2024 Adtech Resolutions: Steering Through Industry Shifts and Finding New Audiences

As the champagne flutes clink and resolutions are scrawled across notebooks, the digital advertising landscape braces for a transformative year in 2024. Beyond the usual vows to eat healthier and exercise more, savvy brands and advertisers are etching a different set of goals - ones that navigate the seismic shifts about to reshape the industry.

Get ready, because the ride promises to be exhilarating, with privacy, sustainability, and audience evolution taking center stage. Here are a few key resolutions worth considering if you're looking to better your organization next year.

Pull Focus on Privacy: Five states will have new privacy laws enacted in 2024 (Washington, Oregon, Texas, Florida, and Montana), with many others following shortly after. Both publishers and advertisers should take Data Privacy in the US seriously as it will no longer be the minority of users covered by strict data privacy laws, but the majority. Brands and advertisers need to expect limitations on data types, storage periods and sharing practices. Additionally, they should look for contextually relevant platforms and privacy preserving measurement tools.

Instill Sustainability Measures: Consider having a newfound focus around sustainability. Companies that focus on this will have a few advantages: they will do what is right for the environment, they will reap the cost-saving benefits that come with carbon reduction, and they will have a huge head start on other companies that play “catch-up” when the crest of the sustainability wave comes. A key resolution next year will be for organizations to embrace supply path optimization, carbon footprint reduction, and reap the rewards of a cleaner conscience and a planet.

Flexible Work Environments Lead the Way: The work-from-anywhere genie is out of the bottle. Some companies will continue pushing for hybrid and return-to-work policies, but these companies will likely suffer a loss of talent. A key resolution for next year will be more companies with flexible workplace policies.

Adopting New Forms of Targeting: Google is rolling out its Privacy Sandbox on Chrome, and phasing out third-party cookies for all users. This means marketers need to rely more heavily on first party data, and alternate IDs, for the best performance. Also, in the short term, it may make the most sense for marketers to focus more on in-app advertising. Next year brands and advertisers should consider relying more on in-app IDs as mobile will still be available on Google Android devices, and Apple devices still make these available for users that opt-in.

Gen Z Represents New Marketing Opportunities: Gen Z is a generation who, for the most part, has not experienced life without digital devices and “screens.” With the youngest Gen Z people in their tweens, they represent a significant portion of the digital user population. Brands and advertisers should lean into approaching this demographic, and work to cater to Gen Z's desire for authenticity, interactivity, and purpose-driven campaigns.

By considering these resolutions, brands and advertisers can navigate the shifting digital advertising landscape in 2024 and stay ahead of the curve. Remember, the key to success lies in flexibility and adaptability. Let's make 2024 the year we rewrite the rules of the game, and build a future that's as innovative, sustainable, and human-centric as the generations we serve.