The technology industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by tt the abundance of user data generated through online activities, consumer demand for personalised and relevant content, and the wide availability of digital platforms and online advertising networks. Advertisers can thus deliver targeted advertisements across various channels such as websites, social media platforms, mobile apps, and other online environments, effectively reaching users with tailored messages and experiences. This has also resulted in the growing importance of technologies such as data analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and programmatic advertising platforms, which enable advertisers to segment audiences, analyse user behaviour, and deliver relevant advertisements across various digital channels, maximising the effectiveness and efficiency of advertising campaigns. In the last three years alone, there have been over 3.6 million patents filed and granted in the technology industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Technology Innovation: Targeted advertising. Buy the report here.
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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilising and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
300+ innovations will shape the technology industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the technology industry using innovation intensity models built on over 2.5 million patents, there are 300+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, microphone beamforming, live betting games, and quantum dots are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Circuit design testing, smart contracts, and surround sound systems are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are, vehicle platooning, peripheral component interconnect (PCI) power management, and wireless microphones, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for the technology industry
Targeted advertising is a key innovation area in technology
Targeted advertising aims to deliver personalised content and advertisements to individuals based on their interests or behaviours, utilising collected data. This approach enhances audience engagement by presenting them with relevant content and ads tailored to their preferences and needs.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 20+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established technology companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of targeted advertising.
Key players in targeted advertising – a disruptive innovation in the technology industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to targeted advertising
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
AT&T is a leading patent filer in targeted advertising. One of the company’s patents focuses on access management to femto cell service that is achieved using access control lists, such as white lists or black lists. White lists consist of subscriber station identifiers and can include additional fields for managing femto cell access. The exchange of access lists among subscribers who have provisioned femto access points is facilitated, ensuring security and compliance with privacy policies. Subscribers have the option to opt-in for access list sharing and update their privacy settings accordingly. Additionally, a component identifies femto access points based on association criteria for subscribers to access lists.
Other prominent patent filers in the space include Factual and West View Research.
By geographic reach, Meta Platforms leads the pack, followed by Xiaomi and Hewlett Packard (HP). In terms of application diversity, West View Research holds the top position, followed by BlackBerry and adidas.
Targeted advertising plays a significant role in improving advertising effectiveness by delivering tailored content to specific individuals, increasing engagement and conversion rates. It allows advertisers to reach their desired audience more precisely, resulting in better ROI and a more personalised experience for consumers.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the technology industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Technology.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
