25 Expert Predictions on What To Expect in 2024
What do you think will be the big tech trends of 2024? Generative AI looks set to gain more momentum, but what will that mean for everyday users? VR adoption is slowly rising, but what about AR, and the next stage of digital connection? Will X shut down? Will TikTok be banned? There are many questions, and nobody knows for sure how everything’s going to play out, but here’s a list of the most common predictions, from over 700 analysts, as to what they believe we’ll see in the next 12 months.
Our Take: We’re a year into mainstream AI adaptation, so expect a wild ride in 2024.
Google To Disable Third-Party Cookies For 1% Of Chrome Users
Google has announced it will begin phasing out support for third-party cookies in Chrome by disabling them for 1% of users starting in Q1 2024. This initial deprecation comes ahead of a broader phase-out for all Chrome users by Q3 2024.
Our Take: We covered this on a recent podcast, but after years of talk Google is finally starting to walk the walk. And speaking of …
How Generative AI Could Solve the Cookie deprecation puzzle
As the death of the cookie nears, marketers will need to have a better handle on their data, a task that AI might be able to handle. Much of advertising’s focus on generative AI to date has centered on the ability to create text and image assets that can be produced quickly and help marketers meet longtime goals around personalization-at-scale. But the ability of AI to sift through and analyze data with incredible speed and accuracy could help marketers make up for the signal loss created by cookie deprecation.
Our Take: 2024 is going to be quite the year for AI and analytics.
Netflix’s ad tier gathers momentum as it continues to evolve
After a somewhat bumpy start, Netflix’s advertising business appears to be gathering steady momentum. In Q4, the segment experienced a rate of growth comparable to the prior quarter while adding a chunk of new users to achieve 23 million MAUs (monthly active users).
Our Take: Netflix jumping into live events with their recently announced WWE deal should definitely attract eyeballs.
Gaming once again proves useful to advertisers
Gaming streaming platform Twitch delivers above-average performance in terms of brand recall and preference, according to a recent report from Dentsu. With the gaming market projected to be worth $320 billion by 2026, knowing how to reach gamers could provide brands with a boost in advertising performance.
Our Take: Advertising on gaming platforms like Twitch isn’t as straight-forward as say Google or Facebook, but it’s hard to argue with the numbers: Ads aired during livestreams on gaming platforms deliver an average brand recall of 57%, significantly higher than the norm on other services.
BeReal Adds New Feed of Celebrities and Brands as It Looks To Reignite Interest
Despite seemingly losing its growth momentum, along with its status as the app of the moment, BeReal says that it’s not done just yet, with a new update set to see celebrities and brands get their own specific focus in-stream.
Our Take: We still hold a special place in our hearts for BeReal, but doubt this turns the tide for them.
YouTube Says Thumbnail A/B Testing Option Is Coming Soon
YouTube’s thumbnail testing option will enable creators to upload three thumbnail variations for each video, then run them in a comparative test for up to two weeks. From there, you’ll be able to choose the best-performing attention-grabber, which could be another way to improve video engagement.
Our Take: Thumbnails are often key to getting a users interest on the platform, so this is a welcome addition.
Headlines Are Now Returning to Link Previews on X
Some good news for the new year, with post headlines now beginning to reappear on link previews posted to X once again. They’re just now coming back to the web version of the app, with other platforms to follow, with the headline now in a slightly different place, and the preview text not shown.
Our Take: This was a weird change to begin with, makes sense they’d come back. Feels like something that could have been tested with a small group of users first?
