A German provider of social video marketing and digital advertising technologies predicts that 2018 may prove to be quite challenging for the media and communications companies, not only because of the entering into force of the (controversial) GDPR and the e-Privacy (“cookie”) Law .

New technology trends such as Augmented Virtual Reality, Block Chain technology and Artificial Intelligence are also on the brink of a breakthrough to the mass market and will change and challenge media usage and advertising, but there will be more.

The representative of the German provider summarizes his prognosis in nine items:

1. The fight against the circumvention of trademarks begins
2. “Augmented Reality”- market becomes a sales’ reality
3. Block Chain technology helps to prevent from advertising fraud
4. Artificial intelligence becomes personal
5. Unconventional will become mainstream
6. Courageous brands: a fantastic fan basis
7. GDPR will cause restrictions but will also provide for positive effects. The EU law on Data Privacy will send fire into the ad industry in 2018. Fraudsters and their fraudulent practices will come to daylight and will be exposed paving the way to new, innovative developments. Lawyers will be benefitting from the GDPR, as companies (of ALL sizes!) will need to ensure that they understand and implement the new EU data privacy law.
   We will also be able to observe substantial disruptions in all industries, as the data protection laws will provide a new opportunity for those who are agile/flexible and therefore fast to react to demand.
   Thus the legal restructuring will also be beneficial for consumers: their fears about privacy sphere and negative experiences with advertising have brought about this change in the 1^st place (ie leading to the new EU privacy laws). A reassessment of the way in which private data is handled, the question of WHICH data is important leads to the fact that brands must really offer the user added value in order to deal responsible with their trust.
8. Virtual reality will capture the actual advertising spending
9. Premium media owners will strike back

Extracts from : “Block Chain , KI, GDPR & Co: 9 Prognosis for 2018”, C.Thielecke in HORIZONT, December 2017