{"id":96562,"date":"2017-10-02T11:00:35","date_gmt":"2017-10-02T10:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.smartinsights.com\/?p=96562"},"modified":"2017-10-02T09:15:41","modified_gmt":"2017-10-02T08:15:41","slug":"2018-marketing-predictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smartinsights.com\/digital-marketing-strategy\/digital-strategy-development\/2018-marketing-predictions\/","title":{"rendered":"2018 Marketing predictions you need to keep an eye on"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seven predictions to act on for your future marketing plans<\/h2>\n

The start of 2018 is in sight, So, it\u2019s the start of seasonal predictions about the forthcoming year\u2019s marketing and branding trends.<\/p>\n

In this article, I gaze into the crystal ball to make seven predictions relating to 2018\u2019s marketing trends. These cover trends in audience engagement, branding and advertising. For more coverage of digital marketing, see Dave Chaffey\u2019s Marketing trends 2018 article<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n

Prediction 1: Personalisation gets even more savvy<\/h3>\n

Marketers have long understood that consumers are preoccupied with one question: \u201cwhat\u2019s in it for me<\/em>\u201d?\u00a0 Accordingly, personalization through the use of big data has become one of sales and marketing\u2019s important campaign considerations.<\/p>\n

\"Personalization\"<\/a>

Stub Hub lists all my favourite artists and venues first<\/p><\/div>\n

For example, StubHub, an online ticket exchange operated by eBay, reported a 42% improvement with a personalized call to action.\u00a0 IDC forecasts that by the end of 2018, the big data industry will be worth $102bn.<\/p>\n

On a practical level, many dynamic sites featuring smart marketing automation have superseded older static site content. (According to Smart Insights Improving Engagement Report 2018, dynamic content insertion is used by 4 in 10 marketers. However, some pundits warn of the danger when excessive personalization becomes less direct, it loses some of its potency. The good news is that digital marketers are fast to respond and adapt to consumer needs and fears. Therefore I predict that personalization will become more subtle, relevant and ultimately savvy.<\/p>\n

Prediction 2: Pansexual Marketing<\/h3>\n

In July 2017, the UK Advertising Standard\u2019s Association report, \u2018Depictions Perceptions and Harm\u2019<\/a> suggested harmful stereotypes in advertising limit choices, aspirations, and opportunities for children, young people, and adults. The guidelines require brands to adhere to new standards to replace hackneyed stereotypical gender roles and characteristics.<\/p>\n

Fearless Girl, a statue in Wall Street created by McCann New York for State Street Global Advisors, is meant to encourage more financial companies to put women in leadership positions. In August, UK Clarks shoes came under fire for launching \u2018Dolly Babes\u2019 shoes for girls and \u2018Leaders\u2019 for boys. One month later, in a bid to eradicate gender stereotypes, John Lewis removed gender-specific labels from its children\u2019s clothing.\u00a0 (John Lewis also suffered a Twitter backlash).<\/p>\n

Despite further anticipated reprisals, towards the end of 2018, brands will introduce more gender-neutral marketing campaigns.\u00a0 I predict that these will feature progressive slogans and hashtags targeted towards cross-gender segments.\u00a0 All these initiatives and more will help lend general support to 2018\u2019s celebrations marking the 100th<\/sup> anniversary of women\u2019s suffrage.<\/p>\n

Prediction 3: Grittier #nofilter storytelling<\/h3>\n

Expect a sharper shift towards live video. In the race to ensure credibility with cynical audiences, during 2018 many brands will aim to be more personable through engaging live video via social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.<\/p>\n

Increased user involvement in commenting, liking, videoing, sharing and connecting to events such as featured interviewers with key influencers (such as celebrities) will further help marketing campaigns become exceptionally popular.<\/p>\n

To address the global trend towards demanding substance over superficiality (including hostility towards \u2018fake news\u2019 in politics and commerce) rather than just slickly produced, yet ultimately bland brand storytelling videos using stock photography, expect content to have a more \u2018genuine\u2019 user-produced flavour.\u00a0 Equally, expect B2B brands to produce longer length copy featuring \u2018relevant real life\u2019 examples, as opposed to \u2018airbrushed\u2019 wishy-washy corporate hogwash.<\/p>\n

Prediction 4: Improved management enhances micro-moments<\/h3>\n

Back in 2015 Google advocated the appeal of micro-moments providing relevant content in real time<\/a>.\u00a0 Whilst many brands have since adopted the approach, the relentless pressure on marketing departments to push out more and more content has, in far too many cases, diluted its effectiveness.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I predict that in 2018, marketers will further refine micro-moment management in terms of frequency and depth of customer support and experience campaigns across devices. Thanks to a deeper understanding of digital psychology, marketers will become increasingly sophisticated in remaining responsive when delivering timely content, without appearing overly intrusive.<\/p>\n

Prediction 5: Social messaging apps dominate social networking<\/h3>\n

Each day four billion users worldwide use social apps. By 2018 an estimated two billion messages will be sent through so-called over-the-top (OTT) apps<\/a>.<\/p>\n

By next year social messaging will play an even greater role in everyday interactions. It\u2019s all down to social messaging offering a relatively secure instant, real-time connection which is popular with millennials demanding transparency and collaboration.\u00a0 Businesses too will steadily depend on social messaging as an immediate direct communications tool - especially when dealing with overseas customers.<\/p>\n

However traditional social networking platforms like Facebook are far from being out of the picture.\u00a0 Facebook ads already lead to brand chats.\u00a0 As a result, customers are solving problems quickly and efficiently.\u00a0 Which brings me to a further prediction:\u00a0 Gazing even further ahead than 2018, I predict that eventually, Facebook will completely integrate WhatsApp (which it has owned since 2014) into a completely new exciting iteration of its service.<\/p>\n

Prediction 6: Pop-ups finally burst<\/h3>\n

Following many years of futurists predicting the definitive demise of pop-up adverts and interstitials, during 2018 more mainstream brand advertising \u2018pops\u2019 will finally burst. This move has partly been prompted by Google\u2019s initiative to penalize pop-ups on smartphone<\/a>. Perhaps penalties for desktop pop-ups will follow in 2018. Gradually, the pop-ups will be replaced by more astutely designed cross-device responsive native advertisements.\u00a0 Providing the new native advertising is transparent, with users appreciating that content is sponsored and is relevant, and campaigns are designed to minimise disruption to the user experience, 2018 is on track to be native advertising\u2019s most successful year yet.<\/p>\n

Prediction 7: Tech brands become a channel for spiritual expression<\/h3>\n

My final prediction concerns a wider aspect of professional marketing.\u00a0 Once only nerds were excited by tech brands.\u00a0 Today everyone is a potential coder.\u00a0 Rather than purely traditional written and graphic creativity delighting marketers, algorithms measuring and targeting response are supposedly just as exhilarating.\u00a0 With so much data overwhelming the senses, 2018 will see marketers turning to technology to take spiritual breathers from the day-to-day grind of spreadsheets and impossible to reach targets. Therefore between meetings with stressed out colleagues, marketers will reach for tech apps offering digital mindfulness programmes or CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Training).<\/p>\n

Ah\u2026 now breathe\u2026only three months \u2018till your new year marketing resolutions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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