Here's what to look out for at this year's IAB Digital Upfronts

Facebook will recommence proceedings on Monday (see image below for a comprehensive timetable of events) followed by similar pitches from the internet's biggest brand names.

This will be the second annual Upfronts series in the UK, and much change has occurred in the last 12 months, notably an accelerated round of consolidation in the industry. IAB Upfronts participant AOL has been a key player in this round following its purchase by US mobile operator Verizon Wireless, followed by its own purchase of Millennial Media.

Speaking with The Drum Hamish Nicklin, AOL, managing director, UK, gave some insights into his company's planned messaging, adding that his outfit is one to be taken seriously, as it can reach over 75 per cent of the population here.

He said: "Following the Verizon acquisition, our partnership with Microsoft to monetise their entire display advertising stack in nine markets, and now our intent to acquire Millennial Media, AOL is a force to be reckoned with."

Indeed, Nicklin believes the consolidation that took place has led to greater client understanding when it comes to digital advertising, and that many realise they have to synchronise their messaging across screens.

When discussing the ongoing effort to use data-led insights to architect a 'partnership' model with advertisers, as opposed to the traditional buyer-seller dynamic, such an approach would lead to a much more healthy relationship.

"It’s only through an open and collaborative approach between all stakeholders in this industry, creative agencies, brands, media agencies, publishers and media owners that we can ensure it not only survives any crises but continues to thrive," he said.

Similarly, Jamie West, Sky Media, deputy MD, stressed the need for a more collaborative climate, adding that brands can achieve the efficiencies offered by programmatic media buying technologies in quality media environments if they work more directly with recognised media partners.

To this point, fellow Upfronts participant Matt Teeman, commercial director of Bloomberg Media, EMEA, added: "As a premium publisher, we’re available for our customers on any platform. There is room for programmatic and for direct-to-publisher business.

"Through a blend of proprietary and third-party data and analytics, we’re able to understand consumer behaviour across all of our platforms – even the most niche or elusive audience."

In addition, Bloomberg is also able to provide information that will help media buyers to make better decisions on their advertising spends. "We think both types of insight move us all towards better outcomes," he added.

A consistent theme of the messaging during the week will discuss how audiences are shifting from traditional TV sets where programming was broadcast in a linear fashion, to more remote screens, where content is on demand.

While this trend is hardly new, the providers of such platforms are starting to garner metrics to prove the value of such media platforms to advertisers, many of whom had previously labelled such platforms as 'non-premium'.

Citing YouTube numbers, David Black, Google's MD of branding, said: "It delivers results for brands - awareness, brand preference and sales lift. For example, 97 per cent of ad recall studies for Google Preferred campaigns on YouTube have reported a significant brand uplift."

Participants will also use the week-long programme to unearth trends within the wider shift to digital, and the growing dominance of mobile in users' media consumption, this is something that Black is keen to point out.

He added: "We see two big trends: mobile and programmatic. We’re in the midst of the small-screen revolution - a revolution in consumer habits that is changing the way marketers create, plan, buy and measure advertising.

"Over half of YouTube watch time - many billions of video views each day - happens on mobile devices. In the UK, time spent watching YouTube on mobile devices has increased an incredible 200 per cent in the past year."

Zac Pinkham, UK MD of mobile specialist , Millennial Media, also added: "The move towards programmatic media buying is also driving change, evolving from being 'the future' to being now' of how digital media is traded.

"According to Digital Upfronts organiser the IAB, programmatic share of mobile ad sales has nearly doubled from 37 per cent in 2013 to 64 per cent in 2014, with estimates that around 70-80 per cent of all digital spend will be programmatic by 2018.

Elsewhere, the week will also see pitches from some of the biggest social networks in the world, with Twitter expected to offer attendees a sneak peek of upcoming product features, and Facebook expected to offer similar insights to its offering.

And on the topic of social networks, RadiumOne will be pitching its tech during its Upfront as a way to unlock the value if sharing. A lot of the hype this last 12 months has been around sequential storytelling across screens, with many marketers in agreement that ability to join the dots across multiple channels/silos is the single biggest chance for brands to sustain a competitive advantage.

“RadiumOne are able to do that by understanding and harnessing the billions of sharing events that take place online each month across any type of screen – mobile, tablet, desktop and TV,” Mark Middlemas, director of communications at RadiumOne UK & Europe.

“By creating a single view of your customer and understanding what they engage with, where they engage and at what frequency they engage means you are better informed to influence behaviour and business outcomes.”

IAB Digital Upfronts runs until 23 October, and The Drum is an official media partner