Digital Trends
The Fifth generation mobile technology
Fifth generation mobile technology (or 5G) is the next generation of mobile technology that follows the 4G standard most of us are used to operating on now. 5G is expected to be anywhere from 100 to 1,000 times faster than the current 4G. These improvements in speed will mean faster load times, lightning-fast downloads, and reduced latency issues.
That means that the technology many marketers have been expecting to make it into the mainstream over the past few years — AR and VR, for example — will finally find the requisite foothold needed to breakthrough. The speeds 5G can deliver are essential to allowing these technologies to flourish.
5G will also almost certainly contribute to the proliferation of connected devices, which will soon be able to communicate with one another at remarkable speeds.
From the advertising perspective, we can also expect 5G to improve on current standards of ad serving. Digiday speculates that 5G may even reduce the use of ad blockers because the technology will effectively eliminate the issue of ads slowing down page load times.
What marketers should be planning for
5G is still in its infancy and will take years to roll out in full. However, the time to prepare for its arrival is now. Failing to plan for the changes that are coming with 5G’s implementation is expected to bring loss in opportunities to connect with customers in more effective ways.
New content opportunities and ad formats
5G’s incredibly fast speeds will bring new content formats to consumers, and to our mobile devices in particular. With 5G consumers will be able to enjoy things like 4K video and reliable video streaming on mobile and it will be up to brands to keep up with the demand for this type of content. Though mobile video’s growth has been well documented over the past few years, faster speeds and better stability will likely to contribute to even greater growth.
Expect innovative new ad formats to also begin appearing, include 4K video and AR and VR formats.
Instantaneous personalized experiences
The more connected devices the more data about consumers! 5G promises to deliver deep insights about consumer desires and behaviours. We will see improvements in location-based data and will provide further insight into where consumers are and what they’re doing at any given moment. Marketers will be able to use these insights to deliver instant personalized experiences, promotions and ads.
The time to prepare is now
Marketers should be paying close attention to Fifth Generation’s rollout and looking at how brands are planing to adapt to the changes that 5G’s implementation will bring. Developing a future-forward strategy for the era of 5G is the best defense against getting left behind by the competion.
