Page 57 - PR Communication Age January-June2020

5 Ad Tech PR Predictions for 2020

N ot every tech PR agency is familiar with the ad will drive the news cycle and create ad tech PR opportuni-

tech category, but it keeps growing in size and
ties for companies in the category? Here are four predic-
significance. The boom comes thanks to data pri-
tions based on conversations I've had with clients, col-
vacy concerns and the call from major advertis-
ers for greater transparency and control over leagues, journalists, and analysts.
their digital advertising. CCPA is the latest privacy regulation

The California Consumer Privacy Act or "CCPA," finally takes
To some, ad tech is a baffling alphabet soup of acronyms, effect on January 1, 2020. Like GDPR, it will dominate the
like DMP, DSP, SSP, and CCPA. For us, it's a huge and grow- news cycle for months, with media wondering about en-
ing part of our business and an exciting category. The op- forcement, who's compliant (or not) and overall industry
portunities are expanding.
impact. In fact, a quick scan of Google Trends shows us that
consumer interest in CCPA is rising as we approach January
Ad Tech Industry Changes Drive PR Op- - so media will follow.
portunities
As an industry, ad tech saw considerable change in 2019. A
patchwork of privacy regulations has challenged all the
major players. At the same time, browser companies like
Apple, Mozilla and Google have taken aim at cookie-based
tracking. These changes set up occasions for lively public
discussions for clients. As channels, Connected TV (CTV) and
streaming media (over-the-top, or OTT) surged this year,
with more advertisers investing in these platforms than ever
before. CTV ad spend alone will rise to $7 billion by year's
end. It's a fertile newsjacking opportunity for ad tech companies
who want to present themselves as good corporate citizens,
or to downplay the business effect of CCPA, or simply to
Media covered these areas accordingly. Compliance, privacy
and ITP/cookie-tracking weren't just the domain of market- show leadership on the issue of privacy. My recommenda-
ing and ad tech trade press. The issues drove headlines tion: rather than conduct phone interviews around a topic
this sensitive, develop prepared content in the form of a
more broadly, across business and top-tier technology me-
whitepaper or blog to share with media contacts.
dia. The power of CTV and OTT advertising was also cov-
ered as consumer adoption has grown. Savvy PR pros took
advantage of the storytelling opportunities, inserting a cli- DOOH is hot
ent point of view on large issues and building thought capi- Digital Out of Home (DOOH), ads on digital signs in subways,
tal to distinguish them from competitors. airports, shopping centers, and more, will step into the
spotlight in 2020. It's taking a bigger chunk of Out of Home
But what can we expect in 2020? What industry changes (OOH) ad spending as more inventory becomes available.

PR COMMUNICATION AGE January - June 2020 57