It’s Here: Mary Meeker’s 2017 Report Recap for the Modern Marketer

Google “internet trends”, and you’ll find an endless list of surveys, reports and predictions, but none are as anticipated each year as industry analyst Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends Report. In its 22nd iteration, the 2017 Internet Trends Report released earlier this week continues to live up to the hype with over 350 research-based slides. For marketers who don’t have time to go through the entire 11-part report, we’ve recapped the top five trends and stats worth adding to your toolbox:

1. User growth may have flatlined, but online advertising continues to thrive.

The global internet adoption rate has plateaued at about 10% per year since 2012. But remember, that’s over 400 million new users in 2016, with over half of the world’s potential internet population still at large — meaning plenty of opportunities for online advertisers to continue to thrive in the years to come. Last year alone, online advertising was a $73 billion market, up 22% from 2015. Mary Meeker's 2017 Report Global Internet Users Bar Chart

2. Mobile ad spending continues to accelerate, eclipsing desktop spending for the first time.

Americans devoted more than five hours per day to digital media in 2016, three of which were spent on mobile devices. So, it’s not surprising to see significant growth in mobile ad spending; but according to Mary Meeker’s 2017 report, mobile ad revenues eclipsed desktop ad revenues for the first time last year. And there’s still a significant gap between time spent on mobile media and potential mobile ad spend. For advertisers ready to take advantage of this untapped $16 billion mobile ad space, people-based marketing capabilities leveraging their valuable first-party data will be key. Mary Meeker's 2017 Report U.S. Time Spent Versus Ad Spending Bar Chart

3. Internet ad spending will top TV advertising this year.

According to Mary Meeker’s 2017 report findings, global internet ad spending will surpass TV advertising in just six months. With the cord-cutter and cord-never populations growing every day, more and more advertisers are turning to online advertising to reach consumers where they’re watching. As internet ad spending finally outpaces traditional TV near the $200 billion mark, savvy marketers will be talking about the advantages of advanced TV advertising with their brand owners. Mary Meeker's 2017 Report Global Internet Versus TV Ad Spend Line Graph

4. Ushered in by recent advances in augmented reality, online gaming has positive implications for advertisers.

Few people would have predicted the Pokémon Go sensation last fall, but the augmented reality app’s success showcased the revenue potential of the online gaming industry. Unsurprisingly, this year’s Internet Trends Report focuses on the rise of online gaming and its implications across several industries, like business and sports. The report estimates that there are 2.6 billion gamers online today, up from 100 million players in 1995. And as the “most engaging form of social media,” users spend over 50 minutes per day in gaming consoles, making gaming platforms a potential treasure trove for advertisers targeting highly engaged audiences. Mary Meeker's 2017 Report Daily Time Spent Across Digital Media Platforms Bar Chart

5. The consumer voice will be more powerful than ever.

As voice recognition technologies continue to improve (accuracy for Google Home is now at nearly 95%), voice-based searches will replace typed queries. In 2016, 20% of mobile searchers were made via voice. And in the coming year, voice-activated searches are expected to take over the home, with voice assistant devices like Amazon’s Alexa offering hands-free convenience around the house. In the fourth quarter of 2016, Amazon Echo devices already boasted over 8 million users. Mary Meeker's 2017 Report Amazon Echo Evolution Charts Additional insights on the implications for the healthcare sector, China’s growing online influence, and the impact of ecommerce are also covered in the report. You can check out the full 2017 Internet Trends Report here or compare the digest to Mary Meeker’s 2016 report findings.