CSA 2024 Outlook

In today’s ever-changing data and tech landscape, it feels as if decades of evolution occur over the frame of a single month. As we come to the end of 2023, we face an outlook that looks starkly different from a year ago, when generative AI was just entering the public lexicon and had yet to transform the marketing industry and the world at large. With ever-changing regulations and an overabundance of services and products, staying on top of the current state of the latest data & tech developments – let alone the future of this space – is a gargantuan task.

It’s this constant state of transformation and evolution that led us to launch CSA earlier this year – Havas’ technology, data, and analytics company. With a vision of combining our unique understanding of our client’s business with the depth of data and tech expertise within our network, we brought together an incredible global team to provide an integrated, comprehensive approach to guide our clients through this everchanging landscape.??

We’re so proud of CSA’s 300+ data scientists, data engineers, machine learning and AI experts, behavioral economists, digital technology specialists, and data strategy consultants across the globe. These experts have their fingers on the pulse of the data and tech landscape, and we’re pleased to share with you the first-ever CSA Outlook – sharing four key areas of focus for organizations to ensure they have a data and tech strategy in place to excel in 2024 and beyond.???

— Jamie Seltzer , Global EVP CSA & MX Analytics?

The Cookie’s demise is in sight, and it’s time to get your house in order.??

The deprecation of the third-party cookie can feel like a ‘boy who cried wolf’ scenario – with plans to phase out third-party cookies announced in 2020 and consistently delayed over the following years. However, in 2024 the cookie’s days are numbered. Additionally, the European Union’s Digital Markets Act sets a compliance deadline for Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft by March of 2024 – including consent for the use of 1st party cookies and tracking on websites, apps, and other connected platforms. By the end of the year, Chrome will finally drop third-party cookies.??

What does this mean for marketers??

“It’s time to get your house in order and ensure that you have some fundamental consent and measurement technologies in place to prepare for the demise of the third-party cookie,” Angus Hamilton , Chief Technology Officer of Search Laboratory (now Havas Market UK) , Part of Havas Media Network , shared.??

A compliant and comprehensive approach to preparing for the cookie’s demise includes:?

• Using a Consent Management Platform to ensure your banner and privacy policy are up to date and full consent is collected from complements.??
• Implementing Google’s Advanced Consent Mode to manage consent across analytic and ad platforms.
• Ensuring site-wide analytics tagging to maximize value from 1st party data.
• Implementing Facebook Conversions API Gateway and Google’s Enhanced Conversions to safeguard user privacy.?

We’re moving from a programmatic era in media activation to a predictive one.?

While the third-party cookie’s days are numbered, marketers have a wealth of new resources at their disposal to not only adapt but thrive in this cookieless future.??

“Brands that don’t implement a first-party data strategy for media will be left behind in the new predictive era of media activation,” shared Bede Feltham , Managing Partner, MarTech and Data Strategy, CSA UK.??

First-party data (media clicks, site traffic, CRM, in-store data) will become a primary and integral resource for marketers. This first-party data can then be consolidated and used in conjunction with AI and machine learning to discover patterns and predict the best actions to meet customers’ expectations. This new predictive future for media activation will allow audiences to be activated on the right channel at the right time and will allow us to measure in a more fragmented world.?

AI-driven creative analytics offers a new frontier for marketing optimization.??

It’s no surprise that artificial intelligence dominates our outlook for 2024, and in the new year we will see AI not only inform the channel through which consumers are reached, but also the optimization and personalization of creative.??

“AI will supercharge creative design and optimization with unprecedented insights, refining media experiences with agile and personalized content that makes campaigns smarter and more effective,” shared SHIJIN WU , VP, Decision Sciences, CSA North America.??

Advancements in generative AI, computer vision, natural language processing, and neural networks will unlock new opportunities across the creative process – from intelligence gathering through audience experience:?

• Intelligence:?Generative AI will analyze vast amounts of data to identify emerging trends, speeding up intelligence and research and helping creative strategists and analysts stay ahead of the curve and produce content that resonates with current consumer preferences.?
• Insights: Computer vision will enable advanced analysis of creative features to determine the drivers of performance, with natural language processing and neural network AI models gauging the emotional impact of creative.?
• Decision making:?AI will assist in forecasting the in-market success of creative and its lifespan, enabling organizations to allocate resources more efficiently to improve creative design and optimize creative rotations.??
• Personalization: Dynamic content creation will become more prevalent, allowing businesses to adapt their creative strategies based on real-time user interactions and feedback.??

At Havas Media Network, we believe that meaningful media experiences lie at the convergence of “Three C’s” that form the basis of our planning framework – Connection, Context, and Content. AI-driven creative analytics is poised to directly impact the content that consumers engage with; these newfound insights will inform the best messages and formats to capture attention.??

The need for a comprehensive data strategy will be more imperative than ever.??

While we are living in a time of limitless data-driven opportunities for marketers, this progress also presents newfound sources of risk. As the use of data multiplies and diversifies, the potential for risk increases in turn, necessitating a governance policy that is integrated into data strategy. This comprehensive approach fosters newfound usage of data while keeping the associated risk under control.?

“A comprehensive data strategy will be the difference between success and failure for organizations,” shared Alfonso Salafranca Laforga , Measurement Director, CSA Spain. “With less data available, and more possibilities for risk, a thoughtful and coordinated approach is essential to succeeding in this rapidly changing landscape.”?

As artificial intelligence garners an influx in usage and public attention, we can also expect to see increased regulation to address the lack of transparency in terms of origin of data and subsequent sharing.??

“It’s essential that organizations stay abreast of the latest legal frameworks surrounding AI, ensuring that their usage is compliant and pays respect to concerns regarding intellectual property, data protection, privacy, cybersecurity, and bias,” shared Dmitry A. Alekseev , Data & Digital Counsel, Latam Head of Legal, Havas Media Network.??

While the rapidly changing data and tech landscape can feel overwhelming, this evolution ultimately presents extensive opportunities that, when deployed comprehensively and responsibly, will offer more creative and engaging media experiences for consumers that deliver meaningfully for brands.??

“AI and emerging tech are empowering marketers like never before,” shared Purnima RAVI, Global Executive Data Director, Havas Media Network. “Our experts work to find the unique approach that allows clients to perform their job with improved efficiency and additional knowledge to make informed decisions.”?

If you’re interested in discussing how CSA can help your organization succeed in 2024 and beyond, please contact Jamie Seltzer: [email protected].??