The Ultimate Content Countdown 2021

We are nearing the end of an eventful 2021, and given the course of the year, here at StackAdapt we have a lot of insightful content to reflect on. As per our annual tradition, we are doing our content countdown to recap our most impactful, and relevant insights from the year, so you’ll be all set to take on 2022.

Throughout 2020 we saw many shifts in consumer behaviour and notable trends in ad messaging and creative approaches, and those shifts and trends continued to evolve throughout 2021. Our countdown is highlighting 10 content pieces—but of course, there are plenty more gems to discover on our blog, so the insights don’t stop here! 

So, let’s dig in to this year’s ultimate content countdown:

10. Digital Marketing Strategies to Navigate the New Norm

Since the start of the pandemic, consumer engagement online has surged and shoppers have developed new habits that are likely to stick around. As a result, marketers have learned the importance of pivoting their strategies with confidence, and aligning with the behaviours of the target audience they are interested in engaging with. We’ve identified 3 key learning opportunities from the last year to help you navigate today’s unique landscape and seamlessly pivot your marketing strategies.

9. Understanding the Differences Between CTV and OTT Advertising

Streamed television content has become an exciting opportunity for digital campaigns. But as you integrate streaming TV into your digital strategy, it’s important to understand how this type of content fits into the digital media landscape. The terms over-the-top (OTT) and connected TV (CTV) are sometimes used interchangeably or confused with each other, likely because they do refer to related aspects of digital advertising for television. Understanding CTV and OTT will help you to speak confidently about CTV advertising and choose a DSP that offers the right functionality.

8. Benefits of Programmatic Audio Advertising

The popularity of streaming audio content is on the rise, with podcasts, audiobooks, music and playlists all available to listen to through mobile devices. This year, 65.3% of Americans (218.6M) are listening to digital audio monthly. This screen-free entertainment offers a unique opportunity to connect with this growing audience, right in their ears, through programmatic audio. Learn how you can integrate programmatic audio into a holistic marketing plan to connect with digital audio listeners.

7. Targeting Without Cookies? Time to Embrace Contextual Advertising

With consumer demand and new regulations around online privacy—now is the perfect time to consider targeting methods like contextual advertising. Contextual advertising aims to ensure ads are relevant to the content of a page, enabling the ads to reach users who are in a receptive frame of mind. As the advertising industry continues to move toward a cookieless world, the role of contextual will continue to grow, bringing innovation and new opportunities. Catch up on the basics of contextual advertising and how it can be leveraged for the best campaign performance results.

6. Life in AdTech: Crafting a Progressive Engineering Culture

Every month, we showcase incredible StackAdapters in our blog series “Life in AdTech.” Our teams are at the forefront of innovation, with everyone playing a vital role in providing the best product and service to our clients. In this edition of Life in Adtech, we get an inside look at what it’s like to be a Front End Engineer at StackAdapt. Iris Li shares her journey into adtech, why engineering is critical to the success of the StackAdapt platform, and how her team approaches ideas that are then collaboratively implemented. 

5. Strategies for Harnessing Travel and Tourism

In recent months, we’ve seen the effects of the pandemic slowing across regions of the US. As a result, more domestic destinations are reopening and travel restrictions are beginning to lift. People are excited to go see the family and friends they’ve missed and are feeling more comfortable with travelling to those long awaited reunions. And for others, now is the time to start planning trips that will make up for their missed and cancelled vacations of 2020. In the coming months and years, travel and tourism will bounce back, which means travel marketing is ramping up. Learn how you can navigate changing restrictions around tourism, with travel marketing strategies that embrace change.

4. How to Champion the Channel: Connected TV Advertising

CTV is becoming a widespread mode of media consumption, and digital marketers are taking notice. Becoming an expert of this channel will help to open up new opportunities in the digital landscape, and will help you win over more client dollars. By owning enthusiasm around CTV you will be able to champion it for your client, specifically as you pull or redirect linear TV budgets, and integrate CTV into your media mix. Here, we share 7 key reasons why advertisers are finding CTV gives them a competitive advantage.

3. How to Attract Customer Attention in a Fragmented Digital Landscape

Consumers today use various devices and channels, often flipping between them or multi-tasking. For example, a person may be browsing online while streaming their favourite show on a connected TV device. Because users encounter so much media throughout the course of a day, their attention is often fragmented. With so many touch points, there is more competition for the attention of your desired audience. For marketers, this means reaching the right customers, at the right time, in the right place, and when they are in the right frame of mind is a challenge. Discover how to attract customer attention in a fragmented media landscape with these 5 essential tips.

2. Build Brand Affinity With Contextual Advertising

Brand affinity is becoming increasingly important. Research shows that consumers, especially millennials, are 4 times more likely to purchase from a company that is purpose-driven. Globally, 94% of consumers say it is important that the companies they engage with have a strong purpose, and 83% say companies should only earn a profit if they also deliver a positive impact. It’s clear that modern consumers are looking to support companies that they feel are aligned with their values, and are advancing progress on important issues. Learn how adding contextual advertising to your digital strategy can help build brand affinity, setting the foundation for consumer trust.

1. Programmatic Features for Political Campaign Advertising

The elections are just around the corner, which means the time to execute your political campaigns is fast approaching. Your ideal technology partner should have a deep understanding of digital ad laws and compliance within the political space. But it’s important to consider all the tools you’ll need to run your campaign, and ensure that your DSP offers the ones you’ll want to leverage. Here, we share programmatic features that marketers need to run a successful political ad campaign in the next election cycle.