Canadian advertisers forecast 2016 marketing trends

At the end of 2015, the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) asked experts to name the trends they think will shape Canada's advertising industry in 2016.

In the media industry:

2016 will see Connected TV (CTV) come into its own as an effective and scaled solution to reach an increasingly fragmented audience.

2015 was the first year advertisers tuned in to programmatic TV. In 2016, it will be ready for primetime.

Advertisers will have to put their existing TV plans at the heart of their cross-screen efforts.

In agency management:

2015 saw an unprecedented number of global media accounts up for review and the uncertainty in media will continue as contracts will be under the microscope.

Advertisers will place greater emphasis on defining how agencies collaborate together and look for ways to redefine the "agency of record" relationship %u2013 appointing "lead" agencies as a way to align teams.

Transparency remains at the top of marketers' agenda:

The market will rally around solutions that address ad fraud, viewability, piracy and ad blocking.

Newspaper and magazine audience metrics and measurements will continue to evolve and improve.

Advertisers will seek insights and solutions to better understand and address the effects of ad blocking on media investments.

On sponsorship trends and sponsorship activations:

Canada's 150th birthday will be a hot property for marketers.

Technology will change how sponsorship activations are measured.

As these activation budgets get tighter and tighter, more integration within sponsors' departments is expected.

Social media will fall as a target of activation investment.

For more information, contact ACA.