By Robert T. Capistrano
(SUBIC BAY, Zambales) Ad Summit Philippines 2016reveals its crystal ball to the advertising industry, announcing its forecasts and trends to look out for in 2016.
#ADSUMMIT2016 is a four-day gathering of the advertising industry and media partners to share ideas, trends, and creativity concepts through keynote lectures from world renowned experts. This year’s event was held at the Subic Bay Convention Center in Zambales. Now these are things to look out for in 2016.
The power of Mobile
Vikas Gulati, Managing Director for Asia, for Opera Mediaworks boldly declared, “Nothing is as powerful as mobile. If you want to reach anyone under 30, you will find them on their mobile.” He stressed the importance of apps, stating apps are the gateway to mobile and that 90% of online time is spent on apps.
The Year of VR
2016 marks the commercial peak of Virtual Reality with new consumer products: the Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive, Microsoft HoloLens, Oculus Rift and Sony PlayStation VR. Virtually Reality puts users front and center of experiences. The challenge for advertisers is understanding this new format of an immersive screen and its unique content.
Online Privacy not so private
With the dawn of big data and online personalization, consumers are accepting the idea of trading off privacy of personal information for a much better and more personalized experience. More and more are offering personal information; thus their privacy is exchanged barterlike for discounts, giveaways, and other offers.
Be-yourself-vertising
A key advertsing message for this year is that it is okay to be yourself. Personal imperfection is now the new norm by seeing past stereotypes and empowering consumers to be who they really are.
“Don’t design for the clients. The most important people are not the clients but the people on the streets” said Todd Martin, Regional Director for Havas WorldWide states, said in his Day 2 lecture.
Human Kind
The chaos of daily modern life together with social, economic and political turbulences around the globe are bringing people back to their senses, as basic values are coming to play more and more. This ‘trend’ of kindness and helping our fellow man comes into play more with the helping hand of technology. Being nice online is now cool.
Social E-commerce
Eagle News Service photo
Mobile rules over the digital world with traditional desktops fading into the background. Google algorithm now favors mobile-oriented web. Thus e-commerce is adjusting to this new perspective realizing mobile will be the main vehicle that drives the e-commerce future. There is a merging of power with social commerce and search commerce like Facebook Search Engine, Businesses on Messenger, Pinterest Cinematic Pins, and Snapchat Discover providing an easier one stop shop experience for users.
Global marketing expert Tom Oliver said “The more you can provide a one-stop, holistic lifestyle to consumers, the better,” in his closing keynote address.
Digital Born Logo
Connected consumers are always on the look out for new ways of communicating. To keep up with the modern consumer wants, brands need to speak the same language with the same interface that resonates with the digital world, like providing simple things like emojis, stickers, logos and others. “Brands need to be the most inclusive entities in the world,” stated Jose Miguel Sokoloff, President of MullenLowe Group Global Creative Council.
The world is in a continued state of flux. And we all know, that change is the only thing constant in this world — much more so in the volatile world of digital and traditional advertising, to remain effective advertisers must always adapt to cutting edge trends and technological changes.
Jose Miguel Sokoloff, again makes this clear stating that, “Advertising is a business of CHANGE.”