Media monitoring trends to watch in 2024

As the media landscape evolves, so does the need for comprehensive media monitoring. The coming year promises significant technological advancements and new focus areas in the sector, with the following four main trends.

1. AI and automation in media tracking

The integration of AI and automation for tracking, insights and reporting is transforming media monitoring. With AI’s ability to conduct nuanced sentiment analysis, companies can benefit from gaining deeper insights into public perception. This shift allows for more accurate and efficient processing of data to provide a clearer understanding of the effect of media on business operations.

2. Sector-specific growth

Media monitoring benefits every sector, and its influence will become more prevalent in the months to come. For example, online retailers can leverage media monitoring to understand buying patterns and target audiences virtually in real time. Across industry sectors, businesses can analyse consumer discussions and trends and tailor their strategies to meet evolving demands, showcasing the sector-specific advantages of media monitoring.

3. Customisation and targeted alerts

The total amount of data created and consumed globally is expected to reach 120 zettabytes (a zettabyte is 1-trillion gigabytes) by the end of this year, up from 64 zettabytes in 2020. The need for customisation in media monitoring to obtain relevant information quickly is more critical than ever. For example, Novus Group has introduced Telegram alerts which allow businesses to set specific keywords and monitor selected media sources to receive alerts on relevant information to help sift through the noise to focus on what truly matters.

4. Cross-platform analysis

With 35% of businesses globally using AI and another 42% exploring its potential, media monitoring will also find increasingly innovative ways to integrate the technology. Given the increase of multimedia content, particularly videos, across social media platforms, cross-platform analysis will be vital for organisations to gain a holistic overview of what is being said about their brands.

The importance of voice, video and image recognition will only grow in 2024. AI can be vital in this regard, as the technology can help media monitors deliver a more comprehensive view of how brands are perceived across different media formats.

Joe Hamman, a director at Novus Group, says these trends reflect a media monitoring landscape that is increasingly sophisticated, tailored and integrated. He predicts that they will become part of the operational landscape for staying ahead in a rapidly evolving digital world.

“To navigate this complex media environment, companies will need to embrace these advancements, using comprehensive and precise insights to make more informed decisions,” he says.

The big take-out: AI will be playing an increasingly bigger role in media monitoring.