Ms Ireland says a report released this month by Colmar Brunton parent company Millward Brown highlights a number of anticipated digital and media changes which are important pointers to the future for New Zealand businesses.

"The report highlights the need for marketers to better understand consumer behaviour across devices and adjust their investment accordingly. That is the primary challenge for 2014," Ms Ireland says.

She says, based on the report, marketers will need more in-depth audience planning insights into when, where and how different consumers are using different devices with a trend towards viewing content on the most convenient screen. Marketers will also need research tools that assess communications effectiveness across screens and help them understand the roles of different screens in the path to purchase.

The Millward Brown report says such information will allow marketers to maximise audience and deliver cost-effective reach across devices as part of a "screen-agnostic" planning process, while providing the confidence to adapt channel plans to new consumer behaviours.

Ms Ireland says this is just one of many predicted changes in the global media landscape. Other significant changes are expected to include:

• Video budgets continuing to shift from TV to multi-screen
• Mobile media spend rising dramatically, especially among youth-targeted brands
• Brands creating more mobile-friendly and readily shareable content with many experimenting with micro-video platforms such as Vine
• The rise of screens in all aspects of our lives encouraging many marketers to attempt genuine marketing firsts via creative uses of digital outdoor or via the new possibilities presented by wearable screens such as smart watches and Google Glass.

Ms Ireland says clarity and consistency of messaging across all devices and new marketing opportunities will be critical to success.

Colmar Brunton's own research has revealed the power of visuals in attracting the attention of social media social and this tallies with the findings of Millward Brown's eye tracking data for digital display ads. The Millward Brown data suggests that just one appealing visual is enough to attract the attention of consumers focusing on a range of stimuli in quick succession. Brands that adopt a more minimalist and to-the-point approach will achieve greater engagement.

Ms Ireland agrees that successful marketers in 2014 and beyond will build a cohesive, clear and consistent presence across screens and closely align advertising expenditure with the time their audience spends on each device.

"New Zealand marketers would do well to take note of these global predictions which no doubt will provide significant insights for their own business development," she says.

For a full list of Millward Brown's 2014 Digital and Media Predictions please visit www.millwardbrown.com/DigitalPredictions

ENDS