With technology constantly evolving, agencies around the world are always seeking innovative ways to streamline their operations and enhance their client services. From artificial intelligence tools to better methods of lead attribution, a range of cutting-edge technologies and emerging trends are poised to reshape the way agencies function in the remaining half of 2023.
Agencies are embracing these transformative tools with clear end goals in mind: to optimize efficiency, improve decision-making processes, enhance data security and, ultimately, provide superior services to their clients. Below, 18 Forbes Agency Council members share new tech tools and trends their agencies are adopting this year, exploring both the potential impacts and the strategic objectives they aim to achieve through these implementations.
1. A First-Party Data Enhancement Solution
We are introducing a first-party data enhancement solution that will cleanse and append client data to strengthen and optimize their customers’ lifetime value and increase the performance of predictive acquisition models. The models will then be made available to an ecosystem of partners, sales teams and data scientists to enhance marketing across all channels. – Thomas Zawacki, Data Axle
2. Solutions For A Hybrid Work Environment
In the hybrid workplace, flexibility is critical to employees; meanwhile, connectivity and performance are essential to the business. So, we invested in workspace reservation software, high-quality meeting audiovisual solutions, resource planning and enhanced collaboration tools. We combine these solutions to facilitate effective relationships to make sure we’re built for the future of work. – Reid Carr, Red Door Interactive
3. AI-Human Collaborations
At our agency, we are implementing AI-human collaborations to enhance production time frames and maximize client value. Through the utilization of AI project management, natural language, analytics and visual content tools, our goal is to streamline processes, boost efficiency, increase productivity and deliver exceptional results. – Paula Celestino, SPRK Media Group Inc.
4. An Attribution Tool
With less data due to Apple’s crackdown on in-app tracking and the limited data usage for advertisers from the release of iOS 14.5, an attribution tool is now an integral part of the success of a paid media campaign. An attribution tool helps determine the impact of a brand’s multichannel marketing program, so advertisers can make smarter, data-driven decisions. – Stephanie Sprayregen, Spray Marketing
5. AI Automation Tools
We’re incorporating AI tools to help automate some of the more repetitive business tasks, such as reporting and support research, and to shorten writing and content creation processes. We are testing a number of tools while also training our teams to apply human insight and intelligence to check the sense and facts of AI’s synthetic outputs, and we use the results to inform more impactful, authentic materials. – Louise Mezzina, Mojo Group
6. ChatGPT Integration
Our solution is now fully integrated with ChatGPT to give our users a much-needed jump-start in their creative and social post-making process. We are also introducing several other workflow optimizations for massive scaling across thousands of locations in a multi-location network, which include, but are not limited to, custom variables, enhanced customer call reporting, tracking and more. – Tanuj Joshi, Eulerity
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7. Marketing Solutions Aligned With Privacy Regulations
Marketing solutions that align with privacy regulations while delivering personalization, scale and accurate reach remain in high demand. This year, our agency will make our third-party data available to digital marketers on a new identity graph, offering a creative, anonymized and marketing-friendly approach to data that fuels effective omnichannel campaigns at scale—without bot fraud. – Paula Chiocchi, Outward Media, Inc.
8. A Lead Attribution Platform Powered By AI
We are launching a new lead attribution AI platform in the third quarter of 2023. Our clients want to have a 360-degree view of the entire sales funnel, from online impressions to closed deals. Now, we can provide them with the visibility needed to better target the prospects most likely to convert into customers. – David Chapman, 919 Marketing Company
9. Incorporating AI Into SEO Strategies
Like many others, we’re implementing AI into our SEO strategies. We’ve spent countless hours researching the pros and cons of using AI and how much, if at all, Google may punish content for being AI-driven. We’ve developed a great system using several different AI platforms to make these capabilities more efficient and get better results. – Andrew Maffettone, BlueTuskr
10. Shifting To Composable Architecture
We are getting in front of what will be a global shift in Web development to composable architecture. Stepping away from building websites on one server, which represents a single point of failure, we break sites down into components that are distributed via best-in-class providers, such as AWS and Stripe, and integrated via APIs, resulting in a virtually unhackable website with perfect PageSpeed scores! – Justin Cook, 9thCO Inc.
11. Focusing On Account-Based Marketing
Currently, we are going all in on account-based marketing, from intent data to target accounts to personalization, metrics and closing the loop. We are incorporating some new technologies and refining others that have been around for a while, with communication at the core of it all—ABM’s success depends on that. – Diana Marquez, PinkPiano Inc
12. Using Creative Iteration Tools
Creative iteration tools are evolving quickly and will help brands and marketers scale creative production while also cutting costs. As video only becomes more important across paid and organic media, being able to scale iterative creative to test hooks, value props, features and benefits against each other is going to be a way to unlock huge performance and growth. – Justin Buckley, ATTN Agency
13. More Robust SEO Platforms And AI-Powered SMM Tools
This year we’ve introduced two things. The first is a more robust SEO platform for creating content aligned to the way audiences search and their search intent. The other is the use of AI-powered social media management and listening tools. Together, these save time and produce stronger results for our clients. – Beth Newton, alpha | BRAVO
14. AR-Driven Customer Experiences
Our agency is introducing augmented reality in 2023 to create immersive experiences for customers and allow them to interact with brands in new ways. AR can be used to create virtual try-ons or interactive demos. The goal is to create impactful campaigns that drive brand awareness, engagement and sales. – Fadi Agour, RPM
15. Getting Clients Featured On Podcasts
In the healthcare space, podcasts are really trending. We help our clients (physicians) get interviewed on various healthcare podcasts, which positions them as authorities in their specialty. They are able to leverage this authority in their marketing by adding links to the episodes on social media, on their websites and in email marketing to their patients. – Lori Werner, Medical Marketing Whiz
16. Transitioning Clients To Google Analytics 4
We’re transitioning our clients to Google Analytics 4, as Universal Analytics will be retired soon. The goal is to ensure that our clients continue to receive valuable insights from their marketing efforts while keeping their data secure. It’s critical that we’re able to provide accurate data to our clients, and this transition is necessary to maintain our reputation in an ever-evolving industry. – Adam Binder, Creative Click Media
17. AI-Powered ABX Programs
We’ve offered programmatic ABX programs since 2022. However, implementing content personalization at scale was a challenge until the advent of generative AI. ChatGPT enabled us to overcome the issue and implement ABX programs with ease. Combining generative AI tools with ABX platforms can help B2B companies achieve their sales goals even with limited resources in 2023. – Kate Vasylenko, 42DM Corporation
18. Data-Driven OTT And CTV Audience Targeting
Data-driven audience targeting across OTT and CTV streaming media is going to be a big ad tech trend that will grow this year. Now, more than ever, advertisers can reach the target audiences that matter most to their brands and drive outcomes. OTT and CTV advertising combines the power of TV with the targeting precision of digital. Agencies that capitalize on this capability will have success in 2023. – Dennis Cook, Nexstar Digital
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