Goodbye 2013, hello Nostradamus! That’s right, it’s time for all good marketing blogs to predict the future. So here are 6 megatrends we see headed your way.
1. The Imminent Demise of the “Selfie”
Yes, we are going out on a limb here and predicting that our narcissistic culture is finally going to tire of holding up their smartphones, craning out their necks and photographing their sexiest smiles. This tectonic shift in human behavior will partially be accounted for in a pricing reduction in mobile technology. Yes, we will actually come to the point where we will again trust a perfect stranger to snap a picture of us next to the Grand Canyon and not run off with our $500 phone. The Age of Aquarius.
2. The Mass Appeal of Wearable Technology
Face it. The pocket watch crowd of the 1800s thought the wristwatch would never catch on. But they were dead wrong. This is why we predict that wearable technology––such as the Galaxy Gear–– will be the next big thing. Digital devices like smartwatches and Goggle Glass will break into the mainstream by the end of 2014. This will transform the way we read messages, listen to music and conduct research. Mark our words.
3. The Emergence of Multi-Screen Advertising
Look at how we already are multi-tasking with the multiple screens of our life. We watch a cooking show on our smart TVs, while we simultaneously search for a recipe on our smartphones. Content now transforms to fit our device of choice. Websites and email templates are rapidly embracing responsive design so content fits optimally into whatever screen that you are viewing. The next frontier is advertising content. Messages will become more connected, fluid and relevant to your programming and interests.
4. Customer Reviews Gaining Added Clout
New research from the Stanford Graduate School of Business indicates that customer reviews are weighing more heavily in the purchase decision. If a brand’s marketing messaging is out of alignment with what social media reviews are saying, the brand’s message will be quickly dismissed as just so much puffery.
5. Evolving Search Engine Marketing
The days are gone when adding a few tags to your website will push it to page one on Google. Search engine optimization is constantly shifting and ferreting out those shortcuts to organic ranking. Great design, wise coding and well-written content will be more important than every before. If you are smart, you will take your brand’s site in for a rebalancing this year.
6. Integrated Marketing for Better Results
Savvy marketing managers are expecting to see results. The days of just doing what is new and novel are over. A scatter shot approach to advertising is simply not working. If your social media program isn’t integrated to your PPC campaign and your TV campaign, chances are you will see a drop in likes and shares. If your outdoor boards and your radio spots are sending mix signals you will be feeling it in your cash register at the end of each day. Integrate your messages. Be single-minded.
It’s a brand new year and a brave new world. Make sure your business is ready for it. If you are in need of branding or social media insight give us a call at 866.642.7559. 2014, here we come.
We are a Dallas Advertising Agency specializing in integrated marketing.
