“AI and automation.”
According to Director of Software Development Edmund Chang of iHerb, these are just two of the major tech buzzwords for 2020.
As companies enter a new decade, it’s important for their leaders to anticipate how the latest tech trends will evolve in order to determine how they can benefit their businesses, rather than replace them. Paid Media Manager Justice Ekhaguere of Single Grain said that “automated ads will take some of the control away from his business but in return, give his agency creative freedom. By taking advantage of additional time and smoother workflows, his team will be able to focus on innovating and evolving the company's product.
We asked five executives which trends they’re watching in the upcoming decade and how they’ll be utilizing them to enhance their businesses. From robotics to 5G networks, these are the trends that will be shaping tech in 2020.
As streaming services offer more shows than ever, more viewers are cutting the cord on cable. But with limited or no commercials, how will advertisers reach consumers? CEO Mark Douglas explains how 5G networks allow SteelHouse to “make TV advertising a full digital, direct response marketing channel.”
What are the top tech trends you're watching in 2020? What impact do you think these trends will have on your industry in particular?
The rollout of true 5G networks destroys the cable monopolies and gives America back the $100 per month every household has been overcharged for years in their cable and internet access bundle. You’ll instead get 5G home internet access bundles with your cell phone plan for less than half the price and continue streaming Netflix, Disney+ and Hulu for dollars rather than hundreds of dollars.
The rollout of true 5G networks destroys the cable monopolies.”
How are you applying these trends in your work in the year ahead?
Streaming TV isn’t just a revolution in TV viewing, it’s also a revolution in TV advertising. SteelHouse is one of the companies leading the charge by making TV advertising a full digital, direct response marketing channel. We’re having fun making TV advertising approachable for internet retailers and other marketers of any size. We’re turning connected TV into performance TV and seeing huge growth from our customers as they add TV to their primary mix of marketing channels alongside paid search and social.
If clients could automate their own successful ads, many advertising executives would be out of a job. Paid Media Manager Justice Ekhaguere explained why he “sees automation working positively in the year ahead and beyond” for Single Grain.
What are the top tech trends you're watching in 2020?
A tech trend we’re seeing more of is automation in digital marketing ad campaigns with the use of AI and machine learning. Google and Facebook have introduced ways to automate campaign creation and optimization in 2018 and 2019. Amazon Ads is right behind them, allowing you to automate bids for keywords. These platforms are only going to continue to release more dynamic capabilities as AI continuously collects more data and learns about an audience’s behavior.
I see automation working positively for us in the year ahead and beyond.”
How are you applying these trends in your work in the year ahead?
This challenges the digital marketing agency model because small and medium businesses may decide to stop working with technical experts and try to do ads on their own as platforms become “smarter.” I see automation working positively for us in the year ahead and beyond. Of course, automated ads will take some of the control away from us, but it’s also taking out the guesswork and the time it takes to make small adjustments. In the end, I believe this will give us the opportunity to be more creative and strategic in helping clients grow their businesses.
As health and wellness continue to trend, some tech will help consumers reach heightened states of wellbeing. Director of Software Development Edmund Chang says AI and automation help customers find natural products easier and faster through iHerb.
What are the top tech trends you're watching in 2020?
As an e-commerce company, iHerb will be influenced by AI and automation because they have the potential to make our business more efficient and automatically personalized for our customers.
Our data science team is already using AI for recommendations and search suggestions.”
How are you applying these trends in your work in the year ahead?
Our data science team is already using AI for recommendations and search suggestions, and plans to leverage AI for even more insights. On the automation side, every group is moving towards automation with GitOps, infrastructure as code (IAC), CI/CD and many other initiatives. This is already making operations run much smoother with less manual overheads and headaches. And we are just getting started.
For Brian Zatulove, CEO of Emotive, the future is all about evolving the relationship between businesses and consumers. As AI develops, he predicts customers will be making more authentic relationships with brands.
What are the top tech trends you're watching in 2020?
Emotional customer engagement is a category that will continue to explode heading into 2020. Business-to-consumer engagement is harder than ever as channels continue to become more saturated. In order to truly stand out, brands will need to connect emotionally with their audience.
Emotional customer engagement is a category that will continue to explode heading into 2020.”
How are you applying these trends in your work in the year ahead?
Up until now, all B2C communication has been in the form of one-way blasts that are spammy and don’t solve customer problems. Through human-assisted AI, Emotive scales two-way conversations to build authentic relationships at scale.
There are no limits on what the tech industry can update, including car repairs. Senior Vice President of Technology at RepairSmith Kay Lee told us which tech trends he is investigating to make car repair more convenient for customers.
What are the top tech trends you're watching in 2020?
The Car as a Platform (CaaP) trend has huge potential to change the game and take convenience to the next level for consumers, with services ranging from in-trunk retail deliveries to mobile car washes. At RepairSmith, we’re harnessing this type of connected tech to transform the entire car repair and maintenance experience — something that hasn’t changed in 50 years — and deliver what car owners really want.
The Car as a Platform (CaaP) trend has huge potential to change the game.”
How are you applying these trends in your work in the year ahead?
RepairSmith is transforming the car repair industry by leveraging technology to deliver super convenient, high-quality service. Instead of the traditional, time-consuming chore of car repair, RepairSmith makes it as easy as tapping a button on your car’s screen when it needs service, which is delivered right in your driveway.
