AdTech Collective by Seedtag
News, trends, and insights in Digital Advertising
Most brands still treat a cultural moment like a single event. A topic trends, a campaign gets built around the headline, and by the time it launches, the conversation has already moved on.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding is a perfect example, not because of the ceremony itself, but because of everything that happened around it. Long before any official details were confirmed, the internet had already transformed it into dozens of interconnected conversations spanning fashion, sports, celebrity media, luxury, and fandom.
That gap between how brands plan and how culture actually moves is one of the most overlooked trends in advertising today.
To better understand it, Seedtag’s LAB Insights team mapped the online conversation using Liz, our proprietary Neuro-Contextual AI. What emerged went far beyond one couple or one weekend. It revealed how cultural moments evolve across connected interests, emotions, and intent, and why real-time marketing built around a single keyword rarely captures the full opportunity.
The timing couldn't be more relevant. As brands continue to invest in video ads, generative AI, and short-form content, the race to respond to cultural moments is only accelerating. But speed alone doesn't solve the core challenge. Most campaigns built around viral moments still capture only a fraction of the conversation because they're not designed to follow where attention actually goes.
Key Takeaways
- Cultural moments rarely unfold as a single story. They spread across interconnected clusters of interest, emotion, and intent.
- Speculation often generates more sustained engagement than the confirmed event itself, making anticipation a marketing opportunity in its own right.
- Audiences move fluidly between fashion, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle, while many marketing strategies still treat these as separate categories.
- Brand mentions and fashion signals emerge early, creating valuable windows for brand recognition long before mainstream coverage catches up.
- Understanding conversations at the cluster level, rather than the headline level, turns viral moments into smarter, data-driven marketing strategies.
What Hidden Advertising Trends Do Brands Miss When a Cultural Moment Goes Viral?
Most marketing teams still approach cultural moments as a single spike in attention. A story breaks, interest rises, then fades, and campaigns are built to capture that one wave.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding shows why that model leaves value on the table.
Using Liz, we identified more than 2,160 topic nodes grouped into seven distinct contextual clusters. This wasn't one conversation. It was seven overlapping narratives, each with its own audience, emotional tone, and commercial relevance.
Two of those clusters, Swiftie Speculations and Entertainment Press, each represented roughly 30% of the entire graph. Long before the ceremony took place, conversations around celebrity NDAs, venue rumors, family connections, and media speculation were already driving enormous engagement.
The biggest marketing opportunity isn't the cultural moment itself. It's everything happening before, around, and beyond it.
The build-up consistently attracts more sustained attention than the event itself, and it expands across categories that have little to do with the obvious topic. A wedding quickly becomes a conversation about fashion, sports, music, luxury, celebrity media, and fandom, each creating its own emotional context and commercial opportunity.
Why Do Traditional Marketers Fail to Catch Emerging Advertising Trends Related to Internet Subcultures?
One of today's fastest-moving advertising trends is the growing influence of internet subcultures on mainstream conversations. Yet traditional marketing strategy still plans around categories like sports, entertainment, and fashion as if audiences move between them in predictable ways.
They don't. Internet communities connect topics organically, creating conversations that cross industries, audiences, and platforms.
Swifties are a perfect example.
Throughout the weeks leading up to the wedding, fans treated every rumor, clue, and unconfirmed detail as meaningful. Liz's contextual graph surfaced clusters filled with themes like superfans, theories, itineraries, and speculation, sitting alongside entertainment journalism and celebrity news coverage.
The conversation wasn't driven by confirmed information. It was driven by curiosity.
Brands focused exclusively on official news coverage would have missed where engagement was actually happening.
A second cluster told a parallel story.
Taylor Swift's music career and Travis Kelce's NFL season evolved side by side, connecting music, sports, celebrity culture, and personal relationships into a single narrative. Rather than one audience absorbing the other, two powerful communities expanded the conversation together.
For marketers, that's the real lesson. Consumer behavior doesn't follow category boundaries. It follows relevance.
Understanding those connections requires data-driven marketing strategies capable of following conversations as they evolve, rather than waiting for headlines to define them.
One Moment, Many Conversations
This is where many marketing strategies fall short.
Marketers often build campaigns around the trending keyword, assuming audiences experience culture through a single topic.
They don't.
People move naturally between interests, emotions, and intent, following whichever thread feels most relevant in the moment.
Fashion became one of the earliest signals in this example.
Before most official details emerged, guest photos, designer speculation, and luxury brand mentions had already formed one of the densest contextual clusters within Liz's graph.
Dior quickly became associated with the wedding dress, while Artifex attracted attention for the engagement ring. Rather than supporting the main story, these brands became part of it, generating their own conversations driven by admiration, aspiration, and curiosity.
This is real-time marketing at its best.
Fashion isn't simply an extension of a cultural moment. It's often one of the first places where brand recognition accelerates because audiences are already emotionally invested.
Secrecy became another conversation entirely.
Once speculation focused on Madison Square Garden, discussions around guest lists, venue security, the 34th Street shutdown, and celebrity NDAs exploded across media and social platforms.
Much of the engagement wasn't fueled by confirmed information. It was fueled by anticipation.
That anticipation spread especially well through short-form video, where audiences actively searched for updates, theories, and behind-the-scenes clues rather than polished explanations.
More importantly, it demonstrates a broader advertising trend.
People don't wait for the headline. They engage with everything leading up to it.
Why Marketers Miss These Connected Conversations
Traditional media planning still tends to organize campaigns by category. Sports content is bought as sports. Entertainment is bought as entertainment. Fashion is treated as its own world.
But audiences don't experience culture that way.
They move seamlessly between conversations, following the stories, emotions, and communities that matter most to them.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding showed exactly that.
Swifties didn't simply overlap with NFL fans. Together, they created an entirely new conversation that neither audience could have generated alone. Music, sports, celebrity culture, and lifestyle became part of the same cultural moment, creating fresh opportunities for brands that understood how those interests connected.
The emotional signals driving that conversation were equally revealing.
Admiration, anticipation, excitement, and joy weren't attached to one topic. They flowed naturally across multiple contextual clusters as audiences followed every new development.
That's why campaigns built around a single category often miss the moment when engagement is at its highest.
Audience intent doesn't follow media plans. It follows connected conversations.
And understanding those conversations is becoming one of the defining advertising trends shaping modern marketing strategy.
The Marketing Lesson: Understanding Before Reacting
Reacting quickly to a cultural moment is no longer enough.
The real advantage comes from understanding how that moment evolves before, during, and after it captures mainstream attention.
This is where Neuro-Contextual Intelligence changes the equation.
Rather than relying on personal data or assumptions about who audiences are, our Neuro-Contextual AI, Liz, interprets signals of interest, emotion, and intent directly from the content people are engaging with across the open web.
Applied to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding, Liz identified more than 2,160 topic nodes connected across seven contextual clusters, revealing not just where attention existed, but how it moved between fashion, sports, entertainment, luxury, fandom, and celebrity media.
Instead of reducing the event to a single headline or keyword, the graph exposed an ecosystem of interconnected conversations.
That's the principle behind Neuro-Contextual Advertising.
Rather than treating a cultural moment as a single media opportunity, it enables brands to understand the wider context surrounding it, helping them align with the emotions, interests, and intent driving engagement in real time.
Because understanding audiences means understanding how conversations evolve, not simply what they're talking about at any given moment.
What This Means for Marketing Strategy
The pace of digital culture continues to accelerate.
Marketers are investing more in generative AI, content creation, short-form video, and social media campaigns to respond faster to emerging trends. Those investments matter.
But speed alone isn't enough.
The brands that create meaningful connections won't necessarily be the ones publishing first.
They'll be the ones who understand where attention is moving before everyone else does.
That requires looking beyond headlines and trending keywords to see the broader patterns shaping consumer behavior.
Cultural moments don't belong to a single audience, a single platform, or a single category.
They're built from dozens of interconnected conversations unfolding simultaneously across the open web.
Understanding those connections is quickly becoming one of the most important competitive advantages in modern marketing.
The Advertising Trend That Actually Matters
The next defining cultural moment won't belong to the brands that react the fastest. It'll belong to the brands that understand how conversations spread.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding is simply one example.
Tomorrow's defining moment could be the Super Bowl, the Oscars, a World Cup final, or an unexpected viral trend. The event will change, but the pattern won't.
Cultural moments don't unfold through a single conversation. They spread across interconnected interests, emotions, and behaviors.
For marketers, that's the advertising trend that matters most. The brands that learn to understand those connections won't just keep up with culture. They'll be ready to move with it.
For years, the advertising industry has debated the merits of the open web vs. walled gardens.
The conversation usually centers on scale, targeting, reach, and performance. Which environment offers better audiences? Which delivers stronger results? Which deserves a greater share of media investment?
Those questions still matter. But they are no longer the only ones.
As signal loss and fragmentation continue to reshape advertising, and AI plays a larger role in planning and activation, a more important question is emerging:
Where can advertisers operate with genuine transparency?
The industry has spent years optimizing around demographics, identifiers, and behavioral signals. But those approaches were built for a different era. As privacy regulations reshape how user data can be collected and activated, many of the assumptions that defined digital advertising are being challenged.
More importantly, people have never been as simple as the systems built to reach them.
A 35-year-old woman, married, in a dual-income household with two children under ten, is not an audience. She might be researching sustainable travel after work. Comparing mortgage options. Reading about marathon training. Planning a family vacation.
The demographic label remains the same. The context, motivations, emotions, and intent behind each moment do not.
This is why the future of advertising is not simply about finding new ways to identify people. It is about developing a better understanding of the moments that shape attention and decision-making.
And it is why the conversation around open web vs walled gardens is evolving into something larger. Not a debate about channels. A conversation about transparency, understanding, and how advertising creates relevance in a privacy-first world.
Key Takeaways
- The debate around open web vs walled gardens is evolving from audience access to transparency and accountability.
- Traditional targeting methods built around demographics and identifiers are becoming less effective in a privacy-first advertising landscape.
- Advertisers need greater visibility into how campaigns are planned, activated, and measured across media environments.
- The open web provides transparency, independent measurement, and contextual intelligence that help brands understand audiences beyond demographic profiles.
- Unified Ad Platforms and End-to-End Platforms simplify activation but also raise important questions around visibility and verification.
- The future of advertising will depend on balancing scale, transparency, and a deeper understanding of human attention.
Open Web vs Walled Gardens: Why the Debate Still Matters
Both walled gardens and the open web play an important role in modern digital advertising.
Walled gardens, including platforms operated by major tech giants, provide access to large logged-in audiences, rich first-party user data, and highly integrated advertising products. Their scale and simplicity have made them a cornerstone of many media strategies.
The open web offers a different advantage.
It provides access to a diverse ecosystem of premium publishers, content environments, and independent technology partners. Rather than operating inside a single closed platform, advertisers can activate campaigns across a broad range of trusted environments where consumers actively engage with content.
This distinction matters because the way people consume media continues to evolve.
Consumers spend their time across multiple channels, devices, and content experiences. They move seamlessly between social platforms, streaming services, publisher websites, mobile apps, and connected TV.
The question is no longer whether advertisers should choose the open web or walled gardens. The real question is how each environment contributes to a broader media strategy.
Why Transparency Matters More Than Ever
As the industry evolves, transparency is emerging as one of the most important considerations for advertisers.
For years, digital advertising benefited from an abundance of user-level signals. Audience targeting became increasingly sophisticated, allowing brands to reach consumers based on demographics, interests, and online behaviors.
Today, that landscape is changing.
Privacy regulations continue to reshape data collection practices. Browser restrictions limit access to traditional identifiers. Consumers expect greater control over how their information is used.
At the same time, AI-powered systems are increasingly responsible for planning, activation, optimization, and measurement decisions.
This creates a new challenge.
There is still an enormous amount of data available. But there is often less visibility into how that data is interpreted and transformed into campaign decisions.
As automation increases, advertisers need confidence not only in outcomes but in the processes that generate those outcomes.
Transparency is no longer simply a reporting feature. It is becoming a strategic advantage.
Demographics Oversimplify People
The shift toward privacy-first advertising is also changing how marketers think about audiences.
For decades, advertising strategies have relied heavily on demographic segmentation:
- Age
- Gender
- Income
- Location
These signals can be useful, but they provide only a partial view of human behavior.
Two people with identical demographic profiles may have completely different motivations depending on the content they are consuming and the context surrounding that moment.
A parent reading about summer travel plans is in a different moment than that same person consuming breaking news. A sports fan researching match statistics has different intentions than when browsing home improvement content.
Demographics describe people. They do not explain moments. This is where Neuro-Contextual intelligence is becoming increasingly valuable.
Rather than focusing exclusively on who someone is, our Neuro-Contextual AI can help advertisers understand what matters to people in a specific moment by analyzing signals related to content, interest, emotion, and intent.
Because relevance is not only about identity. It is also about context.
Why Premium Advertisers Are Re-Evaluating Ad Spend
The shift in ad spend toward the open web is not driven by a single trend. It reflects a broader change in how brands evaluate media investments.
Advertisers increasingly want greater transparency into campaign performance, inventory quality, and measurement methodologies. They want to understand where ads appear, how decisions are made, and whether results can be independently validated.
The open web provides access to premium publisher environments where consumers actively engage with trusted content.
It also allows advertisers to work with a wider range of measurement and verification partners, creating additional visibility throughout the campaign lifecycle.
This does not mean brands are abandoning walled gardens. Far from it.
Many advertisers continue to rely on closed platforms for scale, activation, and performance marketing objectives.
However, they are increasingly seeking a balance between the efficiency of walled gardens and the transparency offered by the open web.
What Are Unified Ad Platforms and End-to-End Platforms?
Alongside traditional walled gardens, another trend is reshaping digital advertising: the rise of Unified Ad Platforms (UAPs) and End-to-End Platforms.
These solutions bring multiple functions, including planning, activation, data management, optimization, and measurement, into a single platform.
The appeal is clear. One workflow. One technology stack. One operational environment.
For many advertisers, these platforms simplify campaign execution and reduce complexity.
However, they also introduce an important consideration.
When planning, activation, optimization, and reporting all occur within the same ecosystem, advertisers may have fewer opportunities to independently verify how decisions are being made.
This does not make End-to-End Platforms inherently problematic. They solve real operational challenges.
But as automation and AI become more influential, advertisers must consider how much visibility they retain into the systems guiding campaign performance.
The question is not whether these platforms create value. The question is how transparency and accountability evolve within increasingly automated environments.
Understanding the Moment, Not Just the User
This is where the conversation ultimately moves beyond open web vs walled gardens.
The future of advertising is not simply about finding audiences. It is about understanding people. Not as demographic categories. Not as identifiers. Not as data points. But as individuals navigate thousands of moments throughout their day.
Modern contextual AI can help advertisers understand those moments by analyzing the content people engage with and identifying signals related to interest, emotion, and intent.
This creates a privacy-first approach to advertising that does not depend on personal identifiers to deliver relevance.
This philosophy powers our Neuro-Contextual intelligence.
Through Liz, our proprietary Neuro-contextual AI, we analyze content across premium publisher environments to understand the context surrounding every advertising opportunity.
Because meaningful advertising starts with understanding. Not just who people are. But what matters to them in the moment.
Looking Ahead
The future of advertising is unlikely to be defined by a single environment.
Walled gardens will continue to play an important role, particularly where first-party relationships and logged-in audiences create value. The open web will continue to provide transparency, flexibility, and access to premium content environments where attention naturally happens.
The more important question is not where advertisers spend every dollar.
It is whether they have enough visibility to understand why those investments work.
As media planning becomes increasingly influenced by AI, fragmented signals, and privacy-first frameworks, transparency is becoming more than a reporting feature.
It is becoming a competitive advantage.
The brands that succeed will not simply optimize for reach. They will optimize for understanding. Understanding the content. Understanding the context. And understanding the moments that shape how people think, feel, and act.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will generate an unprecedented volume of attention across digital media. For automotive brands, that scale creates enormous opportunity but also a significant challenge: standing out in an environment where every advertiser competes for the same audience.
The difference between visibility and impact comes down to understanding intent. Not every football fan is equally receptive to a brand message, and not every page view signals genuine engagement.
During major sporting events, audiences move between match coverage, transfer rumors, national team narratives, player stories, entertainment content, and countless adjacent interests. Within those moments lie valuable signals that can help brands identify when consumers are most open to engagement.
The question is no longer how to reach World Cup audiences. It is about identifying the moments when attention becomes meaningful engagement.
Below, we explore the audience insights shaping fan behavior during the tournament and how automotive brands can use Neuro-Contextual advertising to transform World Cup attention into meaningful consideration.
Key Takeaways
- The difference between a browser and an engaged consumer often lies in intent signals, not audience segments.
- World Cup audiences engage with far more than football, creating valuable opportunities across adjacent interests and passion points.
- Emotions such as excitement, curiosity, admiration, and optimism play a key role in how fans engage with content throughout the tournament.
- Neuro-Contextual advertising goes beyond keywords and categories to align messaging with interests, emotions, and intent.
- Dynamic creative optimization allows automotive campaigns to adapt in real time around tournament moments, audience context, and sentiment.
The Gap Between Looking and Engaging
Scale is not the challenge. During a World Cup, automotive brands can reach millions of consumers across the open web, connected TV, and streaming environments.
The challenge is identifying the difference between someone casually consuming content and someone demonstrating signals of genuine engagement.
Traditional targeting approaches often rely on keywords, categories, or broad audience segments. A page mentions "SUVs" or "electric vehicles," and an ad is served. While these signals can provide relevance, they do not always reveal what matters most: what the consumer is thinking, feeling, or looking for in that moment.
A reader exploring vehicle reviews out of curiosity may require a very different message from someone actively comparing models ahead of a purchase. Understanding that distinction helps brands move beyond simple reach and toward meaningful engagement.
Where Fan Attention Really Goes
One of the biggest misconceptions about the World Cup is that fans spend the tournament focused exclusively on football.
In reality, audience attention extends across a much broader ecosystem of content.
Audience interest also evolves throughout the tournament. Our insights show that engagement increases significantly during key moments such as the group stage, quarter-finals, and high-tension knockout rounds. Importantly, some of the largest spikes are driven not only by match results but also by player narratives, rivalries, and stories surrounding the competition.
Football-related interests such as domestic leagues, transfer rumors, national team stories, and club rivalries remain major drivers of engagement. But fans also spend time consuming content connected to celebrity culture, motorsports, entertainment, lifestyle topics, and national identity narratives.
These adjacent interests are not distractions from football fandom. They are part of how fans experience the tournament.
For automotive marketers, this creates additional opportunities to connect with audiences in contexts that may be less crowded than traditional sports environments while still maintaining strong relevance to fan interests.
Understanding these passion points allows brands to expand beyond match-day targeting and build a more comprehensive view of where their audiences spend time and attention.
The Emotional Signals Behind Engagement
The World Cup is not only a media event. It is an emotional one.
Across markets, football content generates a range of emotional responses, including excitement, curiosity, admiration, optimism, and even sadness. These emotions shift throughout the tournament as audiences react to victories, defeats, player performances, speculation, and national narratives.
While excitement consistently emerges as one of the strongest drivers of engagement, emotional responses vary across markets. Some audiences gravitate toward stories of national pride and sporting heroes, while others engage more deeply with tournament speculation, player narratives, or broader cultural conversations surrounding the event. Understanding these nuances can help brands deliver more relevant messaging throughout the competition.
For automotive brands, these signals offer valuable context. The emotions that shape engagement during the tournament can also influence how consumers respond to brand messaging, particularly in categories where consideration and aspiration play an important role.
Many vehicle purchase journeys are influenced by emotional factors alongside practical considerations. Curiosity about new technology, optimism about future ownership, excitement around a new model, and aspiration tied to lifestyle choices all play a role in consideration.
When brands understand the emotional context surrounding content consumption, they can align messaging more effectively with the consumer's interests, emotions, and intent in that moment.
How the Neuro-Contextual Approach Changes Automotive Marketing
Industry-standard targeting often relies on predefined content taxonomies and broad category classifications. Neuro-contextual approaches take a different path by analyzing content more deeply to understand interests, emotions, and intent signals in real time.
The difference between targeting a broad automotive category and identifying audiences such as Family Upgraders, First-Time Car Buyers, Urban Drivers, or Off-Road Adventure Enthusiasts is significant.
Rather than focusing solely on what content someone is consuming, Neuro-Contextual intelligence helps brands understand why that content matters to them.
For automotive marketers, this means identifying environments where signals of curiosity, optimism, excitement, and consideration are already present and aligning messaging accordingly.
The goal is not simply to be present. It is to be relevant.
Dynamic Creative That Moves With the Tournament
The World Cup unfolds in phases, and audience behavior evolves with it.
Interest levels rise during key matches, emotional intensity increases during knockout rounds, and fan conversations shift as new narratives emerge.
The content driving engagement during the group stage may be very different from the stories capturing attention during the quarter-finals or final, making flexibility a critical advantage for advertisers.
Creative should evolve alongside those changes.
Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) allows campaigns to adapt messaging based on factors such as tournament stage, location, time of day, weather conditions, and emotional sentiment.
A message delivered during a high-tension quarter-final may require a different creative approach than one served during the group stage. Likewise, audiences engaging with family-focused content may respond differently than audiences consuming performance or technology-related content.
By aligning creative with context, brands can create more relevant experiences throughout the tournament.
Measuring What Actually Matters
Clicks and viewability remain useful metrics, but they do not tell the full story.
For automotive brands operating within long and consideration-heavy purchase journeys, understanding campaign impact requires a broader measurement framework.
Attention metrics help reveal whether advertising was genuinely processed by consumers. Brand lift studies can demonstrate shifts in awareness, perception, and consideration. Incremental reach helps determine whether campaigns are connecting with new audiences rather than repeatedly reaching the same users.
Together, these measurements provide a clearer view of how campaigns influence consumer behavior throughout the World Cup journey.
From Research to the Road
The FIFA World Cup 2026 presents a unique convergence of attention, emotion, and engagement.
Success will not belong solely to the brands with the largest budgets or the widest reach. It will belong to those who understand where fan attention is going, what emotions are driving engagement, and how to identify moments of genuine intent.
Traditional research helps identify the audience. Neuro-contextual intelligence helps identify the moment.
And during the world's biggest sporting event, that difference can determine whether a campaign is simply seen or truly remembered.
To learn more about the audience insights, emotional signals, and activation opportunities shaping FIFA World Cup 2026 campaigns, download the full Automotive Insights report.
Every year, the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity offers a glimpse into where advertising is heading next. But in 2025, the conversations across the Croisette felt especially revealing.
At the heart of Cannes Lions 2025 was a growing realization that the future of advertising will depend less on identifying audiences and more on understanding people. Across beachfront stages, private dinners, podcast studios, and conversations inside the Palais des Festivals, the industry repeatedly returned to the same challenge: how can brands create more relevant experiences in an increasingly fragmented, AI-driven media landscape?
For Seedtag, Cannes 2025 became an important moment to help shape that conversation.
Throughout the week, Seedtag explored how Neuro-Contextual Advertising is redefining the relationship between media, creativity, and human understanding. From discussions around AI and emotional relevance to debates about journalism, contextual intelligence, and audience mindset, the company’s presence reflected a broader industry shift already reshaping modern advertising.
And now, as the industry prepares for another year in Cannes, France, those conversations are evolving even further.
Key Takeaways
- The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity highlighted the industry’s move from audience profiling toward deeper human understanding.
- Cannes Lions 2025 conversations focused heavily on AI, contextual relevance, emotional engagement, and privacy-first advertising.
- Seedtag’s Neuro-Contextual approach emerged as part of a broader industry shift toward understanding interest, emotion, and intent.
- Creativity, media, and data became increasingly interconnected across the Cannes Lions International Festival.
- New discussions heading into Cannes 2026 are expanding beyond targeting and toward adaptive, human-aware advertising experiences.
What Cannes Lions 2025 Revealed About Advertising
The International Festival of Creativity has always reflected the priorities of the advertising industry. In 2025, those priorities shifted noticeably.
Artificial intelligence dominated discussions across nearly every stage and meeting space. But while AI remained central, the industry conversation matured significantly compared to previous years. The focus was no longer simply on automation or content generation. Instead, marketers increasingly questioned how technology can help advertising become more meaningful, more adaptive, and more emotionally aligned with people.
That tension defined much of Cannes Lions 2025.
Consumers today move fluidly between streaming platforms, creator ecosystems, social content, sports, commerce, and live cultural moments. Attention is fragmented, audience behavior changes constantly, and traditional identity-based targeting models are becoming less effective in a privacy-first world.
As a result, the industry is beginning to rethink what relevance actually means.
For us at Seedtag, that conversation connected directly to Neuro-Contextual Advertising. Rather than relying on static audience profiles or demographic assumptions, our approach focuses on understanding real-time signals of interest, emotion, and intent across the open web and premium media environments.
The idea is simple: people are more than profiles.
And increasingly, the advertising industry is starting to agree.
From Profiles to Passions
One of the defining conversations during Cannes 2025 centered on the limitations of traditional targeting.
For years, digital advertising has relied heavily on demographic segmentation and behavioral assumptions. But across the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, industry leaders repeatedly discussed the need to move beyond identity alone and focus more deeply on audience mindset, context, and motivation.
We explored this shift directly during the live crossover episode of AdTech Heroes x The Pub Way, hosted at The Drum’s podcast studio.
The conversation brought together leaders from across media, creative, and advertising to discuss how brands can better engage audiences through real-time understanding rather than static assumptions.
A recurring theme emerged quickly: marketers have spent years trying to understand who consumers are, while paying far less attention to why they engage in the first place.
That distinction matters.
People are shaped by passions, interests, emotions, and cultural moments that evolve continuously. Someone watching sports content during a major tournament may not respond to messaging the same way they would while reading financial news or consuming entertainment content later in the day.
Context changes mindset.
This idea became central to many discussions throughout the Cannes Lions International Festival. Relevance is no longer about reaching the right demographic. It is about understanding the emotional and cognitive environment surrounding attention itself.
AI Became About Understanding, Not Just Automation
AI remained one of the dominant themes across Cannes, France, but the industry conversation evolved significantly compared to previous years.
Earlier conversations around AI often focused on speed, scale, and automation. At Cannes Lions 2025, the emphasis shifted toward intelligence, adaptability, and human understanding.
Marketers are now asking more complex questions. How can AI help interpret the audience mindset? How can it improve contextual relevance? How can it support creativity without reducing advertising to generic automation?
These discussions appeared repeatedly across panels, roundtables, and private conversations.
Our perspective centered on the idea that AI should not simply optimize delivery. It should help brands better understand the moments in which people engage with content.
This is where Neuro-Contextual Advertising becomes increasingly relevant.
By combining neuroscience principles with AI-powered contextual understanding, Liz, our Neuo-Contextual AI, is designed to interpret signals of interest, emotion, and intent in real time. The goal is not to identify individuals, but to understand the meaning surrounding the moment itself.
That approach reflects a larger shift happening across the industry.
Advertising is moving away from static targeting systems and toward adaptive environments capable of responding dynamically to changing emotional and contextual signals.
Creativity and Context Are Becoming Reconnected
Another major theme across the Palais des Festivals was the growing relationship between creativity and contextual relevance.
For years, programmatic advertising has often separated creative storytelling from media strategy. But at Cannes Lions 2025, many industry leaders argued that creativity can no longer function independently from context and audience understanding.
As media environments become increasingly fragmented, brands face growing pressure to create campaigns that feel synchronized with the emotional tone surrounding the content experience.
This is especially important across premium video, streaming, and creator-driven ecosystems where audiences expect advertising to feel more integrated and less disruptive.
Throughout the week, conversations increasingly focused on how creative effectiveness improves when messaging aligns with the real-time audience mindset.
That shift is transforming how marketers think about personalization itself.
Rather than personalizing around identity, advertisers are beginning to personalize around context, emotion, and intent.
This idea also appeared in conversations surrounding contextual TV, curated supply, and premium media environments. Brands are looking for advertising experiences that feel more thoughtful, more emotionally aware, and more aligned with the content moments consumers actively choose to engage with.
Journalism, Trust, and Smarter Contextual Understanding
Beyond AI and creativity, Cannes Lions 2025 also highlighted growing industry concerns around journalism, trust, and responsible monetization.
We participated in discussions exploring how rigid keyword blocklists and simplistic brand safety systems can unintentionally harm quality journalism.
This became an important conversation across the International Festival of Creativity because advertisers increasingly recognize that brand safety cannot rely exclusively on broad exclusions or outdated contextual assumptions.
High-quality journalism covering politics, climate, economics, or global conflict often becomes demonetized despite offering trusted, premium environments for advertisers.
That creates a difficult contradiction for the media ecosystem.
The solution discussed throughout Cannes 2025 was not abandoning brand safety altogether, but evolving toward more intelligent contextual systems capable of understanding nuance, tone, and meaning more effectively.
This conversation reinforced one of the industry’s broader shifts: context is becoming more sophisticated.
Modern contextual understanding is no longer limited to keywords alone. It increasingly depends on a deeper interpretation of emotional tone, audience mindset, and environmental relevance.
Looking Ahead to Cannes Lions 2026
As the industry prepares for the next Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, many of the conversations that defined 2025 are continuing to evolve.
This year, we will expand those discussions further at La Perle, our Cannes space designed for meetings, collaborative sessions, workshops, and thought leadership conversations.
The upcoming agenda reflects many of the themes that emerged throughout Cannes Lions 2025.
Sessions such as “The End of Guesswork: How to Reach Consumers Who Are Actually Ready to Listen” will explore how advertisers can move beyond stale targeting proxies and align campaigns with real-time emotion, interest, and intent.
Other conversations will focus on curated supply, contextual TV, AI and creativity, neuroscience, media responsibility, and human-centered advertising experiences.
We will also introduce experiential activations such as the “Scent of Context” lab, an immersive workshop designed to explore how emotion, memory, and sensory environments shape contextual understanding.
Together, these experiences reflect a broader evolution happening across advertising itself.
The industry is no longer asking only how to target people more efficiently. It is asking how to better understand the emotional and cognitive moments that shape attention.
From Profiles to Human Understanding
Looking back, Cannes Lions 2025 represented more than another industry gathering. It reflected a meaningful turning point in how advertising thinks about relevance.
AI became more mature. Context became more intelligent. Creativity became more connected to audience's mindset. And marketers increasingly recognized that understanding people requires more than data points alone.
For us at Seedtag, those conversations continue shaping the future of Neuro-Contextual Advertising.
Because the future of advertising will not belong to the brands that know the most about consumers. It will belong to the brands that understand the moment best.
And increasingly, that future is becoming more human-aware.
Our Blog
When United Airlines launched its new nonstop service from the United States to Marrakech, Morocco, they partnered with Seedtag for a Connected TV (CTV) advertising campaign to reach travelers with relevant interests. Through an innovative contextual advertising approach powered by our contextual AI Liz, the campaign has achieved a 48% increase in consumer recognition of the new route and drove notable lifts in brand favorability and travel consideration.
Contextual Advertising: Connecting the dots for United Airlines
In collaboration with agency partner Carat, United Airlines aimed to build awareness for its new Marrakech route by connecting with potential travelers whose interests aligned with the unique aspects of the destination, building an audience based on what inspires them. Traditional travel advertising typically focuses on narrow targeting categories, but this campaign pushed boundaries by using contextual AI to uncover custom audience interests beyond conventional travel themes.
How It Worked:
- Open Web Content Analysis Seedtag’s AI-powered solution Liz, mapped a contextual graph of open web content relevant to the Marrakech route, identifying untapped interest segments.
- Custom CTV Targeting: The open web analysis guided the targeting for CTV Audiences. By focusing on content related to adventure, arts & crafts, food, technology, and travel, we ensured the ads reached the right audiences in highly relevant contexts.
As a result, the campaign went beyond the limits of traditional travel advertising by identifying white-space opportunities and placing United Airlines’ ads where they would be most effective and earn the most engagement from viewers.
Campaign Highlights: Meaningful Engagement and Brand Impact
According to a third-party analysis by Cint, the partnership between United Airlines and Seedtag has delivered major results across key brand metrics:
- +48% Product Recognition: More consumers became aware of United’s new Marrakech route.
- +21% Brand Favorability: United Airlines earned stronger consumer sentiment.
- +7% Travel Consideration: Travelers showed increased interest in booking with United when flying to Marrakech.
- 80% Brand Differentiation: viewers agreed that United Airlines’ ads clearly set the brand apart from its competitors.
Additionally, the campaign reached over 122,000 unique households through CTV, placing ads in content genres that resonated with audiences ready to be inspired by new travel experiences. This targeted approach maximized relevance while keeping messaging contextually appropriate.
Maximizing CTV Campaigns Impact with Context
"This campaign was a perfect example of how our contextual advertising solutions can redefine audience engagement," said Kartal Goskel, CTO at Seedtag. "By merging our AI-powered contextual analysis of the open web with CTV execution, we connected United Airlines with travelers at the moments that truly mattered."
The ability to reach potential travelers through contextually relevant ads enabled United Airlines to establish a compelling narrative about its new route to Marrakech while reinforcing its brand promise. This strategy not only boosted awareness but also fostered deeper audience engagement, ensuring long-term brand loyalty.
Looking Ahead: Redefining Travel Advertising
The partnership with United Airlines highlights the transformative potential of contextual advertising in travel marketing. By blending CTV targeting with AI-driven open web content analysis, brands can craft campaigns that resonate emotionally while driving measurable business outcomes.
As travel continues to recover globally, contextual strategies will remain essential for brands seeking to differentiate themselves in a crowded market. Seedtag’s contextual solutions empower brands to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving advertising landscape, going beyond conventional targeting to create tailored, high-impact campaigns.
Ready to make your brand’s advertising strategy first class? Discover how contextual targeting can help your campaigns reach for the sky.
As we enter 2025, the digital marketing landscape continues to evolve rapidly, driven by advancements in technology and changing consumer expectations. Staying competitive requires understanding the new marketing trends shaping the industry and adapting strategies accordingly. Here are three key trends marketers should focus on this year—and how to put them into action.
Beyond Flat Targeting: Exploring Multi-Dimensional Insights
Consumers today are dynamic, with interests that change across contexts and platforms. In 2025, brands must move beyond outdated, one-dimensional targeting methods and embrace contextual AI for deeper personalization. Advanced AI-powered tools analyze environments holistically—text, visuals, and even video content—offering a comprehensive understanding of customer behavior.
Why it matters: Traditional targeting based on isolated data points is no longer enough. With contextual AI, brands can build marketing campaigns that adapt to evolving consumer interests by interpreting full contextual environments. This capability helps brands discover consumer insights they may have missed using conventional targeting.
Advanced contextual targeting allows marketers to understand not just what consumers are interested in, but why. By connecting the dots across multiple data points, brands can build richer audience profiles that lead to more meaningful engagements. This multi-dimensional approach ensures campaigns are both relevant and impactful.
By combining data from various touchpoints, such as browsing history, search behavior, and contextual content analysis, brands can identify emerging audience segments. This capability enables more precise targeting and ensures that advertising feels personal while respecting user privacy.
How to stay ahead:
- Reassess your targeting strategy—are you considering the full context of your audience’s behavior?
- Partner with technology experts who can decode complex content environments and identify emerging audience patterns.
- Conduct A/B testing to measure how multi-dimensional targeting impacts marketing performance.
Multi-Screen Messaging: Connecting Audiences Across Devices
Consumers navigate multiple screens daily, shifting from mobile devices to desktops and Connected TVs (CTV). In 2025, successful brands will take a unified, multi-screen approach, ensuring that messages flow naturally across all touchpoints.
Why it matters: Disconnected campaigns create fragmented customer experiences. By aligning campaigns across devices, brands can increase relevance and reduce acquisition costs. CTV, in particular, presents a valuable opportunity, enabling advertisers to extend personalized messaging from the web to the living room.
By using contextual AI, brands can enhance video advertising with precision. This technology can interpret visual elements, dialogue, and even tone of voice in video content. As large language models continue to improve, marketers will unlock more granular targeting opportunities across different content formats.
Consistency in messaging ensures that users encounter a unified brand story, regardless of how they interact with content. By maintaining thematic coherence across screens, brands can foster deeper emotional connections with their audiences.
How to stay ahead:
- Design campaigns that work across all screens and formats, from online video to CTV.
- Use data-driven insights to identify the best times and platforms to reach your audience.
- Develop a measurement framework that tracks cross-device engagement and campaign effectiveness.
Explore More: Discover how multi-screen strategies drive impact
Privacy-First Approaches: Winning in a Cookieless Future
With third-party cookies disappearing, brands must embrace privacy-first advertising strategies to remain competitive while protecting consumer trust. In 2025, forward-thinking marketers will combine first-party data, contextual targeting, and privacy-compliant alternatives for greater personalization without sacrificing data security.
Why it matters: According to industry reports, over half of internet users are now beyond the reach of third-party cookies. Brands that adopt privacy-first solutions can ensure their campaigns remain effective while respecting consumer preferences and data privacy regulations.
To achieve this balance, marketers must prioritize transparent data collection and consent-driven strategies. Building trust with consumers is no longer optional—it’s a critical factor in campaign success. Brands that clearly communicate how user data is handled will enjoy greater customer loyalty and better marketing results.
Adopting privacy-first marketing isn’t just about compliance—it’s a competitive advantage. By showing a commitment to ethical data use, brands can enhance their reputation while staying ahead of shifting regulatory requirements.
How to stay ahead:
- Develop a comprehensive data strategy that includes first-party data collection and privacy-safe sharing.
- Combine contextual targeting with privacy-compliant data-sharing environments to create contextual audiences that drive meaningful engagement.
- Stay updated on evolving privacy regulations and ensure your data management practices remain compliant.
Into The Next Era Of Advertising
The future of digital marketing is here. Adopting these marketing trends for 2025—from AI-powered targeting to multi-screen strategies and privacy-first marketing—will ensure that your brand stays competitive, adaptive, and ready for what’s next.
Ready to future-proof your marketing strategy? Contact us to discover all about contextual AI and see how Seedtag can help you thrive in this changing digital landscape.
As the holiday season sets in, cities light up with festive decorations, and the air is filled with the spirit of joy and togetherness. It’s a time when friends and families come together, creating lasting memories over delicious meals and celebratory drinks. For brands in the Food & Drinks category, this season isn’t just about tradition—it’s an opportunity to connect with engaged audiences looking for inspiration, ideas, and products to make their holidays truly special.
Our latest Contextual Insights report reveals that Food & Drinks is one of the most sought-after categories during the holiday season, contributing to 10.6% of all Christmas-related content and achieving an impressive average of 847 visits per article.
So, how can advertisers reach the right audience and maximize engagement in this high-interest period?
Liz’s Seasonal Audiences technology helps advertisers identify and engage with the most relevant audience segments during the holidays. By understanding their core interests and behaviors, brands can deliver campaigns that truly resonate.
Here are the key audience categories for the Food & Drinks sector this holiday season:
- Food & Baking Enthusiasts: Passionate about home-cooking, festive desserts, and creating memorable Christmas meals, this audience is actively searching for recipes, baking tips, and culinary inspiration.
- Party Hosts & Planners: Focused on hosting magical gatherings, this group is interested in festive cocktails, holiday table setups, and family-friendly entertainment ideas.
- Gift Shoppers: These consumers are on the hunt for the perfect presents, turning to Christmas markets, gift guides, and personalized gift ideas to make their loved ones feel special.
- Holiday Decorators: From seasonal decorations to home improvement projects, this audience is all about creating a festive atmosphere and enhancing their spaces for the holidays.
By targeting these highly engaged audiences, brands can align their messaging with consumer interests at the peak of the holiday season.
Liz’s research also uncovered the key areas of interest driving engagement across audience categories. Here’s what’s trending this season:
- Deals & Discounts: Audiences actively seek value through holiday sales and promotions.
- Home & Appliances: Popular among Party Hosts & Planners, this category includes searches for festive decor, home improvement inspiration, and reliable kitchen gadgets.
- Tech & Gadgets: With gifting in full swing, tech products are in high demand among Gift Shoppers.
- Fashion & Beauty: Seasonal style and holiday glam continue to capture interest.
- Travel & Traditions: Audiences embrace holiday getaways and nostalgic family traditions, creating opportunities for brands to connect emotionally.
For Party Hosts & Planners, home-related content drives their interest, with a focus on:
- Fresh decor ideas to transform their spaces.
- Researching the best home appliances and electronics for entertaining.
- Relying on customer reviews to guide their purchasing decisions.
For Gift Shoppers, the top priority is finding thoughtful and meaningful gifts, with searches including:
- Toys to fulfill children’s holiday wishes.
- Ideas for enhancing children’s play areas with fun, functional items.
- Charitable gifting options that reflect values like generosity and solidarity.
Seedtag’s Contextual Audiences offers a powerful, privacy-first approach to targeting the audiences that matter most. By leveraging real-time data and an interest-led strategy, advertisers can connect with diverse, inclusive, and highly relevant audience segments going beyond traditional stereotypes to deliver campaigns that truly resonate. What sets our approach apart is its dynamic adaptability: Liz continuously refines audience segments based on live trends and interests, ensuring your campaigns remain timely and impactful. This is combined with a privacy-first methodology, meaning there’s no reliance on cookies or invasive tracking, just meaningful connections built on authentic consumer behavior.
Additionally, our strategies are fully customizable, allowing you to tailor audience segments to align perfectly with your brand’s unique objectives and deliver your message at the right moment.
The holiday season is the perfect opportunity for Food & Drinks brands to connect with audiences eager for inspiration, quality products, and memorable experiences. With Seedtag’s Contextual Audiences, you can craft campaigns that align with the trends and behaviors driving holiday engagement.
Download the full report today and discover the insights you need to create winning holiday campaigns.
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The Pub Way is back! In the season two premiere of Seedtag's podcast for publishers, hosts Mike Villalobos and Tina Iannachino welcome Miles Fisher, Senior Director of Strategic Advertising Partnerships at Roku, to explore the dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape of Connected TV (CTV) on “Episode 15: Roku: The Power of Data and Transparency in CTV”.
With years of expertise spanning roles at T-Mobile Advertising and Google Marketing Platform, Fisher brings invaluable insights into how advertisers and broadcasters can adapt and thrive in this fast-paced industry.
Roku: From Streaming Hardware to CTV Pioneer
A key highlight of the episode is Roku's evolution. Originally launched as a Netflix project nearly two decades ago, Roku has transformed from a hardware manufacturer into a software-driven platform that powers TVs with its operating system. This pivot not only expanded Roku’s reach but also unlocked new opportunities in the world of CTV advertising.
Fisher explains how this shift positions Roku as a leader in delivering seamless user experiences, enabling innovative solutions for advertisers, including shoppable media—a game-changer that allows viewers to purchase products directly through their TV screens.
The Rise of Shoppable Media
Imagine watching your favorite show and effortlessly purchasing a featured product with just your remote. Thanks to Roku’s unique position as a TV operating system, this isn’t science fiction; it’s the future of advertising.
By leveraging first-party data—such as names, emails, and payment details—Roku creates frictionless shopping experiences tailored to user preferences. While many consumers still prefer making purchases on mobile devices, the growing adoption of shoppable ads signals a shift in consumer behavior that advertisers can’t afford to ignore.
Opportunities in the Shift from Linear to CTV
As traditional broadcasters embrace CTV, Fisher shares practical advice for making the transition successful. Collaborating with platforms like Roku can help broadcasters seamlessly adapt their content for streaming audiences while standing out in a crowded marketplace.
For advertisers, the benefits of CTV are clear. By tapping into first-party data, brands can deliver highly targeted campaigns that rival the precision of social media advertising. From reduced customer acquisition costs (CAC) to improved Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), CTV offers unparalleled opportunities for growth.
What’s Next for CTV?
The episode concludes with a look at the future of CTV. Fisher predicts a continued rise in ad-supported models, particularly in the FAST segment, as consumers push back against subscription fatigue. He also highlights the importance of niche programming—like women’s sports—to capture underserved audiences.
At the heart of this evolution lies data-driven transparency. Fisher emphasizes that the success of CTV advertising depends on giving marketers the tools they need to effectively plan, measure, and optimize their campaigns.
Next stop at The Pub Way
Packed with actionable insights and expert predictions, The Pub Way podcast is a must-listen for publishers navigating the intersection of technology, creativity, and advertising. Tune in now.
The final quarter of the year is here, and with it comes an exciting opportunity for brands in the technology space. From cutting-edge audio experiences to smart home gadgets, consumers are engaging with tech content like never before. But how can your brand stay ahead in a competitive landscape?
Our latest Contextual Insights report dives deep into the trends driving consumer interest this quarter. With mentions of spatial audio up 35%, smart home devices seeing a 24% engagement increase, and console gaming commanding loyal attention, Q4 is the season to position your brand at the forefront of innovation. Here’s everything you need to know to power up your campaigns.
Spatial Audio: Turning Up the Volume on Immersive Sound+
Spatial audio is making waves this quarter, with a 35% surge in mentions and an average of 4,200 visits per article. From high-end headphones to advanced home theater systems, consumers are increasingly seeking audio experiences that put them at the center of the action.
- Top Drivers: Premium brands like Apple (AirPods Max) and Sonos (Beam) are leading the charge, sparking consumer interest in immersive audio that enhances music, gaming, and movie experiences.
- Why It Matters: Audio technology is no longer a luxury; it’s an expectation for tech-savvy audiences looking to upgrade their everyday experiences.
We recommend: Showcase how your audio products deliver a premium listening experience. Whether it’s through creative storytelling or experiential activations, emphasize the emotional connection that high-quality sound creates.
Smart Home Devices: Automating the Modern Lifestyle
The smart home revolution continues to gain traction, with engagement around smart locks, voice-activated assistants, and home automation systems up 24% this quarter. Articles in this category average 3,800 visits, reflecting strong consumer interest in convenience and connectivity.
- Top Trends: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and innovative smart locks are leading the conversation, as consumers look for seamless integration into their daily routines.
- Holiday Opportunity: Smart home devices are a perfect fit for holiday gifting, offering a balance of practicality and innovation that appeals to tech-savvy shoppers.
We recommend: Highlight the lifestyle benefits of your smart home products in campaigns. Show how they simplify routines, enhance security, or add a touch of luxury to everyday living.
Console Gaming: Winning Engagement
Gaming remains one of the most engaging tech categories this quarter, with articles on PlayStation, Xbox, and popular gaming titles averaging 5,200 visits. Console gaming is not just about hardware; it’s about creating immersive entertainment experiences that captivate loyal audiences.
- Key Titles & Drivers: Content covering cross-platform gaming, game streaming, and major releases like Resident Evil and Grand Theft Auto drives high engagement.
- Why It Matters: The gaming community is highly engaged and loyal, making it a prime audience for brands looking to align with innovation and entertainment.
We recommend: Focus on the culture of gaming in your campaigns. Whether it’s accessories, exclusive game bundles, or immersive VR add-ons, position your products as a must-have for gamers this holiday season.
eCommerce and Holiday Tech Shopping: The Competitive Edge
Tech shoppers are flocking to eCommerce platforms like Amazon and Temu this quarter, with both platforms seeing significant engagement spikes. Articles focused on exclusive deals and discounts generate 6,100 visits per article on Amazon and 8,500 visits on Temu, showcasing the growing role of online shopping in the tech category.
- What’s Driving Traffic: Limited-time offers, early access deals, and curated gift guides are capturing consumer attention during Q4.
- Opportunity for Brands: Partnering with eCommerce platforms or creating online-exclusive promotions can help your brand stand out in a crowded digital marketplace.
We recommend: Leverage the power of urgency in your campaigns. Highlight limited-time offers or “shop early” messaging to capitalize on the eCommerce momentum driving holiday tech purchases.
This quarter, the tech space is buzzing with innovation, from immersive audio to smart home gadgets and gaming consoles. With consumer engagement surging in these categories, brands have a unique opportunity to connect with highly engaged audiences.
Download the full report and get the insights you need to power up your campaigns: Seedtag 2024 Tech & Q4 Insights.
As we head into the holiday season, the Christmas trees go up and the streets are filled with laughter and cheer. From around Thanksgiving weekend, the holiday spirits are high and the world welcomes the December festivities.
Holiday season trends show 4 key areas that garner audience interest during this time of the year. The growing trend starts in November and sees a significant uplift in interest and momentum from the beginning of December.
- Topics around Christmas Markets and Events capture the most interest and the articles cover information about local Christmas markets, dates, attractions, and tips for visitors. With over 27K views per article, the topic receives 17% of the views.
- The next topic is Best Christmas Deals and Promotions with a 9% view share. These articles focus on the best deals, discounts, and promotions available for shoppers and how consumers can save money.
- Gifts and Unique Finds for Christmas and Christmas Shopping Trends are the two other key topics that have a 7% view rate each. The topics include articles about gift ideas, popular presents, DIYs, and shopping trends.
What are the main content categories?
Our analysis around the holidays and Christmas showed that shopping is the main category of interest. But what areas generate the most interest among users?
- Shopping Brands
- Food and Drink
- Events & Attractions
- Travel
- Tech and Computing
Learn more about the top brands that are most relevant during the holidays.
Seedtag 2024 Holiday Guide: Download Now
Deep dive: What piques the audience's interest?
- Gift shopping
This topic receives maximum interest during the season and sees 6.1M brand-safe impressions per month. The audience is keen on finding the perfect presents such as toys and play areas, and are focused on instilling fundamental values through charity and donations.
- Home & Appliances
Many want to enhance their living space with home decor, furniture, and appliances by selecting pieces that showcase personal taste and enhance the quality of daily life. The topic receives 5.3M monthly impressions and the main clusters include home decoration, top lists, and reviews.
- Tech & Gadgets
This topic receives 4.5M monthly impressions and explores the latest innovations and cutting-edge devices like smart home systems, smartphones, and wearable tech. The main clusters of interest are VR, AI, and review websites.
- Fashion & Beauty
The main clusters for this topic are influencers, DIY at home, and new retail shop openings, contributing to 6.9M monthly impressions. This audience wants to know the latest trends and find stylish clothing & accessories, and beauty products.
- Deals & Discounts
With 5.2M monthly impressions, the audience is on the hunt for the best offers, special promotions, and price reductions. From flash sales to bargain shops, they are searching for ways to maximize budget and achieve excellent value on their purchases.
- Traditions
Festive customs and time-honored practices form an integral part of the holiday season, garnering 2.4M monthly impressions. From memorable Christmas ads and events to holiday calendars and traditions such as decorating trees and exchanging gifts, the audience wants to ensure they create cherished memories during the season.
- Travel
The holiday season is also a time for vacations and visiting new destinations. The topic garners 5.9M monthly impressions as the audience is on the lookout for the best destinations, unexplored routes, and flight details to plan a unique and memorable trip.
For more detailed insights, get your copy of the guide.
Seedtag 2024 Holiday Guide: Download Now
Understanding the intricacies of a particular market is crucial to achieving advertising success. For advertisers looking to penetrate the unique and diverse Canadian market, leveraging advanced techniques like network-level analysis (NLA) and contextual advertising can be game-changing. These strategies not only enable brands to tap into the growing market of newcomers to Canada but also ensure that their messages resonate with the right audience in a meaningful way.
The Unique Canadian Market and Its Growing Newcomer Segment
Canada's multicultural fabric is woven from the diverse backgrounds of its population, with a significant proportion being newcomers—immigrants and refugees who bring with them a range of cultural perspectives and needs. For advertisers, this presents both an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunity lies in the growing market; the challenge is understanding and effectively reaching this audience.
Newcomers to Canada often face the daunting task of navigating a new environment, from understanding the local consumer product landscape to managing personal finances, healthcare, housing, and education. This complexity demands a tailored approach to advertising, where understanding the audience’s unique profile is essential. By recognizing the overlaps between content that addresses these challenges, advertisers can craft messages that resonate deeply with this audience.
Network-Level Analysis: The Key Differentiator
At the heart of this approach is network-level analysis, a powerful tool that enables advertisers to understand the interconnectedness between key trends and topics across various media outlets. In the Canadian context, this means analyzing content from major publications such as The Globe and Mail, National Post, and Toronto Star, among others. These outlets frequently cover topics crucial to newcomers, such as housing, personal finance, healthcare, and education.
Network-level analysis allows advertisers to identify content clusters and trends that are particularly relevant to newcomers. For instance, articles discussing how to find a realtor, understand the rental market, or navigate Canada's healthcare system are invaluable for this audience. By pinpointing these content clusters and their adjacent topics, advertisers can gain insights into what matters most to newcomers and tailor their messaging accordingly.
This approach also extends to understanding the nuances of Canadian culture and what it means to be a proud Canadian. For many newcomers, questions of identity and belonging are intertwined with practical concerns like citizenship, visas, and transit. By clustering around these specific keywords and understanding the sentiment and context in which they are discussed, advertisers can create campaigns that speak to the values and aspirations of this audience.
Contextual Advertising: Reaching Newcomers Where It Matters
While network-level analysis provides the insights, contextual advertising is the mechanism through which these insights are activated. Contextual advertising involves placing ads in environments where the content is relevant to the audience, thereby increasing the likelihood of engagement.
For example, an advertiser targeting newcomers might place ads related to personal finance—such as opening a bank account or building a credit score—on websites or articles that discuss financial planning for new immigrants. Similarly, ads for healthcare services or supplementary health insurance could be placed alongside content that explains the Canadian healthcare system to newcomers.
The power of contextual advertising lies in its ability to reach audiences at the moment when they are most receptive to the message. For newcomers to Canada, who are actively seeking information to help them settle in, this approach ensures that the advertising is not just seen but is also relevant and valuable.
Harnessing the Power of NLA and Contextual Advertising
Success in the Canadian market, particularly when targeting newcomers, requires more than just understanding the demographic profile of the audience. It demands a deep understanding of the content they consume, the challenges they face, and the aspirations they hold. This holds true for any demographic, including GenZ, parents with kids, homeowners, etc. Network-level analysis and contextual advertising provide advertisers with the tools to achieve this understanding and to deliver messages that resonate on a personal level.
By leveraging these techniques, advertisers can navigate the complex and interconnected media landscape, reaching newcomers to Canada in a meaningful way that not only addresses their immediate needs but also helps them integrate and thrive in their new home. In a market as diverse and dynamic as Canada, this approach is not just advantageous—it is essential for success.
After multiple delays, Google announced that third-party cookies will not be phased out. While cookies may not be eliminated from Chrome, data privacy laws and consumer demands are rising. Publishers must look beyond third-party cookies as users dislike being tracked across websites and the lack of explicit consent invites significant legal scrutiny.
In today’s privacy-conscious environment, first-party cookies have become more valuable than ever. Unlike third-party cookies that do not comply with data privacy regulations, first-party data is collected directly and responsibly, with user consent. Data collected from users’ interactions with a publisher’s site creates a privacy-friendly foundation for understanding audiences.
Benefits of first-party data for publishers
Moving away from third-party cookies and focusing on first-party data enables publishers to comply with evolving privacy standards and future-proof their revenue strategies.
- With first-party data, there’s no risk of non-compliance. The data is collected straight from the user with their explicit consent, thus reducing the risks of legal challenges and ensures a stable revenue.
- The transparent, consent-based approach to data collection strengthens user trust and loyalty and enables a better overall user experience. This further enhances loyalty and engagement, thus providing long-term benefits to publishers.
- Since the data is collected from the source, the insights are richer and more accurate, leading to better ad targeting and hyper-personalized experiences.
- Other major browsers like Safari and Firefox have already blocked third-party cookies. Switching to first-party data collection enables publishers to create more sustainable strategies and future-proof their business.
- Making the shift to privacy-safe technologies and first-party data enables publishers to cater to the needs of the audience and advertisers without relying on conventional practices that are intrusive and less secure.
- First-party data is transparent and more reliable, leading to higher ad relevance and ROI. It helps minimize the dependence on external data providers and gives publishers more control over audience insights to generate revenue.
- Beyond just supporting ad revenue, first-party data can boost engagement, drive subscriptions, and help make informed editorial choices.
Using first-party data, publishers can build deeper relationships with their audiences, deliver more personalized, relevant, and engaging content, and enhance trust and loyalty. Privacy-safe data practices improve user experience, support engagement, and create opportunities for sustainable revenue growth.
Upgrading to a combination of privacy-preserving approaches
Consumers are increasingly wary about invasive tracking practices and are expressing their concerns about data privacy. Since first-party data is ethically collected from users with their consent, publishers can gather insights from the information shared by users themselves to optimize user profiling. The aim is to make a switch to a balanced approach that creates a privacy-centric strategy that overcomes the limitations posed by traditional practices.
How it works:
- Publishers collect first-party data from user interactions on the website like site activity, engagement with content, surveys, social media, and email interactions.
- Data Management Platforms (DMPs) help gather and organize data from the various sources and analyze them to effectively segment audiences.
- Data Clean Rooms (DCRs) help publishers and advertisers collaborate seamlessly and securely.
- DCRs facilitate privacy-safe matching and analysis of publisher data with advertisers, without sharing any personally identifiable information (PII).
To further enhance strategies, publishers are using first-party data repositories along with contextual advertising to create more compelling content and impactful interest-based audience segments. When used in conjunction, it empowers publishers to overcome privacy concerns and deliver ads relevant to users’ current interests.
These campaigns enable publishers to look beyond users’ personal data and monetize more of their inventory using a content engagement-based targeting approach. This enables publishers to widen their target group and potentially boost ad revenue as they can target even the users who opt out of tracking.
Non-intrusive, interest-based ad campaigns have shown better results as relevance increases the likelihood of clicks and conversions, thus commanding higher ad rates and improving publisher revenue. Leveraging first-party data and an interest-based targeting approach can help publishers develop premium content that they can monetize and grow revenue by increasing purposeful engagement.
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Advertisers have a wide array of campaign options to capture the audience's attention. With shifting consumer demands, evolving privacy laws, and numerous ad creatives and channels, there’s much to navigate.
To optimize campaign performance and ROI, a comprehensive marketing plan is essential, covering key areas such as target audience, ad channels, creative elements, and messaging. An increasingly popular addition to marketers' toolkits is Connected TV (CTV) advertising.
Audiences have warmly embraced CTV, contributing to the rise of cord-cutters moving away from traditional cable. The rapid growth of CTV viewership has drawn advertisers’ interest, prompting budget shifts from linear TV to CTV. This shift allows marketers to future-proof their strategies and connect with a growing, engaged audience.
Marketing in the era of Connected TV and OTT
Unlike the limitations of traditional TV advertising, CTV allows brands to tailor messaging and display personalized ads to niche audiences.
Marketers can access key data points like viewer preferences and habits that provide deeper insights into their likings and preferences. Based on the understanding of viewers’ interests, the ads and the viewing experience are personalized to increase engagement. While traditional TV displays the same ad to all the viewers watching a particular show or channel, CTV ads can be tailored to align with a user’s interests.
The benefits
- Advertising to an engaged user base increases effectiveness as the viewers show a greater propensity to engage and interact with the ads.
- The ability to ensure precise targeting and serve personalized ads boosts engagement and conversion rates as the ads appeal to users’ interests.
- More detailed metrics to track and measure campaign performance, optimize on the go, and improve ROI.
The future of CTV ads
Connected TV (CTV) advertising is still a fresh, emerging channel that marketers and brands are exploring in depth. With continuous innovation on the horizon, there’s much potential left to unlock in this space.
CTV ads have already surpassed the limitations of traditional television, offering hyper-personalization, customization, and niche targeting. This unique medium allows brands to establish connections and build relationships with a growing audience. Advanced targeting capabilities enable marketers to engage audiences on a personal level, capture attention, and earn trust.
Seedtag Contextual TV provides a holistic approach by combining CTV signals and ad data with AI-driven contextual insights from the open web. This integration enables advertisers to understand user interests, target precisely, tailor creative content, and optimize performance. With CTV, brands can move beyond generic categories, access key attention metrics to measure campaign effectiveness, and create attention-grabbing ads.
As the future of advertising shifts to the OTT world, brands are increasingly targeting viewers based on the content they’re watching. Aligning ads with a viewer’s current interests fosters stronger connections and enhances the overall viewing experience.
Learn more about CTV advertising capabilities with Contextual TV by Seedtag.
Additionally, register for Seedtag Academy to become an expert in all things CTV!
As Connected TV (CTV) becomes a central channel in the advertising landscape, publishers are navigating new challenges and opportunities around audience engagement and revenue generation. At the Beachfront Publisher Summit, industry leaders came together for discussions on how contextual targeting and advanced adtech can help publishers meet these evolving needs, including practical approaches to CTV advertising that prioritize relevance and audience connection without relying on personal data.
Discover the key outcomes straight from Seedtag President North America Brian Danzis and Beachfront VP Business Development Marni Rommel as they share key insights on how contextual technology can empower publishers to enhance ad relevance, improve viewer experience, and unlock new revenue streams while aligning with privacy expectations.
- What is the role of video in the current advertising landscape?
Brian Danzis: Video continues to be one of the most impactful advertising formats because sight, sound and motion can evoke powerful sentiments which can help shape perception and drive people to action. The traditional thirty second spot once dominated the format, but over the last twenty years not only have new lengths emerged, but so has variety in screen orientation, customization and interactivity elements to make the format even more powerful.
- What are the keys to harnessing new technologies in CTV?
Marni Rommel: The role of contextual targeting and how Seedtag contextual AI and tech capabilities will enhance Beachfront’s proposition.
In today’s CTV landscape, having a deep understanding of your audience’s viewing preferences and habits is a critical starting point. This can be achieved through rich data analytics and insights, and then leveraged on campaign plans via advanced targeting methods like contextual.
Our belief is that contextual targeting will play a significant role in how CTV media is transacted going forward, as it allows media buyers and sellers to deliver ads based on what the consumer is currently watching – leading to improved ad relevance, engagement, and yield.
- How can publishers benefit from tech advancements in CTV?
Marni Rommel: The value Seedtag brings to Beachfront publishers
Through recent tech advancements in CTV, including those brought on by Seedtag, today's CTV publishers are well-positioned to enhance their monetization and drive new revenue streams, even amid changes to the broader privacy landscape.
With deeper audience insights and enhanced targeting capabilities, publishers can deliver a more seamless and engaging viewing experience for CTV audiences. Seedtag’s contextual CTV targeting offering specifically, as an example, has been proven to improve ad relevance and increase campaign scale – giving rise to new, contextually-driven demand opportunities for publisher
- How events like this CTV Publisher Summit add value to the CTV publishers industry?
Marni Rommel: The CTV ecosystem is evolving rapidly, so creating forums for collaboration, feedback, and knowledge sharing is absolutely essential to aligning on common challenges and goals. We’re all navigating the same industry dynamics after all.
We were delighted to host so many of our key partners and give them the opportunity to hear from Seedtag as well as some of their trusted media buyers. Seedtag’s strength in data, creative, and contextual makes them a critical partner for today’s CTV publishers, as we are collectively well-positioned to bring value to the buy-side in a way that drives engagement, revenue, and efficiencies for media sellers.
- What does the future hold for CTV in the United States?
Brian Danzis: CTV continues to be one of the fastest growing ad channels in the US, because of shifting user behaviors in how they consume video content. At Seedtag we expect more content to be made available through CTV channels and even more customization of ad formats including more advanced HH level targeting, customized creatives that are contextually relevant, engaging and fun!
- How can we strike the right balance between utilizing data for CTV without crossing the line into overly personal targeting?
Brian Danzis: Today’s consumer is much more aware of how companies track and target them online and are increasingly taking active measures to block these practices. While CTV is naturally “cookie free” as an industry we need to still be careful about how we use IP addresses and other HH level data to deliver ads. At Seedtag we believe wholeheartedly in delivering a privacy compliant approach that protects the end user from unnecessary data collection, stereotypical audience bucketing and other traditional targeting tactics that rely on third party sources.
- How can publishers achieve better ad personalization and relevance for both advertisers and audiences in the streaming ecosystem?
Marni Rommel: CTV publishers can achieve stronger ad personalization and relevance in streaming ecosystems using contextual monetization solutions, such as Seedtag’s, which utilizes Contextual AI to analyze and package content in real-time. It is through technology like this that publishers can deliver higher-yielding ads that align closely with the context of the programs the viewer is watching, ensuring that the ads are not only relevant to the in-the-moment content but also to the audience’s interests.
By focusing on contextual signals rather than relying solely on user data, publishers can create a more engaging and seamless ad experience that satisfies advertisers' goals for targeted messaging while enhancing viewer satisfaction and engagement. This approach fosters a win-win scenario where both advertisers and audiences benefit from more relevant and impactful advertising.
As digital advertising continues to evolve, actionable and privacy-compliant solutions for CTV enable publishers to maintain relevance with audiences while optimizing monetization models. By focusing on context over personal data, Seedtag’s approach offers a sustainable pathway forward for CTV publishers. Want to know more about achieving a balanced approach that meets both audience needs and industry standards? Let’s talk!
The shopping season that kicks off around Halloween only intensifies as we step into November, marking the start of the holiday shopping season. The early purchases of the biggest sale of the year begin in early November and continue through the end of December. Our trend analysis on Black Friday & Cyber Monday showed that consumer interest peaks significantly on the official date of Black Friday. The highest level of interest is captured on the weekend following Black Friday, indicating sustained interest even after the event.
The peak in interest in Black Friday is followed by a rise in interest in Cyber Monday, which is high on the day and the week of the event. Travel Tuesday also garners a lot of interest for travel-related discounts. Advertisers must focus on utilizing the months leading up to the busiest online shopping days to associate brands with Black Friday content and capitalize on the increased interest during the weeks leading to the events.
Learn more: Seedtag Black Friday & Cyber Monday Insights report
Black Friday & Cyber Monday: Content categories of interest
Our insights on the categorization of articles showed that over 45% of the Black Friday articles are related to technology and computing, and shopping. The same categories contributed to 50% for Cyber Monday.
- Shopping Category: The key areas of interest that bring in the views are Fashion Deals, Outlet and Discount Stores, Supermarket Discounts, and Stylish Seasonal Outfits.
- Technology & Computing Category: The trending article topics are Top Deals and Discounts on Electronics, High-Performance Computing Devices, Tablets and Mobile Devices, and Smart Home Devices.
Capitalizing on trends: What are the audience’s main interests?
The Black Friday and Cyber Monday audiences have many interests but, what’s top of mind?
- Tech Bargains: The topic generates 39% of visits and mainly caters to tech enthusiasts and gamers seeking the best prices on high-end products and accessories. This includes topics like the latest tech gadgets, electronics, and gaming deals that clock 323K monthly brand-safe impressions.
- Self-Care Offers: Next in line with 28% of visits, this topic covers trends like best deals on clothing, shoes, and accessories. It also discusses current fashion trends, outfit inspirations, and style guides for the season. This topic has the maximum monthly impression share at 866K.
- House Discounts: 16% of visits are articles on home appliances and home decor items. This includes articles about significant discounts on refrigerators, washers, and dryers, as well as decor items like furniture and bedding.
- Travel Deals: Articles that cover discounts and special offers on travel packages, flights, hotel bookings, and deals on car rentals receive 9% of visits and 217K impressions.
Curious to know more about marketing to this seasonal audience and boosting sales this holiday season? Download Now: Seedtag Black Friday & Cyber Monday Insights report.
Build brand awareness and presence this Black Friday
The key to driving sales during the holiday season lies in appealing to the right audiences at the ideal time and place. The October audience is the Early Black Friday shoppers who focus on thorough research and smart financial planning. Product reviews, credit card deals, and loans and finances appeal to them.
During Black Friday in November, the audience is on the lookout for the best prices on the latest gadgets, wellness products, home improvements, travel packages, and reliable reviews that help make informed decisions.
The audience is all for Christmas shopping, gifting, and traveling in December. Shoppers look for the best products and deals to make the best purchases for the festive season.
Key takeaways for advertisers and publishers
- Focus on creating engaging, informative content
- Capitalize on consumer interest
- Highlight shopping tips and exclusive deals
- Reviews and guides to help consumers make informed decisions
Learn how you can capitalize on our in-depth findings with the Black Friday Seasonal Audience.
It's time to bring out those costumes, get your scare on, and let your imagination run wild! With the 31st of October nearing, costumes, masks, decor, candies, and parties are already on people’s minds. As people gear up for the festivities, understanding what’s on consumers' minds and what they are looking forward to is essential intel for brands.
Halloween offers an opportunity for brands to engage with consumers in a fun and memorable way. Consumers look for everything ranging from costumes and party supplies to home decor, events, and activities. Brands that can strike a chord with the audience by sharing relevant, quality content will garner interest, increase brand awareness, and drive sales.
Halloween 2024: Top categories of interest
To keep brands and advertisers abreast of the season’s trends and consumer interests, Liz Events powered by Seedtag Lab brings to you the exclusive 2024 Seedtag Halloween Insights report. Our research shows that the audience is interested in an array of categories that vary from events to pop culture, hobbies, and home decor.
Download the full report here.
Based on the number of articles in each category and the number of visits per article, here are the most notable categories:
- Family & Relationships: Articles on Halloween family activities like trick-or-treating with kids and parents.
- Events & Attractions: Special promotions at theme parks like Halloween discounts, haunted houses, and zombie survival experiences.
- Shopping: Guides on Halloween costumes, popular costume trends, home decorations, and accessories.
- Movies: A selection of horror movie recommendations, from classics to new releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.
Halloween 2024: Main content focus
With ~3+ million impressions, entertainment, decorations, costumes & accessories, and food & treats are the topics that capture maximum audience interest.
- Entertainment: 32% of articles revolve around entertainment as the audience loves binge-watching horror movies and TV shows or visiting amusement parks to experience themed attractions and haunted mansions. Movies & TV Shows garner 48% of total views, and the other clusters include theme parks, video games, and scary tales.
- Decorations: The decor is an important ingredient for homeowners and event planners eager to create spooky, festive environments to celebrate the holiday. This topic has an article share of 32%, and the main clusters are parties, decoration deals, and DIY projects.
- Costumes & Accessories: 26% of articles are for the majority that’s on the lookout for creative and themed attire. From playful outfits for children to themed party attires for adults, the clusters focus on influencers' costumes, quick & cheap costumes, costumes for women, and pet costumes.
- Food & Treats: An important element of any celebration, 15% of articles appeal to trick-or-treaters, home bakers, and party hosts exploring creative recipes and indulging in themed sweets. The main cluster trick-or-treating receives 43% of total views and other topics include Halloween candy and Halloween recipes.
This seasonal audience drives anywhere between 2.39 million to a whopping 3.69 million brand-safe impressions per month. The key to leveraging findings like these to a brand’s advantage lies in targeting niche or customized audience segments.
The 2024 Seedtag Halloween Insights report: Download now
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Consumers are becoming more proactive about protecting their privacy, using tools like VPNs, privacy-focused browsers, and Apple’s Private Relay.
In the U.S., 40% of the population reportedly uses VPNs, and many are increasingly opting out of cookies, blocking third-party tracking, and employing anonymization features in their browsers.
When it comes to ad blockers, a growing number of users (31%) use them. This behavior reflects a groundswell of consumer demand for privacy and control over how personal data is collected and used.
This growing awareness has been shaped in part by a series of high-profile scandals, and increased media coverage of privacy issues. As more users take these steps to safeguard their privacy, they expect businesses to follow suit by handling data responsibly.
Signal deprecation and privacy are not the same thing
In responding to this imperative, big tech companies have caused a great deal of confusion. Many recent “privacy-safe” advertising solutions are really just short-term fixes for the problem of signal deprecation, such as the loss of third-party cookies or mobile ad IDs (MAIDs). Contextual and behavioral targeting methods are now being evaluated as viable alternatives. Signal deprecation—often initiated by big tech companies in the name of privacy—differs from privacy laws..
The decision to deprecate cookies or MAIDs mostly stems from corporate strategies aimed at consolidating data control rather than purely complying with regulations. This has led to many in the industry looking to solve for signal deprecation without addressing the broader shift in the regulatory environment or the change in consumer sentiment that inspires it.
The privacy misconception around CTV
CTV is often considered privacy-safe because it doesn’t rely on cookies for targeting. But cookieless doesn’t automatically mean privacy-first. CTV targeting relies heavily on tracking IP addresses, which brings its own privacy challenges. While IP addresses don’t necessarily identify individuals, they can identify households—and new regulations increasingly classify IP addresses as personal data.
States like California and Virginia now designate IP addresses as personally identifiable information (PII), requiring stricter regulations under laws like the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) and the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA). Because CTV depends on household-level data, its privacy compliance is facing more scrutiny.
While CTV doesn’t use cookies, it remains vulnerable to future disruption if privacy laws further restrict IP address tracking. This issue isn’t limited to CTV; any advertising channel that relies on tracking individuals or households could be disrupted as privacy protections continue to tighten.
The case for contextual
The long-term solution to these privacy challenges is contextual targeting. Instead of tracking a user’s behavior over time, contextual targeting focuses on the page content being consumed at that moment. This approach is inherently privacy-friendly, as it doesn’t require personal data or behavioral insights. Advertisers can deliver contextually relevant ads by analyzing the web pages a user is engaging with, ensuring alignment with their current interests—without needing their personal history.
Some may argue that permissioned, opted-in consented data offers a future-proofed alternative for deterministic targeting, but there simply isn’t enough scale in this data to serve as the foundation for global targeted media exange.
Contextual targeting works by allowing advertisers to reach users in real-time based on their current environment, bypassing the need for personal data entirely. And yes, for this reason, contextual advertising is also much less susceptible to future signal deprecation.
One of the primary benefits of contextual targeting is that it enhances the user experience by ensuring that contextually targeted ads match the content of a webpage. Rather than bombarding users with irrelevant messages, advertisers can use targeting methods that align with the interests and intent of the user in the moment. This leads to improved engagement and a more seamless browsing experience.
The future of privacy-first adtech
The path forward for adtech is clear: Privacy must be prioritized while continuing to deliver effective, targeted ads. This doesn’t mean eliminating personalized ads altogether, but it does require rethinking how things are going to work long-term. The shift away from individual tracking isn’t just a trend—it’s a secular transformation that will reshape digital advertising for years to come.
Consumers are increasingly aware of the value exchange between their data and the content they consume. Many feel the benefits of ads based on their behavior don’t always justify the privacy risks. Contextual targeting strikes the right balance—delivering relevant content while protecting user privacy and meeting the needs of both advertisers and consumers.
As more brands embrace contextual advertising, they are also refining their ad placements to ensure maximum visibility and engagement. By strategically placing contextual ads in environments where they naturally fit, advertisers can optimize performance while maintaining compliance with privacy regulations. This shift is also leading to innovations in display ads, making them more interactive and engaging.
In the evolving landscape of digital marketing, contextual targeting works as a sustainable solution for both advertisers and consumers. By shifting focus from user tracking to matches the content of a webpage, brands can continue delivering effective advertising in a privacy-first era. As regulations tighten and consumer preferences evolve, businesses that adopt contextual and behavioral targeting strategies will be better positioned for long-term success in digital advertising.
By Brian Danzis, President North America at Seedtag. This article was originally released on AdWeek.
Advertisers and publishers are increasingly capitalizing on the thriving Connected TV ecosystem as the channel continues to garner more viewers. CTV is the hottest new trend in digital marketing and the fastest-growing ad channel in the US due to the 2+ hours spent leaned in watching and 88% of GenZ and millennials owning an advanced TV. For publishers, CTV presents a significant opportunity to reach a targeted audience, monetize content on this channel, and provide interactive experiences that better engage users.
CTV provides publishers with a new and bustling platform to create and distribute content across video, display, and creative ad insertion that reaches new potential customers and generates revenue. While CTV advertising is an exciting channel to explore, it comes with its own set of complexities. The fragmented CTV landscape, lack of control and transparency, and absence of CTV-optimized solutions pose multiple challenges.
Digital advertising in the evolving media landscape
From monetizing content to choosing the right marketing strategy, managing operations, ensuring brand safety, optimizing ad revenues, and delivering exceptional user experiences, the right technology partner and marketing partner is pivotal in ensuring publisher success.
- Publishers must ensure the business partnership has a global reach to network with a larger pool of advertisers and agencies.
- The partnership marketing approach must be flexible, transparent, and tailored to cater to business-specific needs that yield better campaign results.
- Publishers should choose partners that leverage new-gen capabilities like AI and ML, ensure privacy-first practices, and leverage brand safety and suitability best practices to stay ahead and future-proof their business.
- Since CTV is a relatively new space, it is key to look for a marketing partner with a proven track record in the industry and carefully evaluate the platform’s capabilities and features.
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The Benefits of Choosing a Solid CTV Technology & Marketing Partner
With CTVs increasingly replacing traditional cable, it offers publishers access to a large and growing audience. It presents an opportunity to generate revenue through advertising, subscriptions, or premium products or services on CTV platforms.
- Real-time bidding (RTB): Enables publishers to efficiently allocate ad inventory to the highest bidder and maximize their revenue.
- Header bidding: Allows publishers to simultaneously offer ad inventory to multiple ad exchanges, thus increasing competition and improving pricing.
- Demand-side platform (DSP) integration: Facilitate connections with myriad ad networks and exchanges, enabling access to a wider pool of advertisers and agencies.
The right blend of context and affiliate marketing forges a very effective strategy. Contextual-led CTV advertising will help publishers deliver based on the specific page content being watched, ensuring a higher relevance and better engagement as they are more likely to resonate with viewers. Higher engagement and click-through rates can help publishers attract higher-quality advertisers who are willing to pay a premium.
By leveraging affiliate programs and content partnerships, businesses can further increase brand awareness and extend their reach. Forms of partner marketing such as joint ventures with content creators or CTV platforms enable brands to tap into established audiences, boosting brand recognition and engagement while ensuring a cost-effective strategy for reaching new markets.
Enhancing User Experience and Ad Performance
Contextual CTV advertising also enhances the overall user experience as the ads are non-intrusive and relevant to their watchlist and preferences. The ads are also placed in safe and appropriate content environments, preventing any negative associations. Brand safety and suitability measures are integral elements in the busy media landscape as they help avoid harmful content and ensure the ad placements align with the brand’s overall messaging and ethos.
- Precise targeting: First-party data and contextual advertising help identify and build specific audience segments. The ads delivered are contextually relevant to the content being consumed by viewers, increasing engagement and key attention parameters.
- Privacy-first: Contextual-led CTV does not invade user privacy by accessing third-party data, thus making it a preferred choice among advertisers as it helps build relationships and gain user trust.
- User experience: The campaigns are highly targeted and personalized ads are effective, but the placements are non-intrusive and do not disrupt the viewing experience.
What can we expect of Connected TV Advertising
As competition in CTV advertising grows, companies that invest in partnership marketing will gain an edge by collaborating with strategic partners to optimize marketing initiatives. This approach not only ensures cost efficiency but also drives lead generating campaigns that convert high-intent viewers into loyal customers.
The right marketing partner is crucial for navigating the complexities of CTV advertising, and Seedtag is here for you. By leveraging affiliate marketing, content partnerships, and joint ventures, brands can develop cost-effective strategies that drive brand recognition and enhance audience engagement. As CTV continues to evolve, businesses that prioritize strategic collaborations will maximize their reach and long-term success.
Discover how we bring our Open Web expertise to the CTV landscape with Seedtag Contextual TV.
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Connected TV is all the hype today as the rapid shift from traditional TV continues. People love having complete control over what they watch and when and enjoy having access to a vast library of content to choose from. The flexibility to connect to the internet, browse popular streaming services, and seamlessly switch between traditional TV and online content has garnered massive viewership for CTV over the years.
The ever-increasing number of “cord-cutters” has naturally persuaded advertisers to rethink ad budget allocation. The booming OTT platform subscriptions and CTV viewership have shifted investments toward CTV advertising. Like traditional TV commercials, CTV ads are placed within streaming content and operating system apps across internet-connected televisions.
The benefits of CTV advertising
CTV ads enable advertisers to reach the growing audience base that owns smart TVs by delivering the ads within streaming content such as movies and TV shows. CTV targeting is also more precise when compared to traditional television as the ads appeal to the real-time interests and viewing habits of users.
CTV advertising improves campaign performance as it reaches a larger audience base and helps advertisers engage with the audience that’s cutting the cord on traditional cable.
CTV also ensures improved audience targeting as the ads are displayed to specific segments where they are relevant and align with their area of interest, thus leading to higher engagement and better ROI. Overall, CTV ads reach a wider audience and increase brand awareness, making them a powerful tool in digital advertising.
Brand safety and alignment in CTV (Connected TV)
While advertisers opt for privacy-first alternatives and new advertising channels like CTV, it is imperative to ensure the brand image is upheld and always shown in good light. Brand safety measures help prevent a brand's ads from appearing alongside content that’s inappropriate or offensive. Brand alignment helps to create a consistent and positive brand experience by ensuring the ads align with the brand's overall messaging, values, and targeted audience.
Key considerations for brand safety and alignment
- Choosing content categories that align with the brand's values and overall positioning.
- Ad placement that aligns with the content of the streaming video.
- Preventing ads from appearing alongside topics that are harmful, offensive, or could damage the brand reputation.
Contextual CTV advertising brings the powers of AI-powered contextual advertising to Connected TV. Similar to ads matched to the content of web pages, contextual CTV matches ads to the content streamed by users. For example, users who watch more content about wildlife, nature, or documentaries about the environment are more likely to be interested in ads about eco-friendly, sustainable, and cruelty-free products or services.
Contextual CTV is emerging as a privacy-preserving ad strategy that enables brands to boost engagement, increase brand awareness, and improve brand reputation. With a better understanding of viewer interests, advertisers can serve ads that are contextually relevant to the current content browsed by the audience. Contextually targeted ads are non-intrusive and in line with a brand's ideas and values.
Additionally, contextual advertising-backed CTV targeting empowers brands to ensure brand safety and brand suitability with more precise and relevant ad placements. These measures prevent ads from appearing in environments that are inappropriate or harmful.
The Role of a Brand Safety Service in CTV Advertising
Given the complexities of programmatic advertising, a brand safety service is essential to ensure ads appear only in safe and brand-suitable environments. These services leverage AI-powered tools to analyze ad space and implement brand safety measures effectively.
Some of the key elements of a brand safety service include:
- Exclusion lists: Blocking certain categories of content that do not align with brand values.
- Real-time monitoring: Ensuring brand advertisements do not appear alongside fake news or offensive content.
- AI-driven contextual analysis: Identifying and classifying content to match ads with relevant content.
- Protection across social media and digital advertising: Applying brand safety strategies across multiple platforms.
Protecting Your Brand with the Right Tools
As brand safety issues continue to evolve in digital advertising, companies must invest in brand safety tools that provide real-time protection and ensure brand safety in every campaign. Implementing brand safety measures safeguards a brand’s ad placements from appearing in harmful or inappropriate content and helps protecting your brand from reputational damage.
Seedtag Contextual CTV brings our expertise from open web campaigns to the CTV landscape.
Our expertise brings granularity and helps advertisers to go beyond generic categories, garner valuable attention metrics, and build a more memorable brand experience. Reputable inventory sources coupled with brand safety and suitability measures help mitigate the risks of negative publicity or brand associations.
Brand safety service is crucial in the CTV landscape, ensuring that ads remain in brand-safe environments and align with a brand's messaging. Contextual CTV helps brands reach the intended target audience, ensures ads align with brand values, improves overall campaign effectiveness, and builds trust among consumers. Learn more.
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