Marketing & Strategy: Trends for 2022 and beyond
The marketing landscape is, as always, in a state of flux. Last year's most important trends have not even matured yet and everyone is already jumping on the latest hype bandwagon. So which developments are really fundamental?
What do you really need to take into account when drawing up and fine-tuning your marketing strategy?
We have done our research and compiled a list of the trends we want to consider for ourselves and our customers in 2022. And so for you too.
What is fundamentally changing in the field of marketing? TL; DR:
At the core we see that - although it is important that your marketing is data-driven - it is hugely important how you deal with that data exactly. We see that Purpose and Social Responsibility are demanding more attention again.
And we see that the shift in content and UX continues from text to snackable video, and towards VR and AR experiences - also as a result of the broad social developments of recent years. Finally, the most important aspect is something that in BAMMBOO's vision is at the top of the list anyway:
Creating real value for real people. With a focus on purpose, humanity, and a paradigm shift from the marketing funnel to the marketing circle. Let's go.
These are the trends we have identified as the most important for sustainable growth in 2022 and beyond:
People want to connect with human brands that stand for something and care about something. The way to approach Purpose-driven brand building is always holistic and from the inside out. This trend has been around for at least ten years was of fundamental importance at the timebut the developments of the last two years in particular have brought it back to the top of the priority list.
Why is Purpose so important? Because it matters to consumers. Research by Deloitte shows that - although price and quality are still very important - it's other criteria that make the difference in today's market. And Purpose, responsibility and diversity are the main ones.
Corporate Social Responsibility and DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) are logical extensions of the higher purpose of your brand.
Corporate Responsibility and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion more important than ever
Deloitte's Global Marketing Trends report 2022 shows that 57% of consumers worldwide indicate that they are more loyal to brands that are dedicated to addressing social inequality. And it's not just social inequality, a commitment to protecting the environment - which is logical from the perspective of your brand, core values and core business - is also highly valued by consumers.
The developments around Black Lives Matter and #MeToo in 2020, and the corona crisis and all the developments around policies, restrictions and their consequences in 2021, have made all of this even more acute. Interest in buying from responsible brands has arguably strengthened during 2020 and 2021.
Purpose, Corporate Responsibility and Inclusivity will be critical factors for success in your social media communications . In 2022 and beyond, brands will have to listen and respond to the social issues that matter most to their audience.
Operationalising Purpose, CSR and DEI
What does it look like to invest in this? And how do you go about it? The Gobal Marketing Trends report by Deloitte describes it as follows:
"High-growth brands are placing a strong emphasis on accountability - with 93% of these organisations reporting that they have established Key Performance Metrics to operationalise their Purpose statement. Such metrics include, for example, product portfolio (50%); diversity, equity, & inclusion (47%); and employee performance appraisal cycle (44%)."
The ROI of Purpose
A clear sense of a higher purpose and/or your individual relationship with and contribution to such a higher purpose provide untold benefits in terms of health, perceived happiness and - not unimportantly - employee or customer loyalty to your business. This is invaluable at a time when working remotely is causing employees to lose touch with their organisations.
Purpose-driven brands grow three times as fast in market share as their competitors, while also significantly increasing customer and employee satisfaction.
Illustrative examples
The Body Shop is a well-known example of an organisation that puts its Purpose first. Their Purpose Statement:
The company not only wants to change the ingredients in their products, they also want to make a big impact on society by "enriching their people, their products and the planet". They not only set themselves high goals, but also make themselves accountable by sharing these goals publicly.
Axe is another well-known example, with a mission statement: "To help guys celebrate their individuality and be as attractive as they can be."
Axe found out through research that 72% of men have heard how "a real man is supposed to behave", which led to huge Google searches asking "Is it ok for guys to...". In response, Axe reassured their audience and encouraged guys to be themselves with their "Find Your Magic" campaign.
Tracking pixels will be dead soon. What does this mean for your marketing strategy and tactics?
Why is it important to prepare for a cookie-free future? In 2021, an Apple IOS launch made it possible for IPhone and IPad users to control which apps could track their third-party data, which is often used for hyper-targeted ads.
In 2022, Apple will roll out a new IOS update with additional email privacy protection features for Apple Mail users. At the same time, Google will end the use of third-party cookies on Chrome.
Meanwhile, the awareness among consumers of the use and safety of their data is also growing. Deloitte also sees this as an important trend for (digital) marketing in 2022. "Consumers expect more personal and tailored experiences, but at the same time are more wary about how their data is collected and used".
How do you tackle this, and what does it look like when you do? You can read that in the next, closely related section.
How do you show responsibility in the way you handle data?
One question we advise marketers to ask themselves is: do you really need all those cookies? The bottom line is that when you use people's data, make sure it's personal - but not creepy. And that you only do it if and when it really adds value and is relevant.
Listen in this BNR podcast How Tweakers makes sure that 69% of the people who actively use an ad blocker, turn it off when visiting the when visiting the Tweakers platform.
How do you find out where and when data collection and analysis adds value for your target group? You actually do this by applying growth hacking in small scale: by experimenting and actually entering into a dialogue with your (target) groups. What works for your target group? Which cookies really add something to your campaigns?
Read more about what Growth Hacking is all about in this article.
When it comes to marketing technology, AI-generated content is the future: you'd better be prepared for it.
Why is it important to play with AI-generated content? Because many other marketers are already using it. But also because - if we extrapolate the current usage - we can predict that already in 2022, 37% of all online content will be produced by or with the help of AI. This means that, even now, you and your (content) marketing team are competing against marketers who are empowering themselves with AI.
AI is already being used in the marketing field for:
What does it look like when you use AI for content creation? In general, the key is to find the right combination of the scalability and speed at which AI can create content, and the human ability to be critical and creative. To get an idea, check out this article, created in 30 minutes using StoryLab.ai.
The developments of the past one and a half years have, among other things, caused consumers to have higher expectations of online content, and their tastes and preferences have shifted. TikTok is not a fleeting fad, but the exponent of a fundamental shift that will have an effect in the longer term. How do you deal with this?
HubSpot's Social Media Trend Report makes no bones about it:
TikTok and the ephemeral, quick way of consuming content it is known for are "here to stay". TikTok is the first non-Facebook (Meta) app to reach three billion downloads by 2021. You read that right, three billion. Other platforms, like Instagram, are adapting to stay relevant. How does your brand respond?
Why is it important to experiment with "short, snackable" video content? Because consumers appreciate it, and so do social media algorithms. Videos on Instagram, for example, get 21.2% more interactions than single images and even 18.6% more than carousel posts.
Users prefer live video
Do you want to increase the engagement on your posts and the bond with your brand even more? Then you might want to look into (Instagram) Live Video specifically. When it comes to online content, 80% of users who follow brands prefer watching live video to reading a blog. A LiveStream study also found that 82% of people would rather watch a live video than a static post on social media.
Permanent video content
Volatilecontent - which often remains published for 24 hours before disappearing - will remain highly effective for the foreseeable future. However, brands are now seeing that permanent social media content such as standard posts and videos that stay on your feed may be more effective within their marketing campaigns.
Results from HubSpot research show that 44% of marketers worldwide plan to invest more in permanent content on social media, while 8% say it provides the most ROI compared to other marketing strategies they deploy.
The best of both worlds
As a marketer, do you have to choose between ephemeral, live content and long-lasting, permanent posts? Certainly not. If you haven't done so already, experiment with live video content, but make sure you save and reuse it - for example, as permanent content in your feed.
This gives you the best of both worlds: the added layer of excitement and instant connection of witnessing a moment live, and the high ROI of content that can be watched and shared again days and even weeks later.
View this article to see how brands like AirBnB make smart use of the possibilities of Instagram Live.
Do not underestimate the power of SEO and optimise for Voice Search and direct questions.
Why is it important to keep investing in SEO? That's simple: because written text works. That's obvious; just look at how long you've been reading.
Also in the "age of video marketing" , 48% of companies with a content marketing strategy blog, 56% of marketers who use blogging say it is effective and 10% say it is the content type that generates the greatest ROI.
A recent survey of consumers found that that most consumers read a blog several times a week and have bought something from a brand and have bought something from a brand after reading an article by the company.
For the findability of your videos online and especially on Youtube, and to be able to respond to the growing amount of voice search these days, it is important to make sure you have your SEO in order.
How should you invest in SEO for voice search?
By now you have probably used one of the many virtual assistants, such as Siri, Alexa or Google's virtual assistant.
These digital assistants do not only answer short, informative questions such as "Who is that actor in Mission: Impossible?" or "What is the weather like in Rotterdam today?". They also increasingly process local, conversational and customised searches. These can include queries such as "Where is a coffee shop near where I can work today?", "What time do they open?", and "Do they serve latte macchiato frappuccino with almond milk?".
Because of the way people are using voice search, companies need to respond and change the way they frame information. So how do you do it? Instead of complying with Google's manual search algorithm, you should start optimising your content by basing it on questions.
Hybrid life, hybrid work, and hybrid events are the future - get ready for the metaverse.
Life is shifting in a - sometimes somewhat confusing - hybrid way between online and offline. In 2022, we expect to see more hybrid marketing tactics where audiences can still embrace virtual events and conferences in addition to or in combination with physical ones.
In 2021, 35% of marketers used AR or VR in their strategies. Of these marketers, 42% plan to increase their investment in 2022.
Do you remember Pokémon Go?
VR and AR are already playing a role in your life. Ever watched a 360° video on Facebook? That's VR. And IKEA's IKEA PLACE app, which lets you visualise virtual furniture in your real room? That's AR in action.
Metaversa will become the new place to connect with your audience
What will the future of the Internet look like? The biggest platforms (and no, that's not just Meta/Facebook) have already started to visualise it: an interactive community of users who can connect with each other in a wide range of social activities, both online and virutally, as well as in Augmented Reality.
In 2022, it will be time for brands and businesses to take a look at the Metaverse. Read about what the Metaverse can do for business here.
From funnels of downloads to mini-offers, from mass to Account Based Marketing, and the paradigm shift from the Marketing Funnel to the Marketing Cycle.
Finally, a fundamental change in how marketers look at their marketing strategy. The vision is becoming more of a look at the bigger picture, and more sustainable. With a shift away from general funnels and campaigns and a one-off handover of leads to sales, towards more focused Account Based Marketing (ABM). ABM, of course, necessitates closer collaboration with sales.
We also see a shift from funnels that are mainly focused on downloads (and the necessary lead generation forms) to funnels that are focused on one or a series of mini-offers that really deliver value. Think for example of a video masterclass, followed by a free mini-course via e-mail, followed by a reduced (but paid) version of your full service.
The shift from Funnel to Circle
The marketing funnel is old news, claims HubSpot, with the introduction of the conceptual model of the marketing process in the shape of a circle, the "Flywheel". The flywheel - and a subsequent focus on service - aims to replace the one-way funnel, and according to HubSpot, lives at the centre of many inbound marketing strategies.
As you can see in the diagram above, this new way of looking at the marketing process means that we will see (content) marketing much more as it should be: a circular process with a focus on the customer. Whereby that focus does not disappear the moment a customer becomes a prospect.
Growth Hacking and Marketing as a Continuous Process
We at BAMMBOO get excited about this shift that HubSpot is naming, as it is completely in line with our own vision of Growth Hacking as a circular process of continuous value creation, with customer value at its centre. Read more about our vision and approach in this article, and learn how growth should be a continuous interaction between marketing, sales, and product - and of course the actual customer itself.
We hope that this list has not only inspired you with all the beauty and news that shines, but has also really got you thinking and moving. Do you want to know more about how you can use Marketing, in the context of Growth Hacking, as a driver for sustainable growth and continuous value creation? Or how we can help you incorporate the most important marketing trends into the marketing strategy for your company in a sustainable way?
Please contact our Director of Sales, Thierry de Vries.
