It appears 2018 will be another interesting year for the ever-evolving TV industry. Ryan Reed, Director of Innovation at independent data management platform Lotame, offers some fearless predictions…Messy Consolidation: Most of the mega-deals, such as AT&T and Time Warner, Sinclair and Tribune, and Discovery and Scripps, have started or are about to start in early 2018. These things take a lot of time to morph into their final form. Look for a lot of confusion when it comes to which business unit is in charge of different initiatives as these new, larger companies try to preserve the brand-equity of the companies they purchased, while creating a single entity.
Even More Mergers: As messy as it will be, the consolidation will continue. The current regulatory – or rather, regulation-friendly – climate will give companies a reason to strike while the iron is hot. Things could change after November…
Data Gets (Even More) Political: In Q3, there will be unprecedented levels of money spent on mid-term elections. For those who have paid attention, the side that has played their data cards the best has had the upper hand. When it comes to data on voters and their habits on television, mobile, and social, campaigns will be looking to make the most of it.
Brands Run to Safety: Overstated views, viewability issues, bots, and questionable content, will see brands looking deeper into how their money and their message is getting impacted. So, they will look more towards the comfort of television. However…
Television Gets More Targeted: While brands will take comfort in their ads taking up a 60-inch 4k screen next to premium content, they will need better understanding of who was reached and how it impacted sales. TV Networks are seeing the GRP-based model on a downward trajectory, while brands want accountability.
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