The five most important marketing priorities

The dominance of content marketing—which was the clear winner across all target groups last year—will be challenged in 2017 by an increasing focus on transparency, metrics, and targeted advertising. The clear distinction between the priorities of the individual target groups highlights the fact that while attention-grabbing advertising is a must, its results are no less important. The demand for a reliable return on investment and transparency regarding performance has become more important than ever before, as shown in the latest study by Newbase 93 % of marketing professionals worldwide reported this. The demand for transparency is growing in the industry, with 96 % of marketing professionals worldwide agreeing that better collaboration and greater transparency are needed among agencies, brands, publishers, and adtech companies.These Are the Five Top Global Marketing Priorities for 20171. Content Marketing2. ROI and Transparency3. Accurate Measurement of User Numbers4. Personalized Advertising5. Programmatic Targeting

Source: Newbase As brands„ share of the digital marketing ecosystem and their capabilities in this area grow, they are becoming a driving force for innovation and change within the industry in 2017. They are demanding greater transparency regarding their media spending and clearer information about their media expenditures. ”Trust” is the current buzzword in this context—both in relation to technology providers and the advertising environment, as well as data. This is reflected in the top priorities of marketing professionals at brand companies: ROI and transparency.As brands and agencies focus on results-driven approaches, publishers are developing their content marketing strategies, with 61 % ranking them as a priority (compared to 45 % last year). At the same time, there is a wave of investment in content-driven services on the part of publishers, which explains why nine out of ten publishers agree that content marketing will inevitably bring about structural change in the media and marketing sectors.Publishers are interested in sharing in advertising revenue; as brands make moves, publishers follow suit—there are clear signs that this year’s brand priorities will be taken up by publishers next year.The need among brands and agencies for clear reporting and greater transparency in digital marketing is further supported by the figures regarding visibility and the challenge posed by fraudulent traffic. This year saw the highest year-over-year increase, with a jump from 15 % to 24 %. Accurate audience measurement has also shown a significant upward trend over the past twelve months, rising from 33 % to 41 %. Notably, there is a strong need for reliable, independent, and trustworthy metrics: An overwhelming majority of 90 % believe that a third-party standard for digital audiences is needed—and most respondents (54 %) believe that industry bodies should be responsible for its implementation and oversight.