Hope King was over at The Next Web Conference to find out some of the biggest trends in digital advertising. She was joined by Geoff Colon, Senior Marketing Comms Designer at Microsoft, to get insight into the new era of marketing.
Colon says augmented reality is one of the top trends reshaping the digital marketing landscape. He says the technology is much more accessible, and designers can create it much more easily.
3D and voice enablement are the other big trends he pointed out. He says voice enablement has been around, but is now coming mainstream and leading to new skills for devices like Microsoft's Cortana and Amazon's Alexa.
There are several big events coming up for the digital advertising space, including the Golden Globes, Oscars, and the Super Bowl. Colon hits on the difference in how advertisers are looking to buy ad campaigns. He says they used to buy based on key words, but now they are "buying on audiences,” which is rooted in interest-based buying.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
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