Here's a look at the five top trends in marketing that picked pace in 2021 and will continue to have a strong impact in the next year too.
For marketing teams, it was yet another 365 days without a playbook. There were no familiar rules to play by. There were risks at every turn of the road. But it is safe to say that despite all this, there were some common threads through this year - some trends that picked up and held strong.
As we look back at the year gone by, here are the top trends we saw kick up quite a storm in the marketing industry in 2021 and will continue to have a great impact in the coming year too.
1. Virtual just got real with Metaverse
Google Trends show a hike in people searching for the term ‘Metaverse’ this year. On LinkedIn, more than 2700 are already using the buzzword in their profile title, headline or experience. And, from the time Facebook turned itself into a Metaverse company this year, the buzz around what can be the successor to the internet has amplified multi-fold.
Other than Facebook, brands like Nike, Gucci and Disney have already dived right into this new marketing channel, creating content, assets, and experiences. And if predictions are to be believed, this fast-emerging technology is something that marketers shouldn’t ignore.
2. OTT, the savior of 2021
Recreation continued to be predominantly online this year too and OTT platforms delivered some great content through the year. This meant that OTT continued to be a go-to channel for marketers. In fact, the festive season of the year’s last quarter is expected to see the highest spend on ads on the OTT platforms.
Not to forget, a mobile-first approach in addition to the focus on OTT platforms has been a fast and successful trend in the marketing industry this year.
3. A new channel marketers can’t ignore: Gaming
There is ongoing debate around gaming being a successful marketing channel or not, but one can’t seem to turn a blind eye to the lucrative opportunities that this segment is promising.
Like any other audience, marketers need to heavily invest in understanding the gaming community and the hidden gold mines before jump-starting on any strategy at all.
4. It is the era of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency
This list would have been incomplete had we not mentioned #Crypto, a word that everyone is either following or foreboding by now.
Cryptocurrency has finally come of age. For marketers, adoption of blockchain and crypto will be a long and winding one, but one that they cannot almost refuse to take.
Will crypto and metaverse give rise to a more decentralized Web 3.0 platform?
It is a tad bit early to say.
But in an era that seems to be headed in that direction, marketers need to stay on top of the developments in this space and be agile enough to adapt at pace.
5. Digital audio takes over
In the times of Zoom fatigue, people actively chose podcasts and music streaming channels over other digital mediums this year. From the emergence of Clubhouse to existing players strengthening their game , audio advertising occupied a major space in the marketing mix for numerous brands.
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