Mark Griffiths.
The AdNews end of year Perspectives, looking back at 2024 and forward to next year.
Mark Griffiths, Commercial Lead ANZ, On Device
Measurement in advertising has always been important - but in 2024 it really took centre stage.
This year brought us significant recalibration in the way marketers, brands, and media owners approached data and effectiveness. Economic pressures and ongoing debates around privacy left many asking the same questions: are we measuring the right things?; and are our tools fit for purpose in a world increasingly defined by uncertainty?
Despite the challenges, 2024 did create cause for optimism - a time when we all saw forward-thinking brands leaning into innovation to recalibrate their measurement approaches and better adjust to a tougher economic environment.
It was also a time to reflect on what advertisers need most: clarity and adaptability. Economic uncertainty put marketers under pressure to deliver measurable results, but at the same time, changing privacy laws disrupted the systems we designed to track effectiveness.
This forced brands to revisit what measurement actually means. For many, it was an opportunity to let go of vanity metrics like click-through rates and embrace more meaningful measures of success.
We saw marked growth in the ability to measure holistically and consistently in the cross media space. From our own perspective, this has been a key focus with all of our major projects, particularly as budgets get tighter and the demand for measurement gets higher as marketers need to accurately prove their results in an increasingly fragmented market.
The industry has also seen a positive shift away from short-term measurement and more towards the metrics that matter. Overall, this should give businesses a longer-term view of media success and an increased ability to plan more successful campaigns.
It’s also been a fairly big year in terms of the wider measurement and media landscape. Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels have become far more common, along with the growth of ad-supported streaming video on demand (SOVD). After much fanfare, VOZ finally launched in Australia and Foxtel have announced it will no longer be a part of OzTAM come 2025.
All things being said - it’s become an incredibly complicated space.
Looking ahead, 2025 promises to be just as complex, but I believe we’re entering the next phase of measurement evolution - one that will necessarily be defined by privacy compliance.
The rise of privacy regulation, such as Australia’s proposed updates to the Privacy Act, is no longer a distant issue for the measurement community. It’s here, and it’s forcing the entire industry to rethink how data is collected, analysed, and applied. In my view, measurement must evolve to become smarter, more passive, and more precise.
It’s passive measurement in particular that I would like to see some improvement in. This is an essential part of defining accurate measurement, alongside a consistent methodology when it comes to examining media across multiple channels. In other words, comparing apples with apples will continue to be key.
That being said, the exact changes to the Privacy Act are yet to be confirmed. There are still cloudy skies ahead in this space, which have left many businesses uncertain of what their next steps should be.
These changes are also set against an increasingly complex macroeconomic backdrop. Domestically, one of the major concerns for Australians is the enduring cost of living crisis, with many still waiting for a rate cut from the Reserve Bank of Australia.
There are also international pressures with Donald Trump’s re-election in America and his stated intention to introduce tariffs, which have the potential to impact global supply chains. Again, there is still some uncertainty around what is actually going to pass, which is impacting domestic consumer confidence.
These forces combined make for an extremely difficult environment for businesses to plot their strategies over the next 12 months.
From a personal perspective as well, the increased complexity hasn’t made it easy on consumers. Broadcasters are still struggling with frequency capping issues, with the same ads being served in every ad break. Amazon Prime’s launch of ads was an unhappy surprise to the many consumers who realised they were paying the same price to then have ads served to them - with the only option to pay more in order to get rid of them.
The sports landscape has also become frustratingly fragmented, with fans needing to subscribe to multiple platforms, such as Apple, Optus Sport, Stan Sport, Paramount Plus and more, in order to follow their favourite sports. This fragmentation isn’t sustainable, is more expensive and is testing consumer patience - I would like to see some reflection on this from the major platforms come next year.
But there is still plenty to be hopeful about. Digital audio, radio and podcasts have continued to build their growth, and I anticipate that will continue into the new year.
There are also a number of channels on the rise, such as CTV, retail media and OOH, all of which have had incredible years - and believe it or not, print is far from dead. We’re seeing that print still has a loyal engaged audience capable of delivering positive campaign results.
We are seeing good growth with brands using smart tech to measure the impact of OOH, which is essential when we consider the growth of programmatic buying in this space - meaning clients are no longer getting 100% of a site 100% of a time. Instead, the focus has shifted towards having your ads seen in the right place, by the right person and at the right time.
With these changes, it’s imperative that the industry gets their ducks in a row in regards to accurate measurement in order for brands to define success accurately. It’s multi-channel campaigns that will deliver better results - and this should be a priority for any marketer come 2025.
The challenge for marketers in 2025 will be twofold: to adopt technologies that are not only compliant but also future-proof, and to remain resilient in the face of constant change.
The good news is that these challenges also bring opportunity. The brands that thrive in 2025 will be those that embrace innovation, lean into precision measurement, and understand the power of consumer trust. As we step into 2025, we’re excited to help the industry find that clarity, one campaign, one data point, and one breakthrough at a time.
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