If there is one thing that brand managers and marketers constantly worry about, it is being able to curate and smartly control marketing campaigns. As the digital landscape gets increasingly competitive and consumer journeys get increasingly complex, discovering timely and unique audience insights and optimizing performance across the entire purchase journey is key to engaging with audiences more effectively.
But keeping up with today’s fast-changing consumer and digital landscape and building relevant messaging for ages requires brands to stay abreast with the latest advertising trends. That will help them efficiently manage coordinated omnichannel campaigns, fuel creative management, and target customers seamlessly.
After all, businesses that adapt to emerging trends are the ones to come out ahead by making a mark first, while those that fail to accommodate these trends often fade into the background. Here’s looking at the trends brands and markets should be aware of for 2022:
Trends in programmatic
With US digital ad spending surpassing the $200 billion mark by 2022, the innovations in programmatic advertising are crucial to delivering bang for the buck. As the technology soars to new and exciting heights, the coming year will find brands –
- Embed programmatic advertising as an integral part of their marketing mix, reach customers in new and innovative ways, and drive more valuable conversions, programmatic advertising
- Increase programmatic advertising spend across mobile, video, and connected TVs and set the stage for an efficient, data-driven way of attracting highly relevant audiences at scale even in the face of extreme competition.
- Drive extreme focus on embracing the latest programmatic trends while protecting user privacy – especially as Google and other browsers look to phase out third-party cookies – thus impacting how brands track, pursue and engage with customers.
Trends in data
Data (and the different ways to analyze it) will continue to be of prime importance for brands looking to make their mark in the digital marketing landscape. For instance, in the coming year,
- Artificial Intelligence will increasingly be integrated into SEO, social media, and other digital marketing strategies. The technology, set to reach a $62 billion market in 2022, will help businesses formulate targeted digital strategies to attract and retain customers; it will also enable marketers to forecast audience needs to produce precise extrapolations for demand.
- More and more businesses will rely on machine learning tools for process automation, content planning, and campaign optimization to improve engagements, conversions, and satisfaction.
- Language modeling will become an integral part of marketing strategies, enabling machines to communicate with consumers in a language they understand and hold conversations indistinguishable from humans.
- Brands will increasingly rely on edge computing technology to facilitate quick, cognitive analysis of crucial customer data as and when they move across geo-fences, especially in situations where time and bandwidth are of the essence.
Trends in customer behavior
With consumer behavior constantly evolving, especially in the face of uncertainty caused by the pandemic, brands have to continually deliver the right content at the right time and place. As consumers become incredibly wary of the brands they choose to interact with, and as they put guardrails on their spending, in 2022,
- Brands will have to bridge the divide between the physical and digital and offer seamless and consistent omnichannel experiences – regardless of what device they are using, which channel they are on, or where they are in the purchasing journey.
- AR and VR technologies will find a permanent spot in digital marketing strategies, enabling customers to step into a virtual world of magical experiences and initiate better and stronger relationships and conversions.
- Brands will also have to cater to the passive shopper, who can constantly be delivered targeted ads and suggestions as they scroll through online sites and social media channels – to engage engagement and conversion.
With the holiday season in full swing worldwide, and the new year on its way, the opportunities brands have to drive excellence are aplenty. As consumer expectations reach an all-time high, the competition gets intense, and new technologies constantly emerge. Keeping an eye on the latest trends in advertising and marketing is critical to effectively plan for the coming year and remain agile in a rapidly changing world. Are you ready to get ahead of the curve and equipped to ring in the new year?
