1. 16 DIGITAL TRENDS FOR 2016DECEMBER 15t h , 2015

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S H I F T S

4. MOMENTS MATTER 01
Event + Context = Moment
Moment based marketing is on
the rise in 2016. A moment is an
event + context.
Heavyweights such as Twitter and
Google are shifting moments into
the forefront of their platforms for
brand marketers.
From consumer intent to
discovery, moments are the new
currency of the attention
economy.
Key Takeaway
Look for opportunities to align key
consumer moments with
contextual content via mobile.

5. AD BLOCKING 02
Breaking Through
Ad blocking will not be solved in 2016.
Initially ad blocking impacts mobile web,
thus native and mobile ad types are
viable alternatives for now.
Native programmatic will be moving to
the forefront in 2016 as standards have
been agreed upon which can outperform
ad blocking initially.
Key Takeaway
As Ad blockers become more
sophisticated native advertising is
vulnerable if ad blockers take a harder
stance against it.
For now, mobile app based advertising is
a key way to connect with consumers.
One potential disruptor is if ad blocking
is offered at the mobile carrier level.

6. BATTLE FOR CO-CREATION
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Free Isn’t Free
Freebooting entails republishing videos
on social sites without consent of the
creators.
Influencers who traditionally monetize
their creations on YouTube and now
YouTube Red, are galvanizing against
Facebook and other platforms that do
not have an infrastructure in place to
protect their content and allow for
monetization.
Key Takeaway
Be mindful when co-creating content
with influencers that a significant
number of views & engagement may
not be immediately captured. It is a
good strategy to monitor for
freebooting of content.

7. MOBILE APPS FTW (FOR THE WIN)
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Essential Apps
2016 will see resurgence in native
branded mobile applications. With
advancements in mobile in-app search
indexing including non-installed apps,
deep linking, actionable notifications
and invaluable behavioral and usage
data, the role that mobile apps play will
be critical in 2016 to further link online
and offline behavior.
Key Takeaway
It is important to understand the shift
towards app based content discovery,
especially with pending ad blocking of
the mobile web.
Reconsider your mobile app strategy to
align the seamless connection of online
behavioral data with location to drive
real time marketing experiences.

8. SOCIAL MEDIA TO SOCIAL MESSAGING
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Intimate Connections
Consumer behavior is shifting towards
intimate connection vs. broad reaching
social platforms. As a result, messaging
apps, like SnapChat are dominating
engagement with key demographics.
Messenger applications will also focus on
enabling customer service and serve as a
primary commerce hub for publishers such
as Facebook.
Key Takeaway
Messaging apps require an “enabling”
approach vs. social personification or brand
messaging. Consider sponsored brand
chats, stickers and emoji to connect with
consumers via these platforms. Also, we will
begin to see the rise of micro messaging
branded applications similar to WeChat
campaigns.

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10. AGE VS. STAGE
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Shift from Demographics
Most segmentation is age
based, especially when it comes
to marketing to millennials and
soon to centennials.
We have found through our
proprietary transactional data
that life stage matters more than
age when it comes to contextual
marketing.
Key Takeaway
Consider segmentation via life
stage vs. age to effectively
market to millennials and focus
on creating segments of one.

11. VOICE QUERY OPTIMIZATION
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Predictive Search
2016 will see the need to define
predictive search strategies based
on the rise of voice query input
devices.
Siri, Amazon Echo, Cortana are all
voice enabled virtual assistants that
will power a shift in search
discovery.
Key Takeaway
Begin considering a predictive
search strategy, such as integrating
with Google Now in preparation for
this pending shift in consumer
behavior and expand beyond
traditional search and retrieval
optimization.

12. DARK DATA
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Location + Behavior
Dark data is operational data that is
not being used. 2016 will see a rise in
solutions that leverage dark data.
The key is to align and understand
consumer patterns and habits through
the analysis through machine learning
algorithms that drive real time
decisions.
Dark data can incorporate online
behavioral data and location to create
exceptional experiences.
Key Takeaway
Consider defining a data strategy that
maximizes key insights from dark data
to create compelling mobile
moments.

13. DARK SOCIAL
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Offline Sharing
The rise of social messaging sharing
engagement is driven by dark social.
Dark social is the sharing activity that
happens behind the scenes.
It’s the culmination of referrals and
sharing of content that originates form
instant messages, e-mails containing links
and ephemeral social communication
platforms.
91% of Americans share information via
dark social methods.
Key Takeaway
It’s important to consider the impact that
dark social may have on your brand
programs and how you will map
attribution to maximize the value of dark
social sharing.

14. BRANDED PODCASTS
10 Consumers Are Listening
46 million Americans and 100 million globally
listen to podcasts each month with the
numbers accelerating.
A larger number of companies such as
General Electric, IBM & Callaway Golf are
investing in content creation on the medium.
Accessibility to episodic content has been a
key driver in consumer podcast engagement.
Key Takeaways
The key to executing successful brand
podcasts is to understand the potential
audience and create a compelling experience
that consumers will want to engage with.
It is a medium where a brand can experiment
and see what resonates then build towards a
sustainable audience.

15. NON-LINEAR STORYTELLING
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Choose Your Own Adventure
Investment in Video creation and
distribution will continue to increase in
2016. We will also see the rise of non-
linear interactive video platforms such as
Interlude.
Brand marketers are turning to platforms
that can support non-linear video
viewing, which opens up new possibilities
to create unique contextual paths and
experiences for users to engage with the
video storyline that is most relevant for
them.
Key Takeaways
Giving the consumer control over
interactive video provides higher
engagement rates when compared to
linear video. Consider how non-linear
storytelling can create optimize existing
linear content.

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17. RISE OF 360 DEGREE VIDEO
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Immersive Experiences
Facebook launched support for 360-degree
video last September and recently
announced that it is now supported via
mobile.
Videos can be viewed without a VR viewer,
but the experience is ideal with some form of
VR hardware.
Note that apps are now available that support
consumer created 360 degree content.
Key Takeaways
Companies such as GoPro, Discovery and
Star Wars are all experimenting with
immersive 360-degree content. If your brand
supports events, is an extension of lifestyle or
has a unique presence that 360-degree video
can enhance then it may be worth testing.

18. GESTURE BASED INTERFACES
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Motion Controlled Connections
Wearables of all types were crowd pleasers at
various trade shows in 2015, but to date most
wearables have primarily served as passive
data collection devices. This year, the
progression of gesture-based interfaces is
one to watch.
An example is Logbar’s Gesture control ring.
The simplicity of Ring and its ability to
interface with an IoT-powered smart home
and beyond is one example of a gesture-
based interface.
Key Takeaways
Gesture-based interfaces could provide a fun
and engaging way for marketers to connect
physical to digital worlds allowing consumers
to interactive with everyday electronics
without ever having to touch a device.

19. EMOTIVE ROBOTICS
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iRobot???
Emotive robotics is based on systems and
devices that can recognize, interpret,
process, and simulate elements of human
behavior. We’re on the cusp of emotive
robotics entering the home in 2016.
An example of an emotive robot is Jibo,
praised as the first “family robot.” Jibo and
other emotive robots could aggregate
Internet of Things (IOT) sensors and serve as
the central nervous system of the home.
Key Takeaways
For digital marketers, emotive robotics opens
up new possibilities for delivering highly
contextual content and could serve as an
access point into IoT-based behavioral data.

20. VIRTUAL REALITY
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Presence + Technology
On a recent earnings call, Facebook
founder Mark Zuckerberg called Virtual
Reality (VR) the next evolution of
computing and now we’re on the verge
of VR hardware being readily available for
early consumer adopters.
VR replicates an environment that
stimulates physical presence in real or
imagined worlds. Brands such as Volvo,
Coca-Cola and Red Bull are actively
experimenting with VR.
Key Takeaways
VR will enable brands and marketers to
drive attention and enable consumers.
VR experiences are ideal for branded
integrations as they are tied to the
mobile device and can extend immersive
content experience.

21. HOLOGRAPHIC COMPUTING
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Mixed Reality
Holographic computing, sometimes called
mixed reality, is a form of augmented reality
(AR) where users can spatially interact with
digital overlays. A recent forecast from Citi
analysts highlighted the future of the VR/AR
industry, and their view is that AR
technologies will be most likely to disrupt
major digital markets.
Many organizations are exploring mixed
reality solutions. One that has garnered a lot
of attention is Microsoft, with Hololens.
Hololens produces interactive holograms that
augment the existing physical world.
Key Takeaways
The potential application for brand marketers
is incredibly exciting as AR represents a blank
canvas against the physical world. The
developer beta starts in January 2016 and
Epsilon will be active in the program.

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