The year 2022 brought tons of change and new advancements to the ad tech industry. Sustainability garnered lots of attention, retail media picked up speed, and a boom of growth occurred in CTV. Looking ahead to 2023, we recently sat down with Sharethrough leaders and asked them what they thought the upcoming ad tech Industry trends and predictions for 2023 would be… answers included everything from CTV, sustainability, data & privacy, people and culture, and more! Keep reading to learn more…
In 2021 we asked Sharethrough leaders they thought would be the biggest ad tech trends for 2022. Leader predictions included: CTV taking off, addressability remaining more important than ever, and the metaverse. It was estimated that CTV would see some major growth, and that prediction held true! When it comes to the metaverse, we’ve seen it make some waves, but largely miss the mark on the level of growth and interest that many predicted before. You can check out 2022’s predictions here.
1. Forecasting Major CTV Growth In 2023
CTV has been a major talking point over the past few years, and for good reason as we’ve seen CTV advertisers grow their budgets year after year after year. CTV spend is expected to grow by 14.4% in 2023, and while this may not be as steep of an incline as years before, it will surely continue in its upward trajectory. Check out what our leaders had to say about CTV in 2023:
“Obviously there's been a lot of growth and interest in CTV over the past couple of years, highlighted by Netflix's recent launch of ad supported media products. I think what we'll see next year in CTV is more innovation in the actual ad formats moving away from what we've relied on for decades with 15 and 30 second video ads, and moving towards more creative ad formats that are more engaging for consumers.”
“We're going to see a lot of CTV innovation in 2023. Specifically, I expect a few things to happen. For one, I expect more non-currently ad supported products to incorporate ads like Netflix has recently done. I think most importantly though, I expect to see more ad unit innovation. When we initially started building CTV. Most platforms were relying on traditional 15 and 30 second video spots, and I just don't think those are working as well. And they're not taking advantage of the medium of CTV that allows more interesting ad formats. We've seen some innovation from platforms like Hulu and Sharethrough on things like paused screen ads, channel guide ads, overlays, bringing organic content into the ad experience. I think, more and more, CTV platforms will begin to realize that there's an opportunity to create more engagement with consumers and a more meaningful ad experience that's less interruptive. So we'll see both more ad availability and more diverse types of ad units available in CTV,” said Curt Larson, CPO at Sharethrough.
“The highest adoption and acceleration in 2023 will be CTV. For us, for example, a year ago, video and CTV represented 5%, less than 5% of our revenue. In 2022, we’ll finish the year at 30% plus of our revenue allocated to video and CTV. And I think this trend will just continue to accelerate because advertisers want to reach their audiences on streaming platforms,” said JF Cote, CEO at Sharethrough.
“CTV brands will really start looking at their linear TV approach, as well as how to buy CTV programmatically through the different platforms. Adding CTV to the mix will maximize their advertising dollars and ensure that they are reaching consumers on any streaming device while also tapping into the efficiency play by buying programmatically,” said Laura Bromwich, SVP Sales, North America at Sharethrough.
2. Sustainability and Green Media Products Take Center Stage
Sustainability took a big leap in 2022. It was the year the ad tech industry learned that the internet generates more carbon waste than the civil aviation industry. A large portion of those carbon emissions comes from running digital ad campaigns which led to more and more organizations committing to reducing the carbon footprint of ad tech. We saw companies partner with Scope3 to measure and offset carbon emissions through green media products and initiatives, such as Sharethrough’s Green PMPs. Check out what our leaders expect to see from sustainability and green media in 2023:
“One major evolution that we're going to see in 2023 is the evolution of sustainability and green media in ad tech. 2022 was the year that organizations and ad tech companies learned about the impact we're having on the environment and our carbon emissions. And 2023 will be the year that we really start making even more of an effort and commitment to reducing our carbon emissions, starting with, exactly that, more commitments from brands, agencies and even ad tech companies and publishers to reach net zero emissions by as soon as 2030,” explains Frank Maguire, VP Insights & Strategy at Sharethrough.
“We're going to start seeing publishers reporting on their own carbon emissions and finding ways to decrease what we call ‘their base emissions’ or the emissions coming from their website, as well as finding ways to publish more sustainable content on their websites themselves,” said Benoit Skinazi, CMO at Sharethrough.
3. Predicting Further Preparation For The Cookieless Future
2022 saw companies continue to batten down the hatches and further prepare for the looming cookieless future. While Google eventually postponed the cancellation of cookies to a future end date, companies still need to prepare and remain ready for when the cookieless future becomes a reality. According to one study, 81% of businesses are still dependant on cookies. Check out what our leaders predict will happen regarding cookies and addressability in 2023:
“Around cookie loss and privacy, obviously, we all felt like we got a bit of a reprieve this year when Google postponed their plans. And who knows what's going to happen with Google. They may postpone or cancel their plans or change them in the future. But what we know is that today there's a huge opportunity in Firefox and Safari, which have long ago discontinued third party cookies. We know that those environments are underpenetrated by marketers today and reflect a really attractive demographic to market, especially when you consider that Safari users are largely Apple device owners, a relatively affluent set of consumers. We'll see marketers starting to take a more proactive role in finding out ways to reach those users. They may have been largely waiting for the tech industry to solve some sort of grand targeting challenge for them when Chrome moves away. But they'll realize more and more there's a current opportunity on Safari in Firefox and begin exploring new ways to both target those users and measure the performance of those users,”
“In terms of changes we'll see on the supply side next year, the first is around publishers getting more creative in gathering first-party data, finding new creative ways to ask consumers for information and build first-party profiles about users over time, and then working with their demand partners as well as their direct sales teams to actually activate against that data,” adds Curt Larson.
“Once again, it seems like 2023 is not going to be the year that Google fully gets rid of cookies. But pretty much everyone across the ecosystem, especially on the supply side, has realized that you really need to have a buttoned up data solution, particularly as it relates to first-party data and figuring out the best ways of showcasing that data in a way that's both transparent and useful to advertisers,” said Frank Maguire.
“Ad tech companies are rallying and changing their algorithms, innovating to make sure they are ready for the deprecation of third-party cookies. Now, what we see in the last 12 months is Google changing their narrative to postpone. And second, we heard from the IAB tech lab and others, on how Google will come back with a hybrid model, where cookies will be present but in a different form. The end of cookies will never happen. There will be a hybrid model where companies will need to adapt, change and innovate. This is why if I have a crystal ball, I believe, you know, the end of the cookie won't be there,” said JF Cote.
4. Grabbing Viewers’ Attention Becomes a Top Priority in 2023
It’s an open secret that TV commercials often go ignored by viewers. And as they continue to consume more content than ever, grabbing viewers’ attention becomes more important than ever. Here’s what our leadership team has to say about viewers’ attention in 2023:
“We're going to see a shift from advertisers focusing a bit more on attention metrics rather than just focusing on clicks or or viewability, much more focusing on how they can maximize the comprehension of the ads and catch people's attention,”
“We're going to see more and more requests from the demand side to find ways to help them increase the attention of the users. We've seen that more and more brands are trying to find solutions for the ads to be better comprehended by the users, seeing the impact of the comprehension on the final performance of the campaign. Attention is key when it comes to generating performance for campaigns. And that's why driving and generating or delivering campaigns focusing on attention metrics will be a big trend on the demand side,” adds Benoit Skinazi.
5. People & Culture: Hybrid Work Culture Reigns & Layoffs Shape the Industry
Ever since covid-19, the world has been moving away from in-office work, and closer towards a remote/hybrid work model. Businesses have been forced to rethink their work models, and cater to employees preferring remote work while offering new-age benefits. While 2022 ended in major layoffs across the tech industry, this trend should slow down over time, one study predicts. Check out what our leaders had to say about the hybrid work model and layoffs in 2023:
“We're seeing a major shift in the market right now. Some companies, unfortunately, have had to do some layoffs. This could be an advantage for some companies where, you know, there's some undiscovered talent out there and we could go and tap into those talent pools,”
“There's no one size fits all for where employees decide to work, whether it's a large corporation or a smaller startup or a small to medium sized company. We can expect a trend of some employers asking their employees to come back into the office two, three, four days a week. In the ad tech industry, what we are seeing is that the hybrid model is the way to go to allow employees to have a lot more flexibility in where they get their work done.” adds Stacy Parkinson, VP People & Culture at Sharethrough.
6. Retail Media Makes Moves Across The Ad Tech Industry
Retail media gained much traction in 2022 with its ability to provide value to both brands and consumers. Beginning with Amazon DSP, other platforms like Instacart are opening their ad slots to third-party brands. Find out what our leaders have to say about the growth of retail media in 2023:
“Retail has become very important. We’ve witnessed the Trade Desk, Criteo and others really rally on retail media because it's a big play to help retailers reach their audience, offline and online. This is why I think retail media will explode starting in 2023 and beyond, because the opportunity is there, and the technology is here as well,” said JF Cote.
“I'm looking forward to seeing what's going to happen in retail media. It was already a large topic in 2022, but we're seeing more and more strategic partnerships being built around retail media, which will continue in 2023,” adds Benoit Skinazi.
7. Consolidation Continues In 2023 (And Beyond!)
The ad tech industry landscape has become increasingly competitive over the years, with companies merging and acquiring others at a rapid pace. In 2022 we saw Rubicon Project and Telaria merge into Magnite in 2020, and the District M & Sharethrough merge in 2022. According to our leaders, this trend will continue in 2023 and beyond:
“There's a lot of players out there, and as we look into the market now, there will be some M&A’s next year in terms of consolidation within different players, whether that's DSPs or SSPs, as well as agencies, brands and how they're supporting their clients, as well taking things in house,” explains Laura Bromwich.
“Consolidation will take place on the supply side over the next 3 years, where exchanges will be narrowed down to five or six major players used by publishers and DSPs. Maybe a few others will be more niche. But really the consolidation is there and 2023 to 2024 and 2025 will be the years of merger and acquisition between exchanges. It will be really exciting to witness this in the future,” predicts JF Cote.
And there you have it! Sharethrough’s predictions on the biggest trends in the ad tech industry in 2023. Our leaders discussed CTV, Green Media, Cookies, Attention, Consolidation, and more! Stay tuned for further updates on these trends and the rest of 2023’s ad tech industry offerings via our blog. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and new year!
Want to learn more about Sharethrough’s company culture, or curious about our open job opportunities? Make sure to reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you!
The year 2022 brought tons of change and new advancements to the ad tech industry. Sustainability garnered lots of attention, retail media picked up speed, and a boom of growth occurred in CTV. Looking ahead to 2023, we recently sat down with Sharethrough leaders and asked them what they thought the upcoming ad tech Industry trends and predictions for 2023 would be… answers included everything from CTV, sustainability, data & privacy, people and culture, and more! Keep reading to learn more…
In 2021 we asked Sharethrough leaders they thought would be the biggest ad tech trends for 2022. Leader predictions included: CTV taking off, addressability remaining more important than ever, and the metaverse. It was estimated that CTV would see some major growth, and that prediction held true! When it comes to the metaverse, we’ve seen it make some waves, but largely miss the mark on the level of growth and interest that many predicted before. You can check out 2022’s predictions here.
1. Forecasting Major CTV Growth In 2023
CTV has been a major talking point over the past few years, and for good reason as we’ve seen CTV advertisers grow their budgets year after year after year. CTV spend is expected to grow by 14.4% in 2023, and while this may not be as steep of an incline as years before, it will surely continue in its upward trajectory. Check out what our leaders had to say about CTV in 2023:
“Obviously there's been a lot of growth and interest in CTV over the past couple of years, highlighted by Netflix's recent launch of ad supported media products. I think what we'll see next year in CTV is more innovation in the actual ad formats moving away from what we've relied on for decades with 15 and 30 second video ads, and moving towards more creative ad formats that are more engaging for consumers.”
“We're going to see a lot of CTV innovation in 2023. Specifically, I expect a few things to happen. For one, I expect more non-currently ad supported products to incorporate ads like Netflix has recently done. I think most importantly though, I expect to see more ad unit innovation. When we initially started building CTV. Most platforms were relying on traditional 15 and 30 second video spots, and I just don't think those are working as well. And they're not taking advantage of the medium of CTV that allows more interesting ad formats. We've seen some innovation from platforms like Hulu and Sharethrough on things like paused screen ads, channel guide ads, overlays, bringing organic content into the ad experience. I think, more and more, CTV platforms will begin to realize that there's an opportunity to create more engagement with consumers and a more meaningful ad experience that's less interruptive. So we'll see both more ad availability and more diverse types of ad units available in CTV,” said Curt Larson, CPO at Sharethrough.
“The highest adoption and acceleration in 2023 will be CTV. For us, for example, a year ago, video and CTV represented 5%, less than 5% of our revenue. In 2022, we’ll finish the year at 30% plus of our revenue allocated to video and CTV. And I think this trend will just continue to accelerate because advertisers want to reach their audiences on streaming platforms,” said JF Cote, CEO at Sharethrough.
“CTV brands will really start looking at their linear TV approach, as well as how to buy CTV programmatically through the different platforms. Adding CTV to the mix will maximize their advertising dollars and ensure that they are reaching consumers on any streaming device while also tapping into the efficiency play by buying programmatically,” said Laura Bromwich, SVP Sales, North America at Sharethrough.
2. Sustainability and Green Media Products Take Center Stage
Sustainability took a big leap in 2022. It was the year the ad tech industry learned that the internet generates more carbon waste than the civil aviation industry. A large portion of those carbon emissions comes from running digital ad campaigns which led to more and more organizations committing to reducing the carbon footprint of ad tech. We saw companies partner with Scope3 to measure and offset carbon emissions through green media products and initiatives, such as Sharethrough’s Green PMPs. Check out what our leaders expect to see from sustainability and green media in 2023:
“One major evolution that we're going to see in 2023 is the evolution of sustainability and green media in ad tech. 2022 was the year that organizations and ad tech companies learned about the impact we're having on the environment and our carbon emissions. And 2023 will be the year that we really start making even more of an effort and commitment to reducing our carbon emissions, starting with, exactly that, more commitments from brands, agencies and even ad tech companies and publishers to reach net zero emissions by as soon as 2030,” explains Frank Maguire, VP Insights & Strategy at Sharethrough.
“We're going to start seeing publishers reporting on their own carbon emissions and finding ways to decrease what we call ‘their base emissions’ or the emissions coming from their website, as well as finding ways to publish more sustainable content on their websites themselves,” said Benoit Skinazi, CMO at Sharethrough.
3. Predicting Further Preparation For The Cookieless Future
2022 saw companies continue to batten down the hatches and further prepare for the looming cookieless future. While Google eventually postponed the cancellation of cookies to a future end date, companies still need to prepare and remain ready for when the cookieless future becomes a reality. According to one study, 81% of businesses are still dependant on cookies. Check out what our leaders predict will happen regarding cookies and addressability in 2023:
“Around cookie loss and privacy, obviously, we all felt like we got a bit of a reprieve this year when Google postponed their plans. And who knows what's going to happen with Google. They may postpone or cancel their plans or change them in the future. But what we know is that today there's a huge opportunity in Firefox and Safari, which have long ago discontinued third party cookies. We know that those environments are underpenetrated by marketers today and reflect a really attractive demographic to market, especially when you consider that Safari users are largely Apple device owners, a relatively affluent set of consumers. We'll see marketers starting to take a more proactive role in finding out ways to reach those users. They may have been largely waiting for the tech industry to solve some sort of grand targeting challenge for them when Chrome moves away. But they'll realize more and more there's a current opportunity on Safari in Firefox and begin exploring new ways to both target those users and measure the performance of those users,”
“In terms of changes we'll see on the supply side next year, the first is around publishers getting more creative in gathering first-party data, finding new creative ways to ask consumers for information and build first-party profiles about users over time, and then working with their demand partners as well as their direct sales teams to actually activate against that data,” adds Curt Larson.
“Once again, it seems like 2023 is not going to be the year that Google fully gets rid of cookies. But pretty much everyone across the ecosystem, especially on the supply side, has realized that you really need to have a buttoned up data solution, particularly as it relates to first-party data and figuring out the best ways of showcasing that data in a way that's both transparent and useful to advertisers,” said Frank Maguire.
“Ad tech companies are rallying and changing their algorithms, innovating to make sure they are ready for the deprecation of third-party cookies. Now, what we see in the last 12 months is Google changing their narrative to postpone. And second, we heard from the IAB tech lab and others, on how Google will come back with a hybrid model, where cookies will be present but in a different form. The end of cookies will never happen. There will be a hybrid model where companies will need to adapt, change and innovate. This is why if I have a crystal ball, I believe, you know, the end of the cookie won't be there,” said JF Cote.
4. Grabbing Viewers’ Attention Becomes a Top Priority in 2023
It’s an open secret that TV commercials often go ignored by viewers. And as they continue to consume more content than ever, grabbing viewers’ attention becomes more important than ever. Here’s what our leadership team has to say about viewers’ attention in 2023:
“We're going to see a shift from advertisers focusing a bit more on attention metrics rather than just focusing on clicks or or viewability, much more focusing on how they can maximize the comprehension of the ads and catch people's attention,”
“We're going to see more and more requests from the demand side to find ways to help them increase the attention of the users. We've seen that more and more brands are trying to find solutions for the ads to be better comprehended by the users, seeing the impact of the comprehension on the final performance of the campaign. Attention is key when it comes to generating performance for campaigns. And that's why driving and generating or delivering campaigns focusing on attention metrics will be a big trend on the demand side,” adds Benoit Skinazi.
5. People & Culture: Hybrid Work Culture Reigns & Layoffs Shape the Industry
Ever since covid-19, the world has been moving away from in-office work, and closer towards a remote/hybrid work model. Businesses have been forced to rethink their work models, and cater to employees preferring remote work while offering new-age benefits. While 2022 ended in major layoffs across the tech industry, this trend should slow down over time, one study predicts. Check out what our leaders had to say about the hybrid work model and layoffs in 2023:
“We're seeing a major shift in the market right now. Some companies, unfortunately, have had to do some layoffs. This could be an advantage for some companies where, you know, there's some undiscovered talent out there and we could go and tap into those talent pools,”
“There's no one size fits all for where employees decide to work, whether it's a large corporation or a smaller startup or a small to medium sized company. We can expect a trend of some employers asking their employees to come back into the office two, three, four days a week. In the ad tech industry, what we are seeing is that the hybrid model is the way to go to allow employees to have a lot more flexibility in where they get their work done.” adds Stacy Parkinson, VP People & Culture at Sharethrough.
6. Retail Media Makes Moves Across The Ad Tech Industry
Retail media gained much traction in 2022 with its ability to provide value to both brands and consumers. Beginning with Amazon DSP, other platforms like Instacart are opening their ad slots to third-party brands. Find out what our leaders have to say about the growth of retail media in 2023:
“Retail has become very important. We’ve witnessed the Trade Desk, Criteo and others really rally on retail media because it's a big play to help retailers reach their audience, offline and online. This is why I think retail media will explode starting in 2023 and beyond, because the opportunity is there, and the technology is here as well,” said JF Cote.
“I'm looking forward to seeing what's going to happen in retail media. It was already a large topic in 2022, but we're seeing more and more strategic partnerships being built around retail media, which will continue in 2023,” adds Benoit Skinazi.
7. Consolidation Continues In 2023 (And Beyond!)
The ad tech industry landscape has become increasingly competitive over the years, with companies merging and acquiring others at a rapid pace. In 2022 we saw Rubicon Project and Telaria merge into Magnite in 2020, and the District M & Sharethrough merge in 2022. According to our leaders, this trend will continue in 2023 and beyond:
“There's a lot of players out there, and as we look into the market now, there will be some M&A’s next year in terms of consolidation within different players, whether that's DSPs or SSPs, as well as agencies, brands and how they're supporting their clients, as well taking things in house,” explains Laura Bromwich.
“Consolidation will take place on the supply side over the next 3 years, where exchanges will be narrowed down to five or six major players used by publishers and DSPs. Maybe a few others will be more niche. But really the consolidation is there and 2023 to 2024 and 2025 will be the years of merger and acquisition between exchanges. It will be really exciting to witness this in the future,” predicts JF Cote.
And there you have it! Sharethrough’s predictions on the biggest trends in the ad tech industry in 2023. Our leaders discussed CTV, Green Media, Cookies, Attention, Consolidation, and more! Stay tuned for further updates on these trends and the rest of 2023’s ad tech industry offerings via our blog. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and new year!
Want to learn more about Sharethrough’s company culture, or curious about our open job opportunities? Make sure to reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you!
Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech is a short 3-minute podcast exploring the news in the digital advertising industry. Ad tech is a fast-growing industry with many updates happening daily. As it can be hard for most to keep up with the latest news, the Sharethrough team wanted to create an audio series compiling notable mentions each week.
The year 2022 brought tons of change and new advancements to the ad tech industry. Sustainability garnered lots of attention, retail media picked up speed, and a boom of growth occurred in CTV. Looking ahead to 2023, we recently sat down with Sharethrough leaders and asked them what they thought the upcoming ad tech Industry trends and predictions for 2023 would be… answers included everything from CTV, sustainability, data & privacy, people and culture, and more! Keep reading to learn more…
In 2021 we asked Sharethrough leaders they thought would be the biggest ad tech trends for 2022. Leader predictions included: CTV taking off, addressability remaining more important than ever, and the metaverse. It was estimated that CTV would see some major growth, and that prediction held true! When it comes to the metaverse, we’ve seen it make some waves, but largely miss the mark on the level of growth and interest that many predicted before. You can check out 2022’s predictions here.
1. Forecasting Major CTV Growth In 2023
CTV has been a major talking point over the past few years, and for good reason as we’ve seen CTV advertisers grow their budgets year after year after year. CTV spend is expected to grow by 14.4% in 2023, and while this may not be as steep of an incline as years before, it will surely continue in its upward trajectory. Check out what our leaders had to say about CTV in 2023:
“Obviously there's been a lot of growth and interest in CTV over the past couple of years, highlighted by Netflix's recent launch of ad supported media products. I think what we'll see next year in CTV is more innovation in the actual ad formats moving away from what we've relied on for decades with 15 and 30 second video ads, and moving towards more creative ad formats that are more engaging for consumers.”
“We're going to see a lot of CTV innovation in 2023. Specifically, I expect a few things to happen. For one, I expect more non-currently ad supported products to incorporate ads like Netflix has recently done. I think most importantly though, I expect to see more ad unit innovation. When we initially started building CTV. Most platforms were relying on traditional 15 and 30 second video spots, and I just don't think those are working as well. And they're not taking advantage of the medium of CTV that allows more interesting ad formats. We've seen some innovation from platforms like Hulu and Sharethrough on things like paused screen ads, channel guide ads, overlays, bringing organic content into the ad experience. I think, more and more, CTV platforms will begin to realize that there's an opportunity to create more engagement with consumers and a more meaningful ad experience that's less interruptive. So we'll see both more ad availability and more diverse types of ad units available in CTV,” said Curt Larson, CPO at Sharethrough.
“The highest adoption and acceleration in 2023 will be CTV. For us, for example, a year ago, video and CTV represented 5%, less than 5% of our revenue. In 2022, we’ll finish the year at 30% plus of our revenue allocated to video and CTV. And I think this trend will just continue to accelerate because advertisers want to reach their audiences on streaming platforms,” said JF Cote, CEO at Sharethrough.
“CTV brands will really start looking at their linear TV approach, as well as how to buy CTV programmatically through the different platforms. Adding CTV to the mix will maximize their advertising dollars and ensure that they are reaching consumers on any streaming device while also tapping into the efficiency play by buying programmatically,” said Laura Bromwich, SVP Sales, North America at Sharethrough.
2. Sustainability and Green Media Products Take Center Stage
Sustainability took a big leap in 2022. It was the year the ad tech industry learned that the internet generates more carbon waste than the civil aviation industry. A large portion of those carbon emissions comes from running digital ad campaigns which led to more and more organizations committing to reducing the carbon footprint of ad tech. We saw companies partner with Scope3 to measure and offset carbon emissions through green media products and initiatives, such as Sharethrough’s Green PMPs. Check out what our leaders expect to see from sustainability and green media in 2023:
“One major evolution that we're going to see in 2023 is the evolution of sustainability and green media in ad tech. 2022 was the year that organizations and ad tech companies learned about the impact we're having on the environment and our carbon emissions. And 2023 will be the year that we really start making even more of an effort and commitment to reducing our carbon emissions, starting with, exactly that, more commitments from brands, agencies and even ad tech companies and publishers to reach net zero emissions by as soon as 2030,” explains Frank Maguire, VP Insights & Strategy at Sharethrough.
“We're going to start seeing publishers reporting on their own carbon emissions and finding ways to decrease what we call ‘their base emissions’ or the emissions coming from their website, as well as finding ways to publish more sustainable content on their websites themselves,” said Benoit Skinazi, CMO at Sharethrough.
3. Predicting Further Preparation For The Cookieless Future
2022 saw companies continue to batten down the hatches and further prepare for the looming cookieless future. While Google eventually postponed the cancellation of cookies to a future end date, companies still need to prepare and remain ready for when the cookieless future becomes a reality. According to one study, 81% of businesses are still dependant on cookies. Check out what our leaders predict will happen regarding cookies and addressability in 2023:
“Around cookie loss and privacy, obviously, we all felt like we got a bit of a reprieve this year when Google postponed their plans. And who knows what's going to happen with Google. They may postpone or cancel their plans or change them in the future. But what we know is that today there's a huge opportunity in Firefox and Safari, which have long ago discontinued third party cookies. We know that those environments are underpenetrated by marketers today and reflect a really attractive demographic to market, especially when you consider that Safari users are largely Apple device owners, a relatively affluent set of consumers. We'll see marketers starting to take a more proactive role in finding out ways to reach those users. They may have been largely waiting for the tech industry to solve some sort of grand targeting challenge for them when Chrome moves away. But they'll realize more and more there's a current opportunity on Safari in Firefox and begin exploring new ways to both target those users and measure the performance of those users,”
“In terms of changes we'll see on the supply side next year, the first is around publishers getting more creative in gathering first-party data, finding new creative ways to ask consumers for information and build first-party profiles about users over time, and then working with their demand partners as well as their direct sales teams to actually activate against that data,” adds Curt Larson.
“Once again, it seems like 2023 is not going to be the year that Google fully gets rid of cookies. But pretty much everyone across the ecosystem, especially on the supply side, has realized that you really need to have a buttoned up data solution, particularly as it relates to first-party data and figuring out the best ways of showcasing that data in a way that's both transparent and useful to advertisers,” said Frank Maguire.
“Ad tech companies are rallying and changing their algorithms, innovating to make sure they are ready for the deprecation of third-party cookies. Now, what we see in the last 12 months is Google changing their narrative to postpone. And second, we heard from the IAB tech lab and others, on how Google will come back with a hybrid model, where cookies will be present but in a different form. The end of cookies will never happen. There will be a hybrid model where companies will need to adapt, change and innovate. This is why if I have a crystal ball, I believe, you know, the end of the cookie won't be there,” said JF Cote.
4. Grabbing Viewers’ Attention Becomes a Top Priority in 2023
It’s an open secret that TV commercials often go ignored by viewers. And as they continue to consume more content than ever, grabbing viewers’ attention becomes more important than ever. Here’s what our leadership team has to say about viewers’ attention in 2023:
“We're going to see a shift from advertisers focusing a bit more on attention metrics rather than just focusing on clicks or or viewability, much more focusing on how they can maximize the comprehension of the ads and catch people's attention,”
“We're going to see more and more requests from the demand side to find ways to help them increase the attention of the users. We've seen that more and more brands are trying to find solutions for the ads to be better comprehended by the users, seeing the impact of the comprehension on the final performance of the campaign. Attention is key when it comes to generating performance for campaigns. And that's why driving and generating or delivering campaigns focusing on attention metrics will be a big trend on the demand side,” adds Benoit Skinazi.
5. People & Culture: Hybrid Work Culture Reigns & Layoffs Shape the Industry
Ever since covid-19, the world has been moving away from in-office work, and closer towards a remote/hybrid work model. Businesses have been forced to rethink their work models, and cater to employees preferring remote work while offering new-age benefits. While 2022 ended in major layoffs across the tech industry, this trend should slow down over time, one study predicts. Check out what our leaders had to say about the hybrid work model and layoffs in 2023:
“We're seeing a major shift in the market right now. Some companies, unfortunately, have had to do some layoffs. This could be an advantage for some companies where, you know, there's some undiscovered talent out there and we could go and tap into those talent pools,”
“There's no one size fits all for where employees decide to work, whether it's a large corporation or a smaller startup or a small to medium sized company. We can expect a trend of some employers asking their employees to come back into the office two, three, four days a week. In the ad tech industry, what we are seeing is that the hybrid model is the way to go to allow employees to have a lot more flexibility in where they get their work done.” adds Stacy Parkinson, VP People & Culture at Sharethrough.
6. Retail Media Makes Moves Across The Ad Tech Industry
Retail media gained much traction in 2022 with its ability to provide value to both brands and consumers. Beginning with Amazon DSP, other platforms like Instacart are opening their ad slots to third-party brands. Find out what our leaders have to say about the growth of retail media in 2023:
“Retail has become very important. We’ve witnessed the Trade Desk, Criteo and others really rally on retail media because it's a big play to help retailers reach their audience, offline and online. This is why I think retail media will explode starting in 2023 and beyond, because the opportunity is there, and the technology is here as well,” said JF Cote.
“I'm looking forward to seeing what's going to happen in retail media. It was already a large topic in 2022, but we're seeing more and more strategic partnerships being built around retail media, which will continue in 2023,” adds Benoit Skinazi.
7. Consolidation Continues In 2023 (And Beyond!)
The ad tech industry landscape has become increasingly competitive over the years, with companies merging and acquiring others at a rapid pace. In 2022 we saw Rubicon Project and Telaria merge into Magnite in 2020, and the District M & Sharethrough merge in 2022. According to our leaders, this trend will continue in 2023 and beyond:
“There's a lot of players out there, and as we look into the market now, there will be some M&A’s next year in terms of consolidation within different players, whether that's DSPs or SSPs, as well as agencies, brands and how they're supporting their clients, as well taking things in house,” explains Laura Bromwich.
“Consolidation will take place on the supply side over the next 3 years, where exchanges will be narrowed down to five or six major players used by publishers and DSPs. Maybe a few others will be more niche. But really the consolidation is there and 2023 to 2024 and 2025 will be the years of merger and acquisition between exchanges. It will be really exciting to witness this in the future,” predicts JF Cote.
And there you have it! Sharethrough’s predictions on the biggest trends in the ad tech industry in 2023. Our leaders discussed CTV, Green Media, Cookies, Attention, Consolidation, and more! Stay tuned for further updates on these trends and the rest of 2023’s ad tech industry offerings via our blog. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and new year!
Want to learn more about Sharethrough’s company culture, or curious about our open job opportunities? Make sure to reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you!
Founded in 2015, Calibrate is a yearly conference for new engineering managers hosted by seasoned engineering managers. The experience level of the speakers ranges from newcomers all the way through senior engineering leaders with over twenty years of experience in the field. Each speaker is greatly concerned about the craft of engineering management. Organized and hosted by Sharethrough, it was conducted yearly in September, from 2015-2019 in San Francisco, California.
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