2017 Recap
2017 was a tough year for MOST ad supported companies not named Facebook or Google
Of course Google and Facebook stole more share with Amazon gaining traction
Facebook is having issues and they are not the darling of the internet anymore
The success of the TV upfront hurt Digital
It became harder for publishers to get traffic as Google and FB continue to constantly adjust their algorithms
Though Programmatic remained strong in 2017 for most publishers though fewer partners
Direct advertising continues to hurt in Q4 2017 and publishers still need to evolve to better help marketers
Marketers moved back to safety and better attribution metrics provided by FB & Google
Publishers started to ask themselves some new questions about their future
Agencies are still in flux and looking to reinvent themselves as advertisers go in-house and require more transparency
Ad tech saw the beginning of some fire sales and others start to decline -- clean up starts
Though, Ad Tech saw some positives like Moat and The Trade Desk
Digital Sales organization changes are starting to happen/evolve across the industry
2018 Thoughts
Hard to be a non-endemic publisher in 2018 with so many issues to think about
Publishers need to go beyond ad sales -- diversify with subscriptions, commerce and/or branded content
Podcasts and all things audio/voice take a big chunk out of publishing readership
Viewability was improved by Publishers but marketers did not really respond with increased spend
GDPR & ePrivacy will impact publishers 2018
As they always do, Agencies will evolve again in 2018 with a real focus on data and analytics
Ad tech will also have a hard 2018 with blockchain looming in the distance
Google, Facebook, Amazon continue to distance themselves from the rest of the ecosystem
More stuff that needs to be figured out in 2018
Marketers have much to do while focusing more on DR metrics and lifetime value of the customer
Triopoly -- Google, Facebook & Amazon continue to grow; though some think that Facebook has peaked
TV upfront will be down after a successful 2017 forcing marketers to reevaluate their marketing mix
Marketers are still seeking full funnel attribution across the entirety of their spend
Desperate mid-major publisher look aggressively for Other Than Advertising (OTA) revenue streams
Google is well positioned in 2018
Blockchain is coming, but not for a while
How do Publishers make it actionable
More conversations need to happen between publishers
More collaboration ideas need to happen between publishers
Publishers need to speak out more and more
Publishers talk other companies in the ecosystem -- consulting houses, Wal-Mart and brand safety as three examples
Publishers need to diversify and create Consumer-centric experiences