The digital marketing landscape is always evolving and from 2016 to 2017, a massive shift occurred. The Consumer Advertising Report by the team at MediaRadar, found that while print and programmatic ad spends were down, there was a 74% increase in the number of native ad buyers. The study focused on all of 2016 through the first quarter of 2017.
What Decreased?
Print ad pages continued to experience a decrease, losing 8% ad spend year over year. Print spending is estimated to have decreased by 6% during the same period.
MediaRadar CEO Todd Krizelman noted that there has been a “considerable” drop in ad pages from 2016 to the present day. “That being said, there are still a considerable amount of pages being bought. Niche and enthusiast titles are on the rise, with some regional titles flourishing.”
During the first quarter of 2017, there was a drop of 5,000 advertisers who purchased ads programmatically compared to the first quarter of 2016, a 12% decreased year over year.
Krizelman notes that many brands are worried that they lose control of where their ads are placed when they purchase programmatically.
“After years of growth, the decline in programmatic buyers is likely attributed to concerns around brand safety, especially given recent problems for companies like YouTube,” said Krizelman. “This form of advertising is continuing to evolve as brands seek more control over where their ads are running. We expect to see a programmatic rise as more brands move to programmatic direct models.”
A Massive Increase In Native Ad Spending
Native ad buyers increased by 74% in the past year to over 5,000, according to MediaRadar and demand has more than tripled since 2015.
The study found that native ad increases were biggest among professional services, financial and real estate, technology, and wholesale products.
Here are the top 10 categories for Native Ads:
The MediaRadar study also found that high CPM ad placements on mobile and native platforms were being experienced, despite an overall dip in digital ad spends.