Linear advertising is taking a back seat as multi-channel, multi-device consumers now dictate the new rules of the retail game. Hyper-relevant personal ads of the future can be tuned with an interconnected user, and work effectively across entire consumer journey.

It all boils down to the Internet of Things. We have entered the age of ubiquitous smart sensors, such as beacons. Another buzzword, nearables contribute to the continuous inter-connectivity of our environments. Suddenly devices can detect our moods or preferences and make relevant purchase suggestions. Welcome to the era of data-sharing, predictive computing and cognitive outsourcing where Big Data becomes somewhat passé. Wearables, nearables, smart sensors and intelligent devices can provide more intimate, personal data on their users, such as heartbeat, mood, location or even stress levels. And guess what: it all gets recorded, shared and carefully analyzed to help brands come up with more effective, personalized advertising strategies.

Go with the flow

The old days when consumers were using a maximum two different devices are a distant memory. According to a recent study by Google, 90 percent of consumers use multiple devices to accomplish a goal. A whole journey can start with a TV commercial, followed by further research on a laptop and end with a search for places to buy a product on a mobile phone. And it takes very little time, too. The same study found that 67 percent of online shoppers who start an activity on one device and finish it on another, and will complete the whole multi-screen activity in a single day.

Adapted to these new circumstances, the flow advertising allows campaigns to place emphasis around people. It can be described as an extension of cross-screen advertising to a place where ads can get a more personal angle, with sequential ad units that build over time to move people down the funnel. With sequential advertising, marketers determine the order in which they want the various creative elements in their campaigns to appear, and let the whole process play itself out. Flow advertising, on the other hand, is about making adjustments to the sequence in real time based on signals from consumers. From rich immersive brand ads to special offers and links to purchase, soon advertising will create and funnel interest in a more seamless way. The industry's future lies in the flow advertising.

Perfectly adapted to the multi-device landscape, the flow advertising strategy picks up signals based on the device being used. It enables marketers to serve not just the right ad for the right person at the right time, but also the right ad for the right device at the right time.

And Messages can come from anywhere…

At the sharp end of the equation is a new field in data gathering and personalisation known as ‘wearables’ that are specialized in collecting highly specific personal data. Another only slightly less personal trigger is a group called ‘nearables’. They are a convenient and durable solution for problems focused on location and movement. By sticking them to the surface of an object, either at home, in your office or anywhere else in the outside world, a user can track any interactions with that object. Versatility is nearables' unquestionable advantage as they can be attached to practically any surface and detect movement, location and temperature. Another huge strength is that they offer the option to tie into any open networks. This enables users to leverage home automation solutions, or on a smaller scale – a smartphone’s bluetooth connection.

In this interconnected environment, advertising helps consumers make a purchase decision, with algorithms that produce relevant, personalized suggestions. Allied to this, the number of new screens that can send personal messages to users is likely to keep growing. In just a matter of months the long awaited Apple iWatch is due to hit the market and this will for sure spawn a new generation of wearables that have the ability to communicate. The theory is that having a smart watch will negate the need to look at your phone (on average 150 times per day) as all the info will be on your wrist. But as you guessed, it will also be yet another source of very intimate data.