2020T R E N D S

2
Each year, we look back on the past and ahead to the future, to find technology trends that impact
how brands and marketers communicate and provide value to their consumers. In 2020, we’ll see
some of the building blocks of the past few years come to fruition, as technology begins working for
us instead of the other way around.
To make it easier to understand these trends, and where they play in the larger technology
ecosystem, we’ve laid out a framework that focuses on the three major technology platforms.
The Web, which digitized information. Social Media, which digitized people. And The World,
which leads to the digitization of places and things. Each of these frameworks is at a different
point in their maturity curve and the trends that we identify are meant to push the platform forward.
To get the most out of this 2020 Trends Report, take time to think about the implications of each
trend on your brand and how customers can benefit from the ever evolving technology landscape.
Upfront

Three Major
Technology Platforms
3
Level of
Maturity
The Web
DIGITIZE INFORMATION DIGITIZE PEOPLE DIGITIZE PLACES & THINGS
Social Media The World
Indicates where our upcoming 2020
Trends fall into the maturity level of
each respective tech platform. Hint:
We're at the forefront!

4
Table of Contents
5-11
The Web
12-20
Social Media
21-29
The World

5
The Web
Digitize Information

6
Over the last few decades, the web has allowed us to digitize the world’s information and
improvements in hardware have enabled us to access it at the snap of a finger.
In 2020, we’ll see improvements through the web framework in ways that provide more
freedom, security, and utility for all.
Blockchain technology, led by the proliferation of cryptocurrency, will begin the shift towards
decentralized systems. Search engines, such as Google, will innovate to keep users within
search from consideration to conversion. The barrier towards utilizing and developing
applications with artificial intelligence will break down, enabling new and improved use cases
for your average developer. With that comes the continued adoption of virtual assistants and
proxies, that will ultimately act and make decisions on our behalf.
For marketers, keeping up with these trends will ensure that you’re offering an experience to
your consumers that uses technology to address their needs and wants in a way that feels
seamless and personalized.
The Web - Introduction

7
In recent years, cryptocurrency and the blockchain, in general, have undergone a hype period. It looks
as if the era of ICOs and marketing promises are behind us, and we’ll begin moving towards legitimate
use cases. At its current state, data processing on the blockchain is too slow to handle major
consumer-facing applications.
The promise of completely decentralized payment networks, asset tracking, voting applications, and
social networks are still a ways off. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t steps being taken to
push forward. Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency, controlled by members of the Libra Association, will
launch in 2020. The Association, made up of a consortium of financial services players, will be
responsible for overseeing the currency and designing incentive programs to reward early adopters.
The goal of Libra is to introduce cryptocurrencies to the general public, make it easier to provide
financial services to the 1.7 billion people around the globe who are considered ‘unbanked’, and drive
commerce on the Facebook platform.
Crypto Moves into
the Early Majority
Implications
Sending money at the push of a button is nothing new for developed countries. It's the
developing and underdeveloped countries that Facebook has its' eye on.
The social network wants those new users to view Libra as their bank. This guarantees
that a portion of their spending is done through Libra and on Facebook. The more
commerce that occurs on the network, the more the company can charge for
advertising. It should be noted that Facebook has assured the public it will not use
financial data to influence advertising.
Most recently, Twitter announced that it was funding an independent team to research
and build an open-source, decentralized social media framework. Moves in this
direction aim to reduce the amount of abuse and misleading information that users see.
The more people Facebook can get to use Libra,
the more the company will be able to charge
for digital advertising.

8
Announced at Google I/O, in 2020 the search giant is upgrading traditional search. Search will now put a larger emphasis around
context and utility. Google will enhance the depth of news around a topic while providing relevant secondary information. Instead of
directing people off the platform, Google will look to provide answers on their platform, without sending you off it.
There was also a heavy focus on integrating computer vision and augmented reality within search. For example, if a user searches for
a Great White Shark, not only will they receive information about that shark, but they’ll also be able to view an augmented model of
one. Furniture companies will soon surface their entire product category to be viewable in 3D, all within search.
Search, Your
One-Stop Shop
Implications
For brands and marketers, this update is incredibly important to be aware of. Marketers must ensure that they are following best in
class SEO practices as more productized information surfaces within Google Search.
For brands that lend themselves to 3D imagery; like CPG, apparel, furniture, and accessories, this update is one that should be of
utmost importance in 2020. Consumers that start their journey on Google search, may never have to leave the search results page.
That’s what Google hopes will happen. Marketers must use the most up-to-date, data-markup techniques to allow their content to be
machine-readable, surfacing what’s most important.
Following these practices will also ensure that your brand’s content will surface on Google Assistant. Think of Google Assistant as
Google Search, but lighter and more concise. If a consumer asks Assistant for a specific product or brand, your content must be
optimized to respond to those queries, otherwise, you risk losing that consumer before their journey has even started.
Consumers that start
their journey on
Google search, may
never have to leave
the search results page.

9
Implications
Siri Shortcuts offer a way for brands to create ease and convenience in consumers’ lives by enhancing their mobile
applications. Shortcuts help surface information and services that users are seeking out. Marketers should look to
enhance their mobile app usage UX by offering relevant Shortcuts.
The voice space is one that is primed for growth in 2020. Alexa and Assistant will continue to expand their services
into historically ‘dumb’ devices. Marketers should look to find utility in voice services, utilizing the ease and familiarity
of Amazon and Google while looking for ways to utilize Siri. For inspiration, check out easyJet’s Siri Shortcut, which
allows users to quickly check their itinerary and flight updates.
Siri shortcuts provide ease and convenience for
consumers and serve as Apple’s building blocks
towards a larger, voice-focused OS.
Amazon’s Alexa Skills and Google’s Actions saw incremental improvements
in 2019 and we expect the same to continue in 2020. Codeless versions of
voice development software will continue to lower the barrier to entry.
While some brands and marketers will optimize their current applications,
others will jump into the field after being on the sidelines.
In the next year, the most exciting improvements in the voice space will
come from Apple. In iOS 13, Apple updated its Shortcuts app to make it
easier for developers and third parties to create Shortcuts. Given the
creativity that these tools allow for, it’s no surprise that Apple fans were
quick to create fun and useful applications.
In the next year, we expect Apple to continue improving its Shortcuts app.
There are also rumors of a voice-focused operating system on the horizon,
most likely entitled SiriOS. With SiriOS, Apple would be competing with
Amazon and Google by extending Siri beyond its current limitations.
Siri Takes the Stage

10
Implications
Brands can leverage pre-trained machine learning models for all sorts of ML applications like machine
vision to filter through mountains of UGC for brand safety or using natural language understanding and
generation to build a unique chatbot.
An example that mixes new models with pre-trained algorithms in the real world is New Balance’s New York Fashion
Week stunt. Enhancing digital signage with an embedded machine vision model of local fashion trends, they trained it by
observing fashion in a Manhattan neighborhood. Using this model and camera-enabled signage, they detected fashion
anomalies and rewarded individuals who made a personal fashion statement with a new pair of kicks.
Ultimately, AI platforms and off-the-shelf algorithms will do for AI and Machine Learning algorithms what photoshop did
for image manipulation; easy access to powerful tools will put AI and ML within grasp of more and more people.
It used to be that any machine learning (ML) and AI initiatives required access to
mountains of data to train models, engineers to build and maintain a robust data pipeline
and data scientists to develop algorithms. Nevermind the expensive hardware needed to
run the models. And this is all before producing a validated machine learning model!
Thankfully, the field has advanced exponentially in the past few years, and dozens of AI
platforms and marketplaces have sprung up to make these capabilities accessible to
those without a cadre of engineers and Data Science Ph.D.’s.
AI-as-a-Service
It's no longer necessary to have a team of data scientists and PhD's to
leverage machine learning and AI. Algorithm marketplaces and AI platforms
are making the technology more accessible than ever before.

11
Implications
Universal access to games on any device will change the economics of videogames again, and there will be a
stronger emphasis on game “stickiness,” and brand partnerships. Games like Fortnite that can regularly reinvent
themselves while establishing strong brand partnerships are building the business model of the future.
We’re about to see another shift in the gaming universe – high fidelity game titles available on any device.
Nearly ten years ago, the Free-to-play model changed gaming forever, bringing gaming to the masses, and monetizing
a global userbase. These social and mobile games broke the stereotype of gamers being hardcore console fanatics.
The most popular games in the world were on Facebook and mobile apps for iOS and Android. This change in the
economics and form factor of videogames increased the audience by more than 10X.
With major announcements from Microsoft XCloud, Google Stadia, Playstation Now, and Apple Arcade last year,
the battle for console gamers is missing something – the console. We may be a few console generations away from
seeing these machines disappear entirely, but the convergence of cheap cloud computing, cross-platform play,
and the emergence of 5G point to a future where even the most advanced games may not need a dedicated console.
Gaming moves
away from consoles
The changing demographics and economics
of video games are creating powerful new
opportunities for brand partnerships.

12
Social
Media
Digitize People

13
The advent of social media, leading back to the early days of MySpace and your 10 Top Friends, has
brought with it the digitization of people. In 2020, the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and more
will face scrutiny over privacy and security risks but will continue to provide new ways for users to
interact and connect digitally.
Facebook Messenger will evolve to become a central point for conversational experiences,
communication, and commerce while Facebook’s focus will shift towards that of a group ’town hall’
mentality. TikTok will continue its rise to dominance through short-form video, capitalizing on GenZ’s
propensity to create. People will find solace with the personalized communication and screen-less
experience of podcasts. And ultimately, many will decide to take a digital detox for periods, turning off
the noise in an attempt to turn inwards.
Social media and brand marketers should look to these trends as inspiration to innovate their current
offering while taking into account that the generational divide in social media is stronger than anywhere
else on earth. To reach the right audience, you must know where your consumer interacts.
Social Media -
Introduction

14
Last year, Facebook allowed users to upload images taken with depth-sensing cameras such as
portrait mode and view them in a 3D format. Tilting the phone allowed you to view the object in a
slightly different manner. In 2020, look for more of that content to infiltrate feeds, snaps, and stories.
Social media platforms are providing more ways for users to utilize their depth-sensing cameras.
What started on Facebook has now spread to Instagram and Snapchat. Even further, Snapchat's
new Spectacles allow users to capture and view images and video in 3D.
With so much content on our social feeds, utilizing 3D posts is one way to stand out. Brands like
Wayfair and Jurassic World have allowed users to view furniture or popular characters in a 3D format.
This type of content also lends itself well to augmented reality. Users can go from manipulating a 3D
object, to interacting with it in their environment.
3D Imagery Infiltrates Social
Implications
The infiltration of 3D objects in our social feeds is part of a larger trend in which our static digital experiences are
moving towards a more dynamic experience. The manipulation of the augmented world will be expected.
Taking steps today to offer up 3D content is a building block to the future of AR experiences, in which those 3D
models can be shared, manipulated, and purchased in augmented environments. They will also be searchable,
as Google has announced its intention to showcase 3D objects in its search results.
Preparing 3D content for social
media will benefit your brand
presence online as well as within
augmented reality experiences.

15
Implications
In 2020 discovery of content will become more user-friendly and marketers will have more options for ad buys and
sponsored content. The inherent creativity of the platform allows for fun ways in which brands can connect and
engage with their consumers.
TikTok will also look to expand its content generation capabilities outside the main app. A new SDK will allow content
creators to ‘share with TikTok’ from their respective curation, creation and editing apps. As the company expands its
targeting options, so will the advertising opportunities.
Experimentation is key, nothing is perfect in the world of TikTok and frankly, the weirder the better.
TikTok’s reach will expand next year, as the
company opens an SDK allowing users to upload
videos from third party editing apps.
TikTok exploded in 2019. The video-sharing app, which empowers
users to create viral video content with fun effects, now boasts over
a billion active users worldwide. In Q1 of 2019, it was the most
downloaded app in Apple’s app store, with over 33 million downloads.
The bulk of TikTok’s users are 24 years old and younger, which makes
it a compelling place for brands trying to reach a younger audience.
The most successful way that we've seen brands use the platform is
through hashtag challenges.
A hashtag challenge, like Chipotle’s #GuacDance challenge, involves
the brand choosing a song and inviting users to create a video and
dance to accompany it. During the week leading up to National
Avocado Day, the #GuacDance challenge received 250,000 video
submissions and 430 million video starts, resulting in more than
800,000 sides of guacamole served.
The Year of TikTok

16
Implications
The obvious implication when it comes to marketers is that the fewer options for engagement, the less that branded posts will
receive. However, that would be taking this trend at its surface level. Instead, try digging a bit deeper. Consumers that feel
this way about digital channels are looking for brands to reach them in more organic ways, even empathizing with them.
Catering to consumers’ mental health and assisting them in their digital detox will be a trend that resonates well throughout
2020. Miller Lite was quick to act on this trend. After finding that people will spend five and a half years of their lives on social
media, and 50% of 21-27-year-olds will meet up with their close friends a few times a month, the brand decided it had to take
a stand. Unfollow us on social media, and we’ll give you a free beer – giving new meaning to ‘It’s Miller Time’.
3 billion people around the globe are social media users. Social media platforms have proliferated almost every
society we have on earth. We share our lives, view others, connect in groups, consume our news, shop, entertain
and educate. With all the positives that social media has brought us, there are some glaring negatives.
The adverse effects that bullying, vanity metrics, and addictiveness have become a burden. A growing number of
people say that they are overwhelmed. As a form of detox, they're looking to shut off. In return, social platforms have
provided some solutions.
Instagram will start to test removing ‘like counts’ from U.S. users’ posts, a move that they have already employed in
foreign markets. Doing so will help to prioritize users’ mental health over that of the company’s profits, creating a
safer space on the internet.
The Digital Detox
Catering to consumers’ mental
health and assisting them in their
digital detox will be a trend that
resonates well throughout 2020.

17
Brands should look to Facebook Groups to communicate
with highly invested and loyal consumers.
Facebook has faced myriad challenges in the last few years. From Cambridge Analytica to
stagnating growth and a fleeing younger demographic, the platform knew that it had to find
a way to reintroduce purpose into users’ lives. In early 2018, a change in algorithms
resulted in a prioritization of content from groups, friends and other content “that matters.”
Ultimately, it was the first of those that had the biggest impact on the platform. In an attempt
to put Community at the center, Groups will be a central part of Facebook in 2020.
Brands will create their own linked Groups, in which consumers can interact with other
like-minded individuals and get advice from community managers. For example, Peloton
linked their Peloton Riders Group to their official page and have been able to foster
conversation within the group that would not have been possible elsewhere.
Fostering Community
through Groups
Implications
Outside of creating your own linked Group, brands now have the possibility of
interacting with other Groups. An athletic footwear company might find value in talking
to users that are part of a running Group. Members of those Groups are more
invested and loyal to the cause than say someone who simply followed a page.
Previously, those users could not have been reached organically without paying for an
ad.
Brands should be careful with the type of content and conversation they put out there
within these public confines. Content should be curated around the industry that
they're in, not their brand. This will make it easier to spark discussion, build trust and
show that your brand cares about the industry it’s a part of.

18
There are currently over 700,000 active podcasts with over 165 million active U.S. listeners. In 2020, these numbers don’t look to be slowing down.
Due to the limitations that screening presents to users, we’ve seen that podcasts act as a ubiquitous presence in our daily lives.
Brands and marketers have seen benefits from this rise in a few ways. Podcast advertising has resulted in almost 70% of listeners claiming that they
were made aware of new products or services. In 2020, we expect massive growth in the area of branded podcasts, giving marketers a self-owned
medium to communicate, away from the limitations of social algorithms.
Tinder, in partnership with Cosmopolitan, launched a branded podcast entitled “Single, Swipe, Repeat” which focuses on the modern dating world.
Tinder partnered with Cosmo to promote the show among the publishing brand’s owned and operated properties. In another example, HBO’s
Chernobyl created a companion podcast to its popular mini-series, which averaged a million downloads per episode.
Growth of Branded
Podcasts
Implications
Consumers have more options than ever when it comes to podcasts. When they find a show they like, they tend to stick with it. Marketers should use
podcasts to help either promote their products and services or create and promote their shows.
In 2020, we’ll see plenty of brands try the latter option, and plenty of them will fail. Those that do break through the clutter and succeed will be
rewarded with an engaged audience and an owned platform to communicate on their terms. Promoting organic shows may be the hardest part, so be
sure to look for a publishing partner that shares a similar audience.
Branded Podcasts
are expected to swell
in 2020, the ones that
break through are
poised to create a
valuable communication
platform.

19
Implications
Facebook’s push to make Messenger the center of its ecosystem is a testament to its focus on private interactions. As more and more people
shift their mobile communications to Messaging, it will become important for businesses to have a reliable presence within the ecosystem.
With 2 billion+ users communicating within Messenger, the move to integrate the back ends of Instagram and WhatsApp at some point in 2020
will bring enhanced utility to the service by bridging the gap between all three services.
Through Messenger chatbots, marketers can automate lead generation and CRM to provide utility and drive sales within the conversational
platform. As this behavior becomes learned and expected, businesses that do not employ automated assistance may miss out on valuable
engagement opportunities.
Facebook wants to put Messenger in the center of its product ecosystem. The Messenger experience will evolve
to be the central hub of how users communicate with their friends and family.
There is a shift towards how we connect with loved ones, share experiences and the ephemerality or short lifetime, of
them. Co-viewing will push users to hang out with in the Messenger environment and seamless messaging across devices
will allow conversations to persist throughout their day, complete with a new dedicated desktop app.
Additionally, Facebook's plans to include an integrated cryptocurrency as well as PayPal competitor, Facebook Pay, will
open new engagement and revenue channels by expanding commerce options and introducing micro-payments.
The Messenger
Ecosystem
Facebook expects Messenger
to be the focal point of its
product ecosystem – creating
rich opportunities for
personalized communication
with consumers, at scale.

20
The
World
Digitize Places
and Things

21
The digitization of places and things has only just begun. It’s the ripest platform for innovation and one that
will see the most growth as we move into 2020 and beyond. 5G networks, edge computing, improved
hardware and access to complex algorithms will usher in an era of experience that allows consumers to
interact with the world in a way that was not previously accessible.
Immersive experiences, thanks to the reduced latency & capabilities from 5G networks, will evolve to reshape
fan experiences, enable new ways of film making, and provide utility for the end-user. Our product packaging
will evolve, enabling marketers to expand on their product's story through attached digital content. And, while
our physical world becomes digitized, 2020 will be the year that we begin to populate another shared world
through augmented and virtual reality.
Marketers can look to these trends as the cutting edge of innovation, providing entirely new ways to bring
products to life, interact with consumers and turn their static consumer journey into a living one.
The World -
Introduction

22
The out-of-home (OOH) advertising space is one that is primed for innovation in 2020. Cheap sensors and computer vision algorithms allow
what used to be static billboards or bus stops, to make sense of their surroundings. Giving them the ability to dynamically change content and
enhance experiences.
5G networks and powerful mobile devices will allow consumers to interact with these experiences in near real-time with little to no latency.
Pokémon Go, notorious for pushing the boundary when it comes to experiential executions, recently took over the streets of New York to
bring players together to help defeat Team Go Rocket. OOH displays such as posters and billboards went dark, replacing Pikachu with Team
Go Rocket characters. Pokémon Go players were then given the chance to battle the villains, working together to take them down.
This stunt from Niantic was just the latest in brands combining mobile experiences with OOH ads. Combining augmented reality with
location-based experiences can create massively shared experiences, generating interest for a product or service while engaging existing
and potential customers.
The Cognition of
OOH Advertising
Implications
Combining OOH advertising with a mobile component will become a powerful tactic in 2020. Key use cases will be driving
consumers to visit physical locations and assisting them down the purchase funnel via digital tactics. While marketers must be
cognizant of privacy concerns, the ability to personalize and engage an audience through these means is ripe for creativity.
Whether it’s commerce, connection or enabling creativity, combining a digital aspect with your OOH ads will elevate
them from a static experience to one that’s dynamic, providing measurable results to drive your bottom line.
Combining augmented reality with
location can create massively shared
experiences, generating interest for a
product or service while engaging
existing and potential customers.
Go to Mavs.com/AR and watch this billboard come to life!

23
Consumers will come to expect a layer of augmented or virtual information attached to product packaging. Connected packaging is not a new trend,
but one that will accelerate in 2020. The increase in learned consumer behavior, reduction in the cost of hardware like NFC chips, and improved
software within mobile computing will propel this trend.
The proliferation of Google Lens will be a catalyst. The camera application can scan and display information such as pricing, nutrition, directions and
more. Uncle Ben's was not content with Google showcasing traditional search results in this instance, so they took control over the experience,
surfacing branded content, relevant recipes and product info based on the package that the user scanned. Given Google Len’s popularity, we’ll likely
see more brands activate in this way in 2020.
Likewise, in recent years, consumers have become more apt to interact with things like QR codes and NFC chips. Böen wine demonstrated this by
equipping their bottles with NFC chips and asking consumers to “Tap Our Cap”. The wine brand was able to tell its story through a mobile site while
ensuring that the actual product was a part of that experience.
Product Packaging -
Connected
Implications
Connecting digital content to packaging will provide marketers with the opportunity to expand on the story of a product. Giving them the ability to tell the
equivalent of a TV commercial in a retail space that previously would not have allowed for that type of expression.
As retail services transform into more of a consideration space and purchases shift online, it’s important to make it easy for consumers to go from
product to digital. Giving them the tools to do so with a relevant story will help to drive consumers down the purchase funnel and allow for more
personalized communication with the brand.
Marketers will have
the opportunity to
expand on a product’s
story by attaching it
to a digital experience.

24
Augmented Reality can provide utility in ways that are otherwise not possible.
In 2020, we’ll see more augmented reality applications provide utility by combining the
physical and digital worlds in ways that feel seamless and useful. Take Google Maps for
example: Google’s Live View AR provides a layer of digitized information to shows users
where exactly they should be going, overlaid onto the real world. The result is one that
solves a major user problem, in ways that only AR can.
Google Lens, in conjunction with Google’s Live View, will utilize computer vision to ensure
that the physical world is one that is searchable. While Google’s main search engine
categorized the web, Google Lens aims to categorize the physical world. In the last few
years, the platform has matured to the point in which Lens can now recognize over a
billion+ things.
Imagine walking around a new city utilizing Google Maps Live View for directions and
coming across a restaurant you’re interested in. Pointing your camera at the storefront will
bring up ratings, reviews, prices and the exact way to ask for the chef’s secret special.
You’re seated and again point Lens at the menu to confirm your appetizer choice. After the
meal, you use Lens to split the check and leave the correct tip.
Google Embraces
AR for Utility
Implications
The above scenario is one that is playing out on a daily basis. The current window into
augmented reality effects comes through our phones. This inherently provides limitations to
how we can interact with these experiences. As that window moves from our phone into
glasses and contacts, our daily lives will feel a bit more like the above scenario.
Today, brands should ensure that their content (pictures, videos, and copy) is marked up in
the most effective way for Google’s algorithms to appropriately find and display it. Just as
optimizing SEO allowed web pages to rise to the front of the web, optimizing visual content
will allow it to rise to the front of the augmented world.

25
Implications
In a recent study, YouGov found that augmented reality was the most likely technology to make consumers think that a brand was innovative. With the
technology’s barriers to entry falling and, thanks to 5G networks and web-based frameworks, creative boundaries expanding, it’s no surprise that we’ve
seen an increase in scalable executions.
For brands and marketers, the goal of engaging a user to accomplish a task is one that doesn’t come easily. Location-based AR games and experiences
will have to innovate to offer new and compelling reasons why users should engage. As we move closer toward the convergence of entertainment,
commerce, and education, we haven’t scratched the surface around AR's creative possibilities.
Location-based AR games, thanks in part to Pokémon Go, were some of the first in this category to gain mass appeal. Since then,
competitors such as “Ghostbusters World,” “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite,” “Men in Black: Global Invasion” and “The Walking Dead: Our World”
have engaged consumers in their own version of the augmented world.
Brands have also seen the benefits of engaging consumers in augmented games. Ally Financial partnered with Hasbro's Monopoly to
transform U.S. cities into a virtual board game. Acting as a virtual scavenger hunt, consumers were able to find “Chance” and “Community
Chest” cards across major cities in order to collect virtual tokens with the goal of the game being to promote financial literacy.
Recently, Niantic announced that they’ll soon open a self-serve platform for SMB to sponsor locations within their games. This creates a
lucrative way for marketers to drive foot traffic via AR games.
Location-Based
AR Brings the Fun
Based on a recent study from
YouGov, brands that employ
AR based experiences are
likely to come off as
‘innovative’ to consumers.

26
Implications
There are a few ways that brands can find themselves capitalizing on this trend. At some point, Horizon
will almost certainly include advertising opportunities such as virtual billboards and contextual
placements. Virtual malls and third party shops will be available within this world, selling physical as well
as digital objects.
A virtual world of this sort comes with it the ability to create an entirely new class of products and
services. Innovative marketers should look to find ways that they can provide value to those that decide
to hang out in Horizon, assisting them with ways to build their virtual worlds or providing services that
help advance their virtual lives. A new world brings with it an entirely new set of opportunities.
Facebook’s Horizon offers a new place for people
to socialize, entertain, and build - while offering
potential new places to reach consumers.
The promise of virtual reality (VR) took a step further in 2019 with the launch of
Oculus Quest, the first all-in-one headset that offered full immersive capabilities
without the need for a high-powered PC. For the first time in history, the price point
to explore the world of VR was low enough for the average consumer to enjoy.
In 2020, Oculus will capitalize on this trend by creating a virtual place where users
can hang out, build, socialize, and be entertained. That world is called Horizon,
and from the looks of it, the experience will be similar to that of Ready Player
One’s Oasis. Avatars, which represent physical users, will help to build and
traverse this virtual world, spending time and money in the process.
Similar to that of smartphones, we expect that the price of mobile VR headsets like
the Quest will continue to decline in the coming years. As the price of entrance
decreases and capabilities increase, we’ll see that some people will be more apt
to spend time in the virtual world than the physical one. While we don’t yet know
what this trend will mean for society as a whole, we do know that it represents an
opportunity for brands and marketers.
A New World, Brings New Opportunities

27
Visual search isn’t just for search giants anymore. Despite the overwhelming dominance of Google, Pinterest, and Bing in the visual search space,
brands and retailers are finding incredible value incorporating visual search capabilities within their owned channels. Ben Silberman, the founder of
Pinterest, stated: “The future of search will be about pictures rather than keywords.” We’d hesitate to exclude keywords and voice from that
statement, but with the incredible rise of visual search beyond the major platforms, we think he’s on to something.
Snapping a photo and uploading it to a brand or retailer’s search tool allows consumers to find items that are hard to define with words. For brands
with hundreds or thousands of SKUs it will be far easier to find a specific item instead of scrolling thorugh endless search results. Users can also go
beyond direct matches and get contextual search results – for example: “these items pair well with the shoes/food/furniture you uploaded.”
Increasingly search behaviors will lean more towards contextual information and pairings like these. Now go ahead and use that random photo of an
avocado to find the perfect guacamole recipe.
The World is a Branded
Search Bar
Implications
Brands should look to go beyond SEO basics like ALT tags and indexing to thinking about the different UX that a
visually driven search function provides and plan future updates to their websites and other properties accordingly.
Platforms like Google Lens and
Pinterest revolutionized visual
search, but the technology is now
available to every brand with a
product catalog.

28
Feeling the action isn’t enough. Being immersed and directing the action? That’s the aim of tech giants like Microsoft,
Intel, and other players like 8i. All of which have made multimillion-dollar – and in some cases 100 million-dollar bets on
volumetric capture capabilities. These studios use hundreds of cameras to capture a person or object and stitch the
images together in real-time to create a 3D model for use in virtual environments like Augmented or Virtual Reality.
Entire scenes with several actors can also be filmed this way, creating a whole new level of immersion with the ability to
direct the camera as if you were the cinematographer.
Volumetric is the New Video
Implications
As VR and AR gain traction, they’ll need a vast library of assets to build the immersive experiences that will make the platforms
viable for a mass audience, and modeling everything from scratch is neither scalable nor cost-effective.
Volumetric content won’t eclipse the popularity of video and text next week, but the first wave is already showing incredible
promise. Brands like Samsung have built entire worlds for virtual reality using this tech, while others have used it to create
Snapchat and Instagram AR experiences.
Big studios are making big bets
on using volumetric capture to
create a new generation of
immersive, 3D content, but the
technology is rapidly becoming
more accessible.

29
Implications
Many of the infrastructural components for immersive XR experiences are ready to scale; however, 5G coverage and
adoption of capable handsets remain the most significant bottlenecks. We anticipate a sudden spike in hi-resolution and
hi-fidelity AR/VR experiences as 5G networks proliferate, and 5G mobile devices reach consumers en mass.
Last year, two events with little news coverage marked a new step forward in the evolution of immersive technologies:
5G-enabled augmented reality in sports arenas. At AT&T Park in Dallas and SKTelecom Happy Dream Park in Korea,
newly installed 5G hardware enabled sports fans to engage with high-resolution augmented reality experiences that
interacted seamlessly with their surroundings, performing flawlessly despite the density of cellular connections.
5G will bring more immersive experiences in both Augmented and Virtual Reality due to the increased speed, lower
latency, and higher efficiency in handling more connections. All three of these are necessary to create immersive
experiences that will help XR technologies gain mass adoption. With file sizes that are much larger than streaming video,
increasing density of device connections, and the need for zero-latency reaction time to create realism, 5G will usher in
the next evolution of immersive experience.
5G Brings Hi-resolution AR/VR
The components for highly immersive,
hi-resolution AR/VR experiences
already exist. Once 5G is accessible via
handsets and network coverage, we
expect to see a sudden spike in these
types of engagements.

30
Creative Technology
& Innovation Team
Jeremy Olken
Sr. Innovation Strategist
@JeremyOlken
Ian Beacraft
VP, Digital Strategy and
Innovaiton
@ianbcraft