world are already using marketing automation in their business strategy.

Due to the limitations of internet speed, VR was perceived more as a fad and was limited to gaming and entertainment. Tech giants such as Facebook, Microsoft, Samsung and others were pioneering by developing VR-enabled headsets that generated significantly better gaming ecosystems. But as the technological changes are occurring in broadband internet sectors, VR will soon set its footsteps in sectors such as retail, real estate, automotive, ecommerce, film and entertainment. This will not only enhance the customer experience, but also impacts their buying behaviour and reduces cost involved in the process as well.

Hence, it is crystal clear that VR is not a fad, and is here to stay for a long time to come. As an indicator, it is estimated that VR market will grow by 76% in the next five years, crossing a networth line of USD 120 billion. The year 2019, in this regard will be an important year where the greater potentials of VR begins to unfold.

MARKETING AUTOMATION

VIRTUAL REALITYVirtual Reality (VR) has been buzzing in marketing since few years. In fact, its applications have become common place by the end of 2018. However, it must be noted that VR is a technology that is driven by fast speed internet. Although, VR and 4G continue to conquer the Indian digital market, the real potentials of VR will be brought by the adoption of 5G, predicted to be launched in 2020. As a precursor, the base for mobile network assisted VR applications will be launched in 2019. This network functions as ever-present and uninterrupted. Later this network will be leveraged by 5G by adding more spectral bands of wider bandwidths to boost its capacity.

The current limitations of VR until now are due to the inability of 4G to provide wider bandwidth, latency and uniform experience. But VR devices can function differently with 5G network which can drive 100 times improvement in traffic capacity and network efficiency. It will also decrease the existing latency by 10 times. These facts suggest, the original glory of VR will be witnessed in 2019.

210520

AI was the magic mantra in digital marketing in 2018, as AI technology was implemented into digital products like there's no tomorrow. Be it through chatbots, voicebots, Virtual Assistants or Visual Search, AI has promised to be the next big technology trend: The Future of Computing. But one needs to ponder; ask questions such as, how powerful is AI in reality? To what extent can AI be implemented in the marketing arena? And, are we really up and about to embrace AI in 2019?

Undoubtedly, AI is fast and furiously becoming an integral part of digital products. This is why we are witnessing more and more number of start-ups leveraging AI on their marketing platforms. Even giants like Amazon and Apple are focusing on further development of AI to increase the quality of voice-based search. Just two years ago, AI was merely seen as a “nice-to-have” feature on digital platforms. But today, AI is viewed as an integral part of functionality and as an everyday utility. This has driven all the marketers to enhance their marketing strategies by utilising AI to boost sales.

One strong term in AI domain that's going to be commonplace in 2019 is 'Machine Learning as a Service (MLaaS).' MLaaS is a digital transformation space linked to cloud computing, which has the potential to rapidly trigger the existing cloud computing process. As a result, we will witness traditional players adopting MLaaS, since it will be a crucial factor for all businesses to thrive. Some of the features of MLaaS that will gain popularity include

Natural Language Processing (NPL), Natural Language Generation (NLG) and computer vision. These will minimize human intervention and boost other tasks by assisting employees with their assignments. In a nutshell, MLaaS will make an impression in businesses predominantly across healthcare, cyber-security and automobile industries. From 2019, what qualifies as a 'technological innovation' will be built on cloud adoption capabilities, due to the progress in machine learning.

In 2019, AI will make the process of content generation more proficient. In this direction, AI powered solutions such as Articoolo and Quill have already made it easier to generate whimsical content. 2019 is going to witness more of such tools with increased efficiency. However, given the increasing popularity of regional content marketing in India, it has to go the whole nine yards to develop AI technology, in order to cater to the need for content in regional languages.

Apart from content creation, AI will be utilized to leverage email marketing for further personalization of content, in addition to maximizing the conversion rates on the web. There is also an immense scope to craft AI powered digital experiences for the customers that can be thought of as a conversion funnel. For instance, Olay, the dominant player in cosmetics, in collaboration with Nara Logistics developed Skin Care Analysis tool that evaluates the customers' skin and recommends the type of skin care products suitable for them. This AI tool has been

successful in driving the average sales by 40%. Similarly, there are a lot of successful stories of AI implementation in marketing: voice/visual based search, prevention of data breaches and fraud.

Industry reports suggest, the deep learning market is predicted to exceed USD 18 billion by 2024, expanding at a CAGR of 42%. Deep learning algorithms have great potential to evaluate disorganized data such as videos, images, verbal texts, audio recording and transform them into business-friendly predictions. As a result, digital workflow will be made convenient with simple-to-deploy AI powered solutions. One instance could be optimization of paid advertising campaigns by media agencies for their clients using AI algorithms to examine the performance of a campaign in motion, social semantics, website design, product pricing, customer service predictions, ad targeting, speech and language recognition, to name a few.

However, revolutions can be intermittent and unpredictable. In a roadmap for Artificial Intelligence programme is laid down by NITI Aayog to being a revolution in fifth generation technology (i.e. Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, 3D printing and Blockchain) by allocating INR 3073 crores. On a larger perspective, 2019 is poised to be the year where the applications of AI will be emphasized and executed; giving it a whole new dimension.

AI POWERED SOLUTIONS

2322

AI was the magic mantra in digital marketing in 2018, as AI technology was implemented into digital products like there's no tomorrow. Be it through chatbots, voicebots, Virtual Assistants or Visual Search, AI has promised to be the next big technology trend: The Future of Computing. But one needs to ponder; ask questions such as, how powerful is AI in reality? To what extent can AI be implemented in the marketing arena? And, are we really up and about to embrace AI in 2019?

Undoubtedly, AI is fast and furiously becoming an integral part of digital products. This is why we are witnessing more and more number of start-ups leveraging AI on their marketing platforms. Even giants like Amazon and Apple are focusing on further development of AI to increase the quality of voice-based search. Just two years ago, AI was merely seen as a “nice-to-have” feature on digital platforms. But today, AI is viewed as an integral part of functionality and as an everyday utility. This has driven all the marketers to enhance their marketing strategies by utilising AI to boost sales.

One strong term in AI domain that's going to be commonplace in 2019 is 'Machine Learning as a Service (MLaaS).' MLaaS is a digital transformation space linked to cloud computing, which has the potential to rapidly trigger the existing cloud computing process. As a result, we will witness traditional players adopting MLaaS, since it will be a crucial factor for all businesses to thrive. Some of the features of MLaaS that will gain popularity include

Natural Language Processing (NPL), Natural Language Generation (NLG) and computer vision. These will minimize human intervention and boost other tasks by assisting employees with their assignments. In a nutshell, MLaaS will make an impression in businesses predominantly across healthcare, cyber-security and automobile industries. From 2019, what qualifies as a 'technological innovation' will be built on cloud adoption capabilities, due to the progress in machine learning.

In 2019, AI will make the process of content generation more proficient. In this direction, AI powered solutions such as Articoolo and Quill have already made it easier to generate whimsical content. 2019 is going to witness more of such tools with increased efficiency. However, given the increasing popularity of regional content marketing in India, it has to go the whole nine yards to develop AI technology, in order to cater to the need for content in regional languages.

Apart from content creation, AI will be utilized to leverage email marketing for further personalization of content, in addition to maximizing the conversion rates on the web. There is also an immense scope to craft AI powered digital experiences for the customers that can be thought of as a conversion funnel. For instance, Olay, the dominant player in cosmetics, in collaboration with Nara Logistics developed Skin Care Analysis tool that evaluates the customers' skin and recommends the type of skin care products suitable for them. This AI tool has been

successful in driving the average sales by 40%. Similarly, there are a lot of successful stories of AI implementation in marketing: voice/visual based search, prevention of data breaches and fraud.

Industry reports suggest, the deep learning market is predicted to exceed USD 18 billion by 2024, expanding at a CAGR of 42%. Deep learning algorithms have great potential to evaluate disorganized data such as videos, images, verbal texts, audio recording and transform them into business-friendly predictions. As a result, digital workflow will be made convenient with simple-to-deploy AI powered solutions. One instance could be optimization of paid advertising campaigns by media agencies for their clients using AI algorithms to examine the performance of a campaign in motion, social semantics, website design, product pricing, customer service predictions, ad targeting, speech and language recognition, to name a few.

However, revolutions can be intermittent and unpredictable. In a roadmap for Artificial Intelligence programme is laid down by NITI Aayog to being a revolution in fifth generation technology (i.e. Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, 3D printing and Blockchain) by allocating INR 3073 crores. On a larger perspective, 2019 is poised to be the year where the applications of AI will be emphasized and executed; giving it a whole new dimension.

AI POWERED SOLUTIONS

2322

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