In the past few months, we have witnessed layoffs like never before from the big tech companies. So what does it mean for our region?
After cutting 11,000 jobs last year, Meta is in the news again as it prepares for a fresh round of layoffs. At the beginning of the year, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, laid off 12,000 employees after its pandemic hiring spree. Around the same time, Microsoft announced 10,000 layoffs and Amazon fired more than 18,000 employees. At Twitter, Elon Musk let go of half the staff – about 7,500 employees. And yet, the site is still running smoothly.
It raises the question: how many of us are actually necessary?
The past two years has seen the rise of new technologies – blockchain, metaverse, NFTs and generative AI. The ad and marketing industry is still figuring out how technology can aid us in working smarter. Blockchain found its place in the advertising industry by addressing ad fraud and overcoming complexity in digital advertising.
NFTs created a niche among creators of art, music and other content. Generative AI has taken the world by storm in a short time and it is interesting to see how local brands like Pickl leverage generative AI such as ChatGPT for smarter social media management. And the metaverse – it has changed the narrative of brand strategy and brands are moving fast.
While the metaverse hogs every conversation, technology has a lot more to offer to the world of advertising, marketing and media. It’s time to get your hands dirty with data and measurement. Advertisers now have access to sophisticated measurement tools. We were happy to see industry leaders get their nerd-mode on and talk about the not-so-glamorous side of data in this issue: how not to feel the data-overload, the need to diversify data insights and who needs data clean rooms in a post-cookie world.
With the integration of data and digital marketing strategies, digital is no longer an external arm but a core part of marketing. To reflect this shift, our publication will explore the digital side of the industry in Campaign. Our ‘AdTech powerhouses’ map is the region’s first visual landscape of AdTech players. It is our way of helping you to understand the AdTech ecosystem better and create an engaging community. If you missed sharing your details this year, get in touch with us.
And, while you’re at it, let us know how your business is indulging in digital; Tell us about the potential of blockchain in advertising. Do you have an AI avatar in your metaverse? Did ChatGPT make you laugh recently? And even the serious stuff: how is the monopoly of tech giants in the AdTech space affecting everyone in the industry?
Let’s just say we want to be the cookie here. We want to know about you, your challenges, what you read or listen to and how Campaign can play a key role in creating a thriving AdTech community for all of us.
