Around this time last year, many were hoping for the light at the end of the pandemic tinged tunnel. After 2020 shuttered office doors, in-store shopping and in-person events, 2021 promised vaccinations that could end the pandemic and return things to normal.
However, no one could have predicted the realities that 2021 brought with it, including everything from Apple and Google’s privacy crackdown to the surging preference for shopping online over in-store.
As another year of the pandemic sunsets, Digiday takes a look at the predictions versus realities of 2021:

More in Marketing
Walmart Connect pitches brands directly as it pushes lift studies ahead of holiday ad deals
Walmart Connect is using lift studies to prove ad performance directly to brands ahead of the holidays, signaling a tighter race with Amazon.
Target’s holiday push stresses affordability, exclusives and an AI assistant
Target is also rolling out an AI-powered assistant called Ask Target on Target.com and the Target app.
Indie agencies want The Trade Desk and Amazon DSP to acknowledge their buying power with negotiating leverage
Indie agencies say DSP giants block direct seats and fee relief despite spend commitments.