The research firm says that the continued development of digital infrastructure and the ensuing change in social behavior patterns continue to gather pace in Africa and the Middle East. Adopting some of the tried and tested solutions from other markets and blazing one’s own path in areas, such as, mobile enable consumers to participate in the all-encompassing digital revolution.

This in turn will allow marketers to commit a larger share of their budgets to new media and new business models, facilitate better planning – with more data – and force more rigorous evaluation of return on investment (ROI), creating a perfect storm to further accelerate the pace of change.

Here are some of the key trends for 2015:

Perfect timing will be critical

The newest thing in 2015 will be synchronized messaging across TV and the other devices that consumers use while watching. Brands will be able to reinforce their TV message with targeted reminders during the ad breaks. Car ads will be followed up with test drive messages, for example, as more and more media owners roll out the capability to match messages across desktop, tablet and mobile.

Social and mobile silos will be broken down

Brands need to understand the synchronized impact of cross-platform and cross-device behaviors to justify continued – and increased – media investment. To facilitate this, in 2015 social and mobile media will start to deliver insights into how brands and their media agencies can best harmonize their overall social and mobile strategy.

Insufficient data will become big data and increasingly, intelligent data

In 2015, marketers will start to appreciate the importance of their data: they will streamline their assets and invest in the analytic talent they have been lacking to identify the metrics that are actual predictors for brand and sales growth.

Native will get it right more often 

In 2015 native advertising will become an established part of the advertising landscape. The key for brands will be to partner with publishers that strike a proper balance between brand messages and editorial, clearly identifying sponsored content and matching the site’s tone and style.

Marketers will get savvier about multi-generational multi-screen marketing 

In 2015 smart marketers will optimize across devices by aligning branding objectives with learning about how screen usage varies by generation and contextual task.

Programmatic will improve with better quality behavioral data

However, but it will also increasingly make marketers question whether programmatic optimization is damaging or enhancing brand building. The best programmatic providers will increasingly differentiate themselves based on their ability to manage cost effectiveness on behavioral metrics while delivering campaigns that build brand metrics.

Programmatic will also get creative

Creative agencies will design smart, engaging and customizable creative “elements”, rather than ads, which merge seamlessly with programmatic media buying algorithms. The best of these executions will enable a new kind of dynamic, relevant storytelling based on when and how they are delivered.

Micro-video will be propelled into the mainstream 

There will be more opportunities to build reach in the micro-video landscape with paid messages. Brands and agencies will succeed by understanding the nuances of micro-creativity and the different roles fulfilled by platforms such as Vine and Instagram.

Analogue will become digital 

Every channel will be digital, even if it’s not. Marketers will add digital responses such as interaction via smartphones to channels that remain analogue in order to digitalize them. Going digital in every channel will allow brands to put consumers in control.

Location-based marketing will bloom

This will be the year that brands focus on consumer needs to deliver messages and services that are meaningful and relevant to specific locations. In 2015, the ability of brands to give consumers what they want, at the right place and at the right time will be a key differentiator.

Successful organizations will structure for success in the digital age 

This will happen by courting innovators, focusing on digital training and becoming more collaborative. The very best will step back and take stock by examining the impact of digital campaigns on the hearts and minds of consumers.

To read the full list of Millward Brown’s 2015 Digital and Media Predictions, click here.