CMDC Media Digest, 2015-2016

64 Media Channels CANADIAN MEDIA DIRECTORS COUNCIL Contributed by Shelley Smit President UM Canada The Evolution of Content Consumption The broadcast centric media experience is quickly being redefined for a mobile first world According to comScore four out of every five mobile users in Canada now own a smartphone with over 30 using their devices while watching TV Media Technology Monitor reports that tablet penetration has grown 21 over the past year with one in two English Canadians now owning a tablet Mass adoption of smartphones and tablets 158 million Canadians is transforming how we create content search for information read stories listen to audio and watch video in ways that are more immediate personal and engaging Digging a bit deeper into mobile video comScore reveals that 86 million Canadians are now watching video every month on a mobile device Google states that more than half of the 26 billion videos Canadians watch on YouTube every month are on mobile devices while daily watch time is up 50 year over year In parallel Facebook video has quadrupled in Canada in less than a year with more than 75 of all Facebook video views now happening on mobile Theres no debate that short length mobile video consumption is skyrocketing THE MOBILE ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY As mobile ad spend expands at a triple digit growth rate nearing 1 billion in Canada IAB Canadian Internet Advertising Revenue Survey theres still a great divide between mobile time spent 50 of total digital time and corresponding mobile ad spend which equates to only 25 of digital dollars There are still several barriers including production budgets and measurement challenges However were seeing solid growth across new mobile inventory sources more economical creative services stronger performance versus desktop and a meaningful evolution to mobile first ad formats most notably around the notion of native advertising Off the back of Facebook and Twitter our connections to the world the growth of ad placements designed to resemble the look and feel of news feed content is overtaking traditional ad sizes Major publishers have raced to catch up with the mobile ad format innovation spurred on by platforms Driven by the mobile experience short format autoplay newsfeed ads are quickly becoming an emerging video standard Telling a story by using the mobile screen as a canvas and incorporating functionality like touch gestures or snapping a photo can transform a passive ad experience into an interactive one Being relevant by tapping into people based data whether thats detecting the consumers location or real time social conversation can trigger timely mobile messaging in the moments that matter magic that was only a pipedream a few short years ago Finally our constant companions have not only transformed how we communicate with each other and consume content theyre also enabling new ways to shop From product carousels and shop now buttons on social ads to product inventory ads on Google Search and shoppable hotspots on video the collision of mobile advertising with retail is upon us THE WAY FORWARD Mobile presents many implications for agencies and brands Now more than ever we can create closer relationships with consumers through mobile However the complexity of the ever changing ecosystem requires the curiosity courage and expertise to take big bets and catch up with the consumer who in many cases is much further ahead than our existing capabilities How do we move forward Dont overthink Mobile can add value to marketing plans in both big and small tactical ways Search social and digital video is multiplatform by nature Start learning there and then evolve to leverage the specific strengths of mobile technology and data to build even greater impact Most of all dont wait As consumers were already there DIGITAL MOBILE