Category Archives: trends

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The 10 Ways Marketing Will Change In 2016: Part 2

In part one of this series, we took a look at the first five predictions for changes to marketing trends in 2016. Many of our first half of the list focused on changes in tone of voice and public perception approach, let’s check out some other angles in the next five:

6) Managing your entire marketing cycle will be cheaper and simpler

As so many new companies have sprung up on online, the demand for awesome business to business software as a service (B2B SaaS) products has skyrocketed. Platforms like Hubspot, Kissmetrics, Intercom, and more have sprouted up to help manage campaigns, test conversions, schedule content, and more.

This innovation will only get more competitive and result in better platforms and tools for brands. More than a few brands in 2015 likely saved themselves a boatload of money by using such tools to bring their marketing efforts in-house.

7) Advertising and branding agencies will change

Let’s be honest, this one has been happening for a few years, but we’re really going to start seeing the dinosaurs die out in 2016. Agencies who are still only working with legacy brands, betting on them not bringing in fresh blood who want to expand beyond traditional advertising, or who want to simply ‘service’ social media and new communication platforms to appease clients rather than to actually innovate, are going to have trouble.

8) Consultants will have to get more clever

In the same way that agencies will have to adapt or die, those proclaiming to be experts or gurus who can do branding on a freelance basis will have to expand their skillset. For the most part, such people are driven to stay up to date and won’t have a problem with this.

That said, there will no doubt be those who struggle to adapt and want to keep on writing the same types of sales pages and pitching the same type of creative to their clients. As these wane in effectiveness, so will their businesses.

9) Wearable format

In 2016, wearable devices like the Apple Watch (and whatever gets rolled out in the next few months) will probably move from fringe and toward mainstream. With mass adoption comes mass opportunity, so brands will need to look into how they can get themselves in front of users of these devices in a native format.

Native means working within screen size restrictions, limited app offerings, and forming partnerships with companies who have some hold in relevant markets.

10) Smart automation

As time saving and automation tools become more prevalent, brands will develop best practices for automating their marketing process. Please note: this does not necessarily mean automating everything you can.

In fact, some of the strongest brands are able to pick out situations where automation can still be genuine while saving time, and then also hone in on areas where interaction should be kept more authentic and manual. Perhaps even a new meta market of products who help brands identify which parts of their process they should automate will even arise.

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4 Disruptive Trends to Watch Out for in the second half of 2015

There are certain events that happen in marketing that change the face of the way business is conducted forever.

For example, in 2004 who could have guessed that a software program invented by a geeky undergraduate in a Harvard University dorm room designed to make it easier to meet girls would have such a profound effect on the way people communicate with each other in the 21st Century? Yet Facebook has done exactly that.

Or flash back to 2007, when Apple co-founder Steve Jobs introduced a new gadget that he promised would alter the way people not only used the telephone, but accessed the Internet, shopped for the products and services they wanted, and were entertained. He was right: Today the iPhone and its imitators are used all day every day by billions of people worldwide.

 

Identifying Disruptors

Facebook, the iPhone and other game-changing developments are what are known as disruptors. They change the rules, alter behavior, and shake the very foundations of the marketplace. Once these genies are let out of their respective bottles, it’s practically impossible to imagine a world without them.

Knowing how to spot disruptors before they come onto the scene is a skill that needs to be developed. Some of these advancements occur organically and unexpectedly, as was the case of Facebook. I doubt that even Mark Zuckerberg knew what he had when he developed the social media platform’s prototype between classes at Harvard.

Others are developed in secret, under tight security. That’s how the iPhone was able to take the world – and especially techies – by surprise (and capture such an enormous market share of the mobile industry). Nobody saw it coming.

 

4 Potential Disruptors

While nobody knows for sure which new technology or software is going to turn the world upside down, it’s possible to take an educated guess. Here are four potential disruptors to watch in the coming year and beyond:

Wearable Technology – People laughed when Google Glass was first introduced in 2012 as a prototype. But in the ensuing years, wearable technology has become cutting edge. Apple has responded with its iWatch, and is rumored to be developing even further tech devices that can be worn while used. And businesses and industries are now adjusting to their workers wearing their web access devices while on the job in the same way they were forced to deal with employees bringing their cell phones to work in the late 1990s.

Driverless Vehicles – The technology for driverless cars and other vehicles has existed for many years. Using GPS, radar, laser-guided cameras and other devices, cars, trucks, taxis and even forklifts can now move more safely and efficiently that those driven by humans. But the automobile industry and others are justifiably concerned about consumer pushback to such technologies. That’s why they are slowly introducing the concept to the public through such things as cars that can parallel park themselves, cars with 360-degree cameras, auto-braking and collision deterrent devices.

Digital Money – Right now, there is a battle going on for control of your virtual wallet. Some companies like PayPal and Google Wallet are winning while others, like BitCoin, are failing. But eventually, safe, hassle-free digital commerce will replace the inconvenience of carrying cash and payments from your smart phone or other device will be universally accepted.

Streaming Media Content – Consumers have spoken. They prefer the convenience of watching the movies and programming they prefer via streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon to being tied to network or cable TV schedules. The industry observers who have been predicting the fall of the networks for years are now adding cable and satellite providers to the list of potential victims.