The marketing landscape is ever-changing, and as a savvy marketer, you have to always know what’s new. In an industry that thrives on new innovations, staying abreast of emerging trends also requires adapting to them.
In today’s digital-centric world, technology is at the forefront of many advancements that focus more on consumer behaviour and fast service delivery.
Live Streaming Taking Off Big Time
Live streaming became popular a few years ago as the old forms of media died a natural death, and people resonated with the organic feel of live streams. Streamers slowly got larger audiences gravitating to them, especially in the gaming arena.
Marketers saw this, and it was a “light bulb” moment. Even the self-titled “6 God” Drake got in on the action, appearing on Twitch streamer Ninja’s session, which expectedly blew up the numbers and broke streaming records.
Game brands have also gained an audience hitherto difficult to reach as they feature on streams. Crazy Times, one of the most popular game shows that plays on a live stream, owes some of its popularity to the streamers who would go live playing it. It’s a genius move that allows marketers to gather a host of information about their consumers in real time. The idea has worked so well that brands are paying streamers to feature their products and services on streams.
AI Creating Personalised Promotional Content
Watch a single TV advertisement from the 80s, and you realise just how far we have come. You don’t only find yourself having a problem with the picture quality but also the message and how it was delivered. It’s all changing now through AI. Companies leverage algorithms to scour data sets that tell them more about their customers.
From individual preferences to our buying habits and virtual behaviour, AI will crunch the data and churn out personalised ads. UK companies are using this information to tailor their ads to specific demographics and, even better, specific types of people. Tesco is a great example of how well AI can personalise content to your preferences.
What AI does for the supermarket chain is analyse your shopping habits and find the promos you would like. The Guardian also serves as another great example of AI in action. The news organisation can personalise content for its readers using AI, boosting engagement and keeping readers on the platform for longer.
Trend Jacking: How To Be Part of The Conversation
Video content is one of the biggest ways to reach customers, especially with TikTok’s explosion worldwide. The short videos, called “TikToks,” are watched a million times over, turning into viral trends. Trend jacking is a strategy marketers are using to tap into the conversation and get their brands some visibility.
Brands that are able to do this smartly can inject a dose of humour and a personal touch into their social media content. The trick here is to advertise without advertising.
Shifting Focus From Product to Consumer-Centric Advertising
Marketing was once all about getting brands all up in your face. Things have changed now and brands have changed tact. Most advertising now focuses on the consumer’s thoughts about the brand. Referrals, reviews, and testimonials now mean more than they used to before.
Rather than tell potential customers how good their products or services are, brands let satisfied customers do it. Potential buyers rely much more on what others who have used the product think.
Marketing is Moving The Digital Way
If it weren’t any clearer, marketing is moving into the digital space. Stakeholders are just realising how much more reach there is in the virtual world, and marketers have their hands full. Still, the move to consumer-centric advertising and personalised promotional content is one we can agree is a win for all.
