At the Supernova conference, held last June in San Francisco, Google’s Global VP of Sales and Operations Sheryl Sandberg gave a presentation entitled “What’s next for advertising?”, in which she analysed the direction in which the online ad business was heading.
What’s next in online advertising?
After talking about how Google’s approach to advertising has changed over the years, from being advertiser-focused to user-focused, Sheryl Sandberg addressed the current trends in consumer trends, putting the accent on two chief changes. The first is how social networks now play an important role in how users treat information –comment pages, blogs and ratings are now just as essential as website content in the decision-making process when buying a new car or booking a holiday, for instance. The second is the fact that users are now not only consuming content but also creating it themselves, which ties in with the first point.
Three key points
According to Sheryl Sandberg, online advertisers will have to make an effort to create a one-to-one experience for their users –rather like Westin Hotels & Resorts has done with its new advertising campaign in the States, which rather than dwell on the hotel’s amenities, convey what guests will feel at any of chain’s hotels: “A rejuvenating, personal experience, free from the stresses of travel and everyday life.” Advertisers will also have to personalise more and deliver information as an “experience”.
