This industry pulse report of Integral Ad Science shows the top priorities in India this 2022 and the ad fraud concerns marketers face.
The top priorities of Indian marketers are mobile and social media for 2022. While these marketing technologies or martech platforms attract the rapid deployment of enormous marketing capital to digital media ad spending, ad fraud is still the biggest challenge in implementing mobile and social media advertising.
This is according to the Integral Ad Science India Edition 2022 Industry Report, released by Integral Ad Science (IAS), a digital ad tech and verification company.
According to Saurabh Khattar, the Commercial Lead of IAS in India, “As the ongoing pandemic has driven consumers to embrace hybrid lifestyles and digital experiences, digital advertisers pivoted their strategies globally to emphasize mobile, social media, CTV, and digital audio. This scenario is similar in India. However, in a market as large and dynamic as India, brands are becoming more conscious of the importance of quality impressions and safe brand environments. As a result, the role of verification partners is gaining prominence in creating a safe and transparent setting for brands.”
Here are the key findings of this report:
Indian audiences are shifting digitally
Many Indian consumers are shifting from terrestrial radio and linear TV to digital streaming channels. This transition was highly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, and about 80% of marketers surveyed expect this trend to continue this year.
Out of 10 respondents, seven agree that audio listeners will utilize digital alternatives, such as connected television (CTV), over the top (OTT), and podcasts in 2022. Streaming video is an effective and popular way to reach modern viewers, making it the preferred choice for customer engagement in the consumer journey’s discovery phase.
Hence, marketers in the country will use social media and mobile with the emergence of digital audio and video as top considerations this year.
Top Social Media Priorities
Millennials and Gen Z consumers make up the bulk of social media users alongside other generations also getting more tech-savvy. With faster 5G mobile connections, more consumers will use mobile devices and social media platforms to connect with brands, search for products and services, and make purchases this year.
On the question what marketing technologies will Indian marketers prioritize in 2022, about 77% of respondents said they would prioritize mobile and social platforms to promote their brands to mobile internet users predicted to reach more than 600 million in 2022. Because of faster internet connectivity, about 78% of media experts consider mobile video streaming one of the most significant online marketing opportunities.
Social Media Ad Spending
About 82% of marketer respondents ranked YouTube as the number one social media platform for their marketing campaigns this year, followed by Facebook at 80% and Instagram at 77%.
Mobile ad spending will grow 27% in 2022, superseding US$2 billion or nearly two-thirds of total digital ad spending in India.
Mobile and Social Media Marketing Concerns
According to the report, ad fraud will increase across mobile environments in 2022, as per 78% of respondents. Marketers believe that third-party verification (72%) and contextual targeting solutions (74%) will be vital to guarantee brand safety in mobile environments.
The majority of surveyed respondents (86%) have concerns about the ad fraud vulnerability of social media campaigns. Media experts cite eroding trust (62%) and insufficient transparency (65%) as the key factors to adjust their ad spending this year.
Audio streaming content also has a higher brand risk, as 68% of media experts predict, prompting marketers to prioritize third-party verification to ensure good audio streaming inventory quality.
Sustaining Media Quality
A team effort is vital to sustaining media quality. Tech providers are responsible for mitigating brand risk and ad fraud in mobile and social media as 45% of respondents agree, and 38% say brands should initiate these efforts.
