The advertising industry is positioned to come back stronger than ever in 2021, and with a twist.
In an economic downturn like the sudden one we faced in 2020, marketing is typically cut first from a company's budget. However, as we recover from the pandemic, several new forecasts show that not only is the ad market recovering more quickly than it did following the 2008 recession, but there will also be a new trend in advertising.
A host of companies in various industries are selling ad space on their own digital and physical properties. As Axios puts it, “Media companies used to be the biggest sellers of advertising globally. Then tech giants took that title. Now, in a post-pandemic world, every industry that has a digital presence is trying to build an ad revenue line.”
Companies can sell ad space differently on their digital -- and for some even their physical -- properties depending on how their service works. For example, delivery apps can sell sponsored search results for different items a user wants, while retail stores may sell sponsored search results on their apps or websites, as well as in-store branding at their different physical locations.
In other words, instead of just Google or Facebook being the place to buy ads, it may be more beneficial to advertise directly with Target or DoorDash.
This trend is offering more options for advertising and should continue to expand in the years to come.