DATA INTELLIGENCE 2024 TRENDS REPORT

You have to read this until the end to find out why 2024 is a totally DIFFERENT YEAR.

Adapt your brand strategy in close relationship with the new context (financial context, new sports events, elections). Plan rather than reacting on the spot.

Here are the 6 key trends and reasons why you need a refreshed strategy, touching: MEDIA BUDGETS PLANNING, NEW MEDIA CHANNELS CONSUMPTION, BRANDS’ DIGITAL HEALTH, TIKTOK PRESENCE, AN EFFECTIVE PLANNING FOR BLACK FRIDAY and INFLUENCERS MARKETING.

THE ROMANIAN MEDIA MARKET WILL BE FACING A SMALL GROWTH IN 2024 (BUT STILL A GROWTH), ESTIMATED AT 4%*, WHILE THE PLANNING FOR YOUR CATEGORY CAN BE TOTALLY DIFFERENT, SOMETIMES UNPREDICTABLE.

Here are the key milestones of 2024:

Besides the recurrent events, 2024 has 3 main milestones powerfully impacting the media landscape:

• In June 2024: European Football Championship – we expect double audiences than any other football broadcast.

• In July – August 2024: Olympics will take place, therefore the attention will be much more focused on TV. No major shifts are expected, but a slightly different landscape.

• The end of year will be taken over by the elections “wind of change”, that will bring up to +30% more audiences, especially to generalist & news publications.

Here are the most important variations from 2023 and what experts forecast for 2024.

MEDIA BUDGETS STILL GROWING.

While in 2023, in terms of budget spent, Romania faced a growing media market, in 2024 a small additional growth is forecasted, up to 4%.

MEDIA CHANNELS ACQUISITION WILL REQUIRE MORE EFFORT.

In 2023, DOOH (Digital Out of Home) was the channel with the most dynamic evolution, while the Offline non-TV had a steady YTY growth. In 2024 – the milestones mentioned above will impact TV (which will have a higher focus), Digital (especially the news websites), OOH (since the candidates will take over numerous locations)

PLANNING FOR H2 NEEDS TO BE DONE IN ADVANCE.

In 2023 we registered a lack of predictability in terms of YOY (year on year) evolution on TV, as most of top 50 categories registered double digit variation. For 2024 TV and OOH planning need to be made in advance, since the channels will be crowded by the 2024 key events.

Here are the most important variations from 2023 and what experts forecast for 2024.

SEASONALITY:

In 2023 Romanian users’ interest in the online medium decreased, reflected in a decreased consumption of podcasts, Metaverse and multiple VOD platforms. In 2024 we expect that the attention to the online medium will be higher than in 2023, triggered by the elections, UEFA Euro 2024 championship, multiple festivals, and block buster movies launches.

NEW MEDIA CHANNELS USE:

2023 brought the following changes:

• METAVERSE: both awareness and trial registered a decrease in 2023

• PODCASTS: a decreasing trend for podcasts frequency, which can be attributed to the normalisation of a previous trend, and to the diversification of series. Still 43% of users listen to podcast weekly since W4, and they like mostly interviews, comedy, lifestyle/ health, and entertainment/ celebrities.

• SOCIAL SHOPPING: INCREASING TREND for those who shop on pages like Facebook Marketplace, Facebook shops.

• VOD:

54% of the urban internet users have at least one subscription (personal or in the household) for accessing video streaming platforms, most of them from a Smart TV (76%)

Netflix is by far the most viewed platform, followed at distance by HBO Max, then by Disney+, then the rest.

The only platforms with a decrease registered vs previous wave were Netflix, SkyShowTime and Voyo.

Here are the most important variations from 2023 and what experts forecast for 2024.

TIKTOK GROWTH: a huge growth in terms of visibility for brands from TikTok use, and it will continue to grow.

BRANDS’ INVOLVEMENT IN PODCASTS: more and more brands collaborate with various podcasts; the trend is expected to maintain or grow.

BEST CONTENT PILLAR = SUSTAINABILITY: it was and will be the pillar to grow the most due to regulations, but also to engage the audiences the most.

Here are the most important variations from 2023 and what experts forecast for 2024.

In 2023, CapCut emerged as an essential video editing tool on TikTok, being used by 39% of the brands followed in the TikTok Index. A growing trend indicates a preference for more natural and authentic video content, tailored to TikTok’s specific nature. Looking ahead to 2024, brands will increasingly alternate between high-quality content, which requires significant resources, and native videos, focusing on trends and consumer micro-tensions, with the aim of connecting more effectively with the audience and humanising their presence on TikTok.

 The Beauty/Skin Care category has experienced significant growth in recent years, with TikTok being one of the fertile grounds for its development. In 2023, 29% of the content published by monitored brands in the TikTok Index was associated with the beauty industry. The content inflation in this sphere is fuelled by influencers and brands, representing the primary source of inspiration for discovering new products and authentic reviews.

In 2024, a continuation of increased activity in this category is anticipated.

TikTok has become an important keyword-based search engine, and content related to recipes and food occupies a significant portion of the platform. In the TikTok Index, 40% of the top 10 most distributed videos in 2023 are culinary recipes, providing increased exposure to the Hypermarkets category.

In 2024, brands need to optimize their texts and content for better visibility in platform searches.

Consumers engaged in early preparations, making purchases as they find satisfactory offers. Consequently, there is a growing trend of shopping before the actual Black Friday, one to more than 2 weeks before.
2024 Recommendation: Brands should emphasize early offers and extend their sales period. Launching enticing promotions well in advance can attract proactive consumers and create a sense of exclusivity.
Encourage customers to be proactive and highlight the benefits of securing deals early.

Increasing use of mobile phones for pre-planning and purchases, leading to a decline in laptop/ PC usage.
2024 Recommendation: Brands should prioritise the optimisation of their online platforms and apps for a seamless mobile experience. Offering exclusive mobile-only deals can capture the attention of the growing mobile-centric audience. In addition, brands could take advantage and tailor app notifications to different user segments – consumption moments, messaging etc.

Shoppers oriented towards buying gifts, leveraging deals for winter celebrations.
2024 Recommendation: Brands may curate gift-focused promotions, tailoring deals to highlight popular and trending gift items. This strategy can attract consumers looking for discounted products specifically for the purpose of gift-giving during the festive season.
Also, brands may introduce bundled offers that combine complementary items, providing value for consumers seeking multiple gifts.

There are more and more influencer campaigns, and from year to year, we observe that it is increasingly difficult for consumers to remember the messages of these campaigns.

In such a cluttered landscape, the level of awareness decreases

For 2024, craft powerful, consistent messages: crafting narratives that go beyond a single campaign and contribute to an ongoing brand story helps in building a stronger and more memorable brand presence. Ensure continuity and reinforce the brand message over time, contributing to long-term brand recall and transforming into acquisition (ex: local brand series).
High exposure through media support on other channels (especially TV, which has the highest influence on awareness) & celebrity endorsement.

Make sure you have good match between your brand and influencer/celebrity representing it. Collaborate with influencers who genuinely align with the brand’s values and voice. Encourage influencers to create authentic, relatable content that resonates and lasts connection with their audience.

 1. Engage with consumers to understand their true expectations and tailor campaigns accordingly.
2. Campaigns focused on their interests (ex. Festival look, outfits collection);
3. Align the strategy with the current context (ex: promo campaigns in a period with high inflation).
4. Give people a reason, make them part of a greater purpose (ex: sustaining local producers); focus on doing good/being part of a better tomorrow (ex. Health CSR campaign).
5. Remain real & vulnerable, bring that personal inside story that people identify with (ex. telecom child’s day campaign, retail local producers’ campaign).