Marketing isn’t just simply a cost you can throw money towards and expect results to immediately follow. It is a long-term investment that needs to be embedded deep in the fabric that flows through your entire organization. When you break the objective down: you’re communicating a product or your organizations’ value, while increasing brand awareness, reputation and expanding the consumer base. However, there are many new underlying principles and marketing trends that are coursing through the function that has rapidly expanded along with the media landscape. The influx of digital has absolutely rocked traditional marketing and shattered the terrain forever.
It is now absolutely imperative to stay ahead of the curve while remaining versatile in how well marketing teams can adapt to these change in processes. Technology and consumer behaviour cause marketers to constantly be on their toes and how they approach the advertising space. As you continue to put the building blocks in place for a strong marketing team that can innovate, create and adapt to this constant shift – it’s important to understand these evolving marketing trends that are emerging as powerhouse marketing tactics.
- Master the mobile space
In 2014, revenue in global mobile advertising reached an unbelievable $32 billion. What is absolutely astonishing is that 46% of Fortune 500 companies are still not mobile enabled.
The total mobile experience needs to be completely frictionless for both advertisers and consumers. Where users can shift from mobile to laptop to tablet to desktop seamlessly, without losing any steps in their progression. That’s the ultimate end goal here. The mobile space is in a world of its own – with storytelling needing to adapt to the smaller screen and play on its terms in order to enable an authentic interaction between brands and consumers. This a future driving force in marketing trends. Welcome to the mobile revolution.
- Consumer branded content
“Brands have to be more transparent in a genuine and authentic way - to live and demonstrate their values - they need to walk the talk.” - Chris Brandt, chief marketing officer, Taco Bell Corp.
Consumers have completely flipped the script with regards to how brands conduct themselves, and are now holding them accountable for their actions. Brands are now viewing their content much differently. They’re looking to engage in two-way conversations and create more personalized experiences by being more transparent.
There is also a massive paradigm shift in how brands can’t control their brand like they used to. User-generated content has evolved into a force to be reckoned with and has overpowered branded content.
“Create, Co-Create, and Curate. Create is our own content, co-create is content created in partnership with consumers, and curate is taking the user generated content we like and showing it to more people. The most important ingredient in all of this is authenticity,” says Chris Brandt.
- Video is the new heavyweight
There has been over 100 million hours of “how-to” content watched in North America this year with 67% of Millennials turning to a YouTube video to find anything they want to learn. 91% of smartphone users turn to their smartphone for ideas while doing a given task. Video provides a more interactive and engaging way to connect with consumers – and turn them into loyal customers. In fact, Cisco predicts that by 2017, video will account for 69% of all consumer Internet traffic. 2015 has been dubbed “the year of video” among many marketing circles, which is why many organizations have been equipping their arsenals with video marketing campaigns.
- Marketing + Technology + Hyperconnectivity
As brands begin to track individual consumer behavior in real-time - they can use it to tailor the experience for that specific person. The personalization of content helps combat the growing fact that people, many of whom are Millennials, don’t want to be directly marketed to.
Being perennially connected has evolved into a necessity, with consumers growing frustrated if they can’t have a seamless experience between devices. New technologies have played a major part in driving modern marketing trends, with the introduction of mobile wallets and end-to-end attribution.
It is undoubtedly much more difficult to be a marketer than it was 20 or so years ago. The landscape has changed and modern marketers need to have a diverse set of adaptable skills and wear many different hats on a daily basis. Here are 6 different archetypes you need for your marketing team jigsaw puzzle in order to be destined for success.