Word of the Year: Hybrid. Here Are the New Expectations for Marketers in 2022
The already constantly-in-motion world of marketing is about to see some new shifts in the coming year. Advertisers will need to adapt to the expectations of hybridized audiences in order to stay afloat.
Virtual Reality
It has been two years of adapting to unprecedented circumstances. Moving anything and everything to a virtual space has been the biggest transition of them all. Now that mandates are relaxing, most businesses are able to get back into an office. That being said, while everyone is eager to get back to normal, the ease and comfort of remote work has grown in appeal. The digital experience has been relatively normalized, so audiences expect, at least, the option of virtual interaction – the spark of “hybrid.”
Audiences are not quite ready to give up the convenience of live streaming and video conferencing. Not to say there won’t be a demand for in-person events eventually, but it’s wise for marketers to stay accessible to their audience moving forward. So, keep the Zoom calls a ready option for customers who prefer the comfort of their own home.
The combination of the last two years with the younger generation normalizing smartphones has created a trend of mobile commerce. In 2020, Mobile commerce accounted for more than $314 billion (AdTaxi) and there are no signs of slowing. Now brands have to be aware of their image on both a computer and a cell phone. That means mobile-friendly websites as well as paid search and site retargeting ads. 80% of shoppers have found themselves shopping more on their handheld device (Forbes) – take note, advertisers!
Content Creation
Online success is almost entirely dependent on the type of content being produced, and what an audience wants to see is changing! Our advice: ditch the hard-sell strategies and aim for content that is engaging and appealing to the youthful eye. That means consistency in promotion, involving the audience through sharing and commenting features, and information that prioritizes an audience’s needs over a sales message. It may require more effort and more creativity, but it keeps returning customers loyal and new ones intrigued. Customers nowadays can smell the inauthenticity in old-age monthly sales promotions, so try something more inviting!
Ethics is the New Salesman
Since the initial outbreak in 2020, audiences have looked to brands for how they would respond. There are higher expectations for marketing teams and a newfound sense of social responsibility. The past two years, 85% of U.S. consumers have reported feeling the way brands behaved during the outbreak would “affect their desire to do business with those companies in the future” (Growth From Knowledge). In order to ensure customer loyalty, messages of empathy and sensitivity are recommended. Over one-third of global consumers have said that they have started using a new brand because of the innovative or compassionate way that it has responded (Edelman). So, audiences are not only looking at what products a brand is selling, but, of equal importance, what a brand stands for.
Sources:
https://www.edelman.com/research/covid-19-brand-trust-report
https://www.gfk.com/en-us/podcast/episode-9-consumer-pulse-study
