It’s that time of year when we get to look ahead into what marketing trends could appear in the new year. With the theme of authenticity over and out, what will the theme of this year be? Will AI still be just as prominent as we look into how the technology is developing and what will be the next shift in consumer behaviour if any change at all?
We’ve finally said goodbye to 2023! We saw impactful trends such as the boom in UGC content, the shift from Google being the number 1 search engine to TikTok and the uplift in E-commerce selling, thanks again to TikTok! On the flip side, whilst there were some exemplary examples of marketing trends last year, 2023 also saw some of the worst. May we remind you, at the start of last year we had a platform called Twitter!
But now we’re officially in 2024 and we question what will marketeers allocate this year’s budget to. What exciting campaigns and trends will we see popping up around the country? What will the discussions and themes be this year not just on our social ads and feeds but also what OOH campaigns will we see this year? With AI flourishing, and a guaranteed continuing, will we be living in a Black Mirror episode before we know it?
Confidently agreeing, there has been a vast creative shift over the last few years. Whether it’s a brand’s approach to a campaign or whether it’s a brand’s approach to the undertaking of a campaign. With so much change we can only look ahead into 2024 and enter the year with some excitement!
A prediction that was guaranteed to make it into our trend list! This should’ve been saved for the last prediction as there would be a higher engagement analytic but at the expense of engagement, it seems this is the most exciting trend we’ll continue to see develop in 2024.
It’s no secret that Artificial Intelligence will not be going away anytime soon. Whilst admittedly it seems the buzz is dying down on the social media integration side, however, the commercial minds and many brands are taking the opportunity for the new year to build their own in house AI!
Yes, the buzz and the hype of AI being included within all aspects of a campaign is exciting and will continue to be used for in-house productions as we come into 2024 but, the integration of AI into social media is something that took most of us by surprise in 2023. An example of this was a big story that shook many of us last year, Snapchat’s introduction of its AI chatbot.
Announced in the midst of April 2023, the news came as quite a shock to not only its competitors, such as social media channels Meta and TikTok, but also to the general public. As workers of the industry, we see and read daily updates that these social media giants feed us but for those who aren’t within the industry, sometimes the awareness of AI development isn’t so accessible.
Post-launch it seemed that many of the general public were anxious about using the new AI feature that was released on Snapchat. This feature being the ‘MyAI’ friend. A customisable AI character that users could chat with as if they were their real friend!
With reports flying left, right and centre of the dangers of the feature, it’s no surprise that Snapchat received the backlash it did. Since its release (and heavy downpour of bad press) Snapchat has continued to be the platform leading an impactful social media and AI integration.
Other platforms have since attempted this integration in their own way with the likes of Instagram creating AI celebrity profiles and TikTok now imposing rules to make sure creators identify videos that have been created with AI. Therefore, with social media platforms putting their foot in the door in 2023, it’s a guarantee we’ll see further developments as we move into 2024.
Whilst many of the trends have been B2C, B2B has just as much importance when we discuss AI. PinPoint Media held their 2nd in the series of The Content Shift Event where we discussed how AI looks within the B2B world. Key trends that we predict for 2024 includes, personalisation, the desire to find the balance between quality and quantity, streamlining processes and the enhancement of the relationships that we have with AI. To read more about of our in-depth discussions as well as read more upon the event itself, click here: Using AI To Drive Demand
Whilst AI has its benefits when it comes to building upon B2B, helping to predict analytics as well as being a company’s chatbot to help with consumer questions, we must remember to bring through the authenticity that many, even within business, look for.
It seems the key theme for marketing in 2023 was ‘authenticity’. Authenticity has been the core of many campaigns from giant conglomerates, to smaller brands making their marketing debut.
Therefore, looking into 2024, authenticity can move over to make some room for the next marketing theme – nostalgia, to which we started to see rear its head at the end of 2023, paving its way into 2024. This was evident through the likes of Barbie and also an iconic synergy between Walmart and Mean Girls.
The provoking generations, Gen-Z and Millennials, are the consumers who look back at 2014 -2016 as some of the best years of their lives. Many longing to be living back in those days when we were more concerned about The World Cup and awaited the return of Adele and ‘Hello’ from this side of the decade, we don’t blame them.
Whilst the cost of living crisis and Covid-19 has not seen many positives – if any at all, it has seemed to have spiked this drive of ‘nostalgia’. This is due to many, whilst in lockdown, thinking back to when society was a little less stressed and when there was less prohibition towards our lives.
Whilst the feeling did come into play between 2019 – 2022, the feeling has become more dominant in 2023, kicking off with the release of Barbie this summer. Now, we could sit and dive deeply into the success of the film, however the key takeaway from this consumer behaviour trend (after the success of the film) is that these two generations love the past and can impact the success of a campaign.
Thinking back to the days of Barbie’s dream house wasn’t the only throwback of the summer. Towards the final days of August, soft beverage company Pepsi Co. released their new logo which, as you can see below, ties in old text copy as well as the iconic red, white and blue logo.
As one YouTube comment stated “Everyone loves the classic logo with a modern and fresh twist.”
Beyond branding we could argue that even our nostalgic, pastime media platforms of advertising are coming back – but with that ‘fresh and modern twist’ that consumers are looking for this year. With social media still having a prominent, dominant and effective impact when advertising, we wouldn’t have assumed that billboards would make their comeback, but our assumptions are wrong. They’re back, but with just a little digital twist!
The data, sourced from Statista, shows Distribution of out-of-home advertising spending in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2011 to 2022, by platform with 2022 showing a slight 1% increase from 2021. Furthermore,‘Industry data from the first quarter of 2023 showed that OOH revenues showed a 5.1% rise compared to the same period in 2022, taking the value of the industry to £251m over the three-month period’
With the integration of QR codes and more digital engagement pieces, it’s no wonder we’re starting to see an increase in more traditional advertising formats.
With the developments of technology allowing for bigger and better standout campaigns, marketers now have to think even further outside the box to stand out. With OOH making it’s own refreshed comeback, data is stating It has an impressive 82% ad recall from consumers passing by. In 2023, it became the fastest-growing advertising channel with a remarkable +24.2% growth“, according to Vistar Media.
Articles:
🔗 Why Nostalgia Will be a Key Branding Trend in 2024
🔗Nostalgia marketing… is it here to stay?
🔗Top 5 Marketing Trends For 2024
With the constant horror stories of data breaches and data selling, are you scared as to where all your data is going? Bored of all the ‘Cookie’ pop-ups that are guaranteed to make a surprise entrance on your screen as soon as you click on a website link? Sick of struggling to find the ‘X’ button to avoid clicking the prominent ‘ I accept’ button, giving away all your data? Well, 2024 could see the change in how our data is taken and stored as consumers look for more ethical practices when using websites and social media platforms.
As consumer education on data collecting improves, many consumers are reluctant to wholeheartedly click ‘I accept’ as soon as we come across the Cookie message. Because of consumers becoming more informed on the subject of data collection, many are refusing to give away so much information and with that sees brands and businesses lose out on a vast amount of hyper-personalised data, therefore making targeting audiences a little more complicated.
2023 saw many of us watching and waiting for the crumbling of TikTok with its trial in America taking centre stage for violating data and protection laws. (That itself will be something we’ll continue to see in 2024.) However, in August, flew in the DSA (Digital Services Act) which meant many online platforms such as social networks, app stores and marketplaces had to change their regulations to conform with the new standards.
The DSA states “The DSA regulates online intermediaries and platforms such as marketplaces, social networks, content-sharing platforms, app stores, and online travel and accommodation platforms. Its main goal is to prevent illegal and harmful activities online and the spread of disinformation. It ensures user safety, protects fundamental rights, and creates a fair and open online platform environment.”
With the DSA rules coming fully into force as of 17th February, it will be interesting to see how this Spring plays out with brands and their approach to ethical marketing.
In the meantime marketers are going to have to utilise the data they do have at the moment and create campaigns that really lock in their current audience.
🔗 Navigating 2024: Key Marketing Trends Set to Reshape the Landscape
Post-pandemic, the cost of living crisis has diverted consumer spending habits. According to a survey by Civil Society “Almost half (48%) of people in England and Wales are shopping more in charity shops or considering doing so because of the rising cost of living, according to new research. ” Whilst the prices and bills for everything have gone up, the balance of consumer disposable income hasn’t risen as quickly therefore many have had to adapt their lifestyles.
Whilst all generations have been affected, Gen-Z and Millenials, we can argue, have been the ones to adapt the best however with better education of the current and on-going state of the climate, many would like to strive for sustainability, many find it difficult due to to the extra financial burden it can have on their banks.
What’s different this time from all the other generational financial crises’, is now we all have a handy tool in our pockets. TikTok! With many preferring to use TikTok as a search engine, there are many ways brands are showcasing their sustainability products or their aspirations due to the overwhelming sustainability community the platform has.
Examples of the staggering number of views on sustainability-themed hashtags can be in their billions! Some examples include #sustainability receiving 6.2B views, #sustainablefashion receiving 5.2B views and #sustainableliving receiving 2B views.
With many switching from high street brands to charity shops, upcoming trends include loving vintage and, from a more sustainable perspective, scraping the fast fashion for re-using already bought clothes. With platforms such as Vinted and Depop growing in popularity with Business of Apps claiming “Vinted generated €370.2 million in revenue in 2022, up from €245.1 million the year before.”
This consumer shift will not be changing in 2024 and if anything will only grow in popularity as more and more people are educated on the subject or become accustomed to the platforms which provide a more cost-effective yet sustainable style of living.
However, one of the many issues a brand could face when centralising their focus on sustainability is ‘green-washing’. The recently coined term has been ‘death term’ for many, mainly fashion, brands who have recently come under fire for their ‘green-washing’ tactics or to keep in line with their consumers’ wants.
If a brand can pledge and successfully strive towards becoming a more sustainable brand and showcase this subtly within their campaigns, there is no dispute that they will successfully target the Gen-Z and Millennial generation who are striving the way for a greener world.
From a corporate side, businesses should be on top of their sustainability game more than ever now. Not just for their consumers but more often than not, businesses are now looking to switch to more sustainable supplies, investors and various other stakeholders.
Company Plan A states that “Organisations, especially those operating within a B2B environment, that are not proactive in taking measures to bolster their stance on sustainability will ultimately be exposed to immense financial, competitive and regulatory risks.
As we move into 2024, don’t be afraid to do your research on whether you’re looking to improve your sustainability practices between B2C or B2B. Find out what other companies are doing and find out how you could do it better!
🔗 Shoppers turning to charity shops due to the cost-of-living crisis, research suggests
🔗 Vinted Revenue and Usage Statistics (2023)
It’s no surprise that influencer marketing is continuing to project high numbers. Whilst B2C influencer marketing is a strategy rooted within our campaigns, it’s B2B influencer marketing that is becoming increasingly popular as we forecast for the new year.
If you have a TikTok account, you would’ve most likely come across a video which was an influencer partnership. Guaranteed. With TikTok driving itself to become a platform for e-commerce and the success brands have had with influencer marketing when it comes to selling a product, B2C is clearly here to stay. However, what about B2B?
Companies are always looking to build up their credibility to gain or maintain their brand status and with the crowded market, why shouldn’t brands use a strategy that clearly works when we work closely with consumers?
There have been many traditional ways of securing clients over the years however social media is still a relatively new way of ‘doing business’ and winning leads however with a fresh new perspective of undertaking business, this allows for many different avenues of marketing especially within the company.
One effective strategy is to involve and encourage your company employees to post on their socials, as we all have them now, and treat them as ‘internal influencers’ for the brand. I mean, who knows the brand better than the company workforce? Especially with generations such as Gen-Z and Millennials who are social media whizzes soon to be the dominant cohorts of the workforce, within the next couple of years.
In conclusion, technology will still be guaranteed to blow us away as we move closer and closer to what was once a fictional dystopian world we once classed as fantasy in our minds. With the DSA paving the way for a safer online space, what new legislations and rules will we see take hold in 2024?
The world of marketing will continue to evolve and change throughout the year but what will you be looking forward to seeing this year?
If you’re interested in reading more marketing insights from PinPoint Media, click to read:
🔗 The Best Marketing Campaigns of 2023 – Fearless, Individualistic and Refreshing
🔗 7 Ways For Brands To Avoid Rainbow-Washing The LGBTQ+ Community This Pride Month
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