# Interview with an Expert: Programmatic Predictions in 2022

- Link: https://chatterblast.com/blog/interview-with-an-expert-programmatic-predictions-in-2022/
- Published: 2022-01-18T14:34:29-05:00
- Author: chatterblastteam

With a new year ahead of us, it’s time to re-evaluate strategies, learn from the
past year’s data, and start the new year fully informed. And in 2022, we know **
programmatic advertising** is going to be a major player.

That’s why I sat down with programmatic expert **Karina Pepe** from **[StackAdapt](https://go.stackadapt.com/stackadapt-chatterblast-blog)**,
ChatterBlast’s programmatic platform of choice, to dive deep on programmatic trends
for 2022. Karina and I work closely executing clients’ digital dreams, and with 
years of experience in programmatic advertising, she’s nothing short of a whiz. 
Let’s dive into what Karina predicts will be important in 2022.

## **Video and audio take the cake **

If **TikTok** has taught us anything, it’s that video content is making major moves.
Video content from years prior performed at _half_ the rate that it is now. In office
settings, a user was much less likely to watch a video at volume, but now at home,
that has changed. Karina speculates even further about what that means for programmatic:“
Video, specifically connected TV (CTV) is growing now more than ever. With the pandemic,
people are working from home more, [and] the TV is on more often.”

She’s seen a massive increase, in audio, too, where a lot of advertising is moving
towards programmatic. “Audio and CTV are being bought differently — direct buys 
are fading, and people are going more the programmatic route,” she adds. “And as
an industry, people are becoming more educated on programmatic. So marketers are
trying to shift as well, as it makes more sense for targeting.”

We can also draw the conclusion that an easier buy for marketers will mean an increase
in the audio and video work we see in the coming year.

## The rise of the QR code

“[With CTV] we’ve seen an interest in QR codes,” Katrina says. “People seem to be
leveraging the QR code quite a bit more, where before people were skeptical of who
would scan.” She explains that this tactic a great way to gain more insight into
CTV. It’s more than just online video; the metrics and data offered through the 
QR code provide a great way to connect the two elements.

https://twitter.com/GraceMulvey1/status/1471800525834407941

 

We also see this as a great way to capture a user with multiple devices. According
to a 2020 study (and this might even be outdated after the holidays of ‘21!), [the average American household has ten connected devices](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107206/average-number-of-connected-devices-us-house/).
That includes smart phones, laptops, set top boxes, tablets, Apple watches, and 
more.

“CTV and QR codes are a way to integrate the different devices. Things like that
will become more prevalent, integrating the different devices with a singular ad
impression,” Katrina adds. “We also will see IP address tracking becoming more important.
Right now people lean on IP addresses a lot, household ID, etc.”

## **First-party data for the win**

People have long been awaiting the demise of the [third-party cookie](https://chatterblast.com/data-debates-and-the-cookie-conundrum/),
which has given advertisers plenty of time to prepare alternative methods of tracking.
One thing to lean on is **first-party data** and **contextual targeting**.

> Those pop-up messages you get on every site saying they use "cookies" to collect
> info? Yeah, those might not be around forever.
> Here's why ➡️ [https://t.co/HtfUn7ntTq](https://t.co/HtfUn7ntTq) [#digitalmarketing](https://twitter.com/hashtag/digitalmarketing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [pic.twitter.com/asIB5oDF2D](https://t.co/asIB5oDF2D)
> — ChatterBlast Media (@ChatterBlast) [January 27, 2021](https://twitter.com/ChatterBlast/status/1354554708204150785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Karina explains that from StackAdapt’s perspective, “[We’re] focused on building
out our Browsing Audiences and Page Context AI features, which allow you to target
based on what a user is consuming, rather than their past behavior. Utilizing a 
DSP, which has a focus on contextual advertising, will ensure that your campaign
strategies are future-proof, regardless of what happens with cookies.“

This can also be part of a larger conversation about building customer trust, like
managing user identities responsibly and integrating [privacy](https://chatterblast.com/the-future-of-privacy-in-digital-advertising/)
as a key part of a customer relationship. Marketers are able to use that first-party
data to better understand (and more accurately target) users, and to foster strong
customer relations even further.

First-party data takes the guesswork out of targeting, but Karina also offers predictions
for targeting in the current atmosphere: “I’ve seen an increased interest in contextual
targeting and site retargeting… Advertisers are trying to reach people who are further
down the funnel, with verified interest,” she says. “So site retargeting and contextual
targeting will increase in 2022.”

Want an even deeper dive? Check out [StackAdapt’s latest podcast](https://blog.stackadapt.com/contextual-advertising-performance/)
on contextual targeting. 

The future of programmatic is looking bright — [get in touch](https://chatterblast.com/contact/)
if you need expert guidance to get started.