MediaPost: Predictions—Buy Direct On Google, Verified Reviews, Data Security, Cookieless Standards

Zoom became a verb in 2020. Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet and Facebook will be in better shape next year than most companies. The five are expected to generate “an additional $160 billion in combined revenues, as the world struggles to get past the pandemic.

Amid a pandemic, the online industry — advertising and marketing — moved at warp speed, forming a work-at-home and play-at-home culture that propelled ecommerce and online services, such as video streaming and conferencing.

China shut down manufacturing in July and locked down residents by closing stores and borders, stalling manufacturing and causing a shortage of some products, such as Sony’s and Microsoft’s game consoles.

On the innovation front, cloud services jumped in acceptance to support ecommerce and streaming video. Consumers faced new realities, like buy more online and pick-up curbside. Restaurants reinvented business models with online ordering and delivery options. Google aided brands, such as L’Oréal, to implement augmented reality to help consumers try on makeup in the colors they love.

What’s in store for 2021? Here are some predictions from experts across the industry.

Share of Search Replaces Share Of Voice: Anand Siddiqui, global vice president of insights and analytics, Captify, thinks the industry will see an evolution in the type of metrics brands used to measure the impact of advertising. For example, volume alone should not be a proxy for intent. He expects share of search to replace share of voice when measuring interest and intent. Share of Search answers “why” and “what happens next” as consumers move further through their purchase journey, giving brands a much more immediate view of the world.

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