Digital media continues to develop as a branding medium, growing beyond its roots as a channel of interest solely to direct response marketers. Today, it appears that branding in the online medium appears to have come of age, as spending for online brand advertising in 2013 is projected to rival that of direct response advertising. What’s more, growth projections for branding exceed those of its performance-based sibling.

Looking ahead, two key dynamics bode well for a continuation of this trend while another has the potential to slow, or even reverse it. Specifically, as consumers continue to migrate toward digital media consumption—whether online, tablet, mobile or connected TV— brand marketers (and their advertising dollars) will need to follow them there. In addition, as advertising formats in these channels evolve to provide richer experiences, they will naturally attract more brand advertisers. As television has shown, formats that include sight, sound and motion are well-suited to influencing consumer opinion.