We’ve spent the last year collaborating with our clients on projects of all sizes and scope and gleaned some knowledge to impart from the creative minds that makes Consociate Media tick. What will impact marketing in 2024? Glad you asked!
- Cause-based marketing certainly isn’t a new idea, but increasingly, companies are realizing that while delivering a quality product is important, it’s imperative to showcase how you contribute to a healthier world and your own community. Cause-based marketing involves a collaboration between a for-profit business and a nonprofit organization for a common benefit. At Consociate Media, we’re seeing these successful partnerships among our clients — Phillips Energy, for example, designated VersAbility Resources as its recipient for Giving Tuesday.
- Don’t dismiss and villainize AI — artificial intelligence. If companies don’t view AI as an asset, they’re missing out on a truly valuable tool. We suspect more marketing firms will embrace AI moving forward to help with tasks that lends itself to that technology. Effectively using AI leaves more time for the creative energy needed to focus on the distinguishing elements of a campaign or project — brainwork that Chatbot isn’t capable of achieving. You can’t replace the brain with a bot. Think of it this way —the microwave dinner didn’t replace dinner. Microwave Salisbury steak works in a pinch. It doesn’t replace smoked ribs, homemade turkey and dressing or a pizza from a wood-fired grill.
- Authenticity remains king. When your kid comes home to tell you she should be able to do something because Sally is doing it, the natural response is, “I don’t care what Sally is doing, you’re my child …..” Well, what if Sally had 3.5 million followers? Maybe Sally has a point after all! But follower count is just one measure in an age where we can buy followers. What you can’t buy is authentic engagement, the fact that more and more micro and nano influencers affect purchasing decisions. We trust with suspicion today. It’s easier to give our trust to someone who is not affiliated with a conglomerate, a person whose passion and taste are relatable to us rather than somebody getting rich by passing along a commercial message.
- SMS or short social messages will continue to surge in popularity. These snappy snippets create brand loyalty and buy-in when used efficiently. Many customers like to engage with brands that play a role in improving their lives and their overall wellness. At the same time, almost nobody wants to be inundated with a string of gimmicky texts from the same company on a daily basis. Finding balance will be key moving forward as will opening up the lines to two-way conversation and incentivizing customers past initial signup. Expect customer service to move toward using more SMS.
- Bring on the user generated content! Users at home interacting with products doesn’t need fancy production to move the needle. Authenticity sells. No filters. Honesty trumps polish. The refreshingly simple resonates over the digitally savvy. That means less pressure on brands to treat social media as an art piece. In today’s high tech world of AI, unlimited tools and fancy filters, embracing documenting over creating is a valuable strategy.
And while this isn’t a trend, we leave you with a wisdom that doesn’t change with the times. Connect more. Not over Zoom. Not with your phone. Not on social. Sit down and set the phone aside. We shared more than homemade soup and Christmas cookies sitting around the table at Consociate Media earlier this week. We enjoyed each other. We remembered. We laughed and we celebrated the magic that happens when the only agenda is to make the most of the moment and instead of thinking about what’s next. Enjoy what is!