On Trend Marketing – The Hotlist mid 2022

If you’re in marketing, and you’re not sure what the Forbes Agency Council is, then let us enlighten you. For this band of saucy souls is made up of respected leaders in PR, media, creative, and ad agencies, selected because of the depth and diversity of their industry experience. So, you’d better give your undivided attention to what they have to say, because we’re not kidding around here – their advice is golden.

Recently they’ve been spilling the beans on the 15 Key Marketing Trends Brands Need To Take Note Of In 2022, and we’ve made a shortlist of the word on the street from those in the know.

First off the starting blocks is Jeremy Fain of Cognitiv, who talks about the use of artificial intelligence. He’s adamant that AI “can be a powerful and accessible component in a marketer’s toolbox”. What Jeremy’s really focused on is how it’s about to hit boom-time in boosting one-to-one marketing capabilities. “Empowered by meaningfully workable AI – it is bound to become increasingly achievable throughout 2022.” We 100% agree, and can’t wait to see what those tech gurus are going to throw our way.

Next up is the excitement surrounding our now familiar bud, the metaverse. We joined the party way back in January, but if you’re still not up to speed on it, grandad, then hear all about it in our previous blog post. Rodolfo Salazar of QUDOX is also keen on the opportunities and new audiences that the metaverse is going to create for businesses and marketing. Rodolfo is a firm believer, and points out something that we’ve long suspected. “This is the new frontier – the hard-drive gold rush is here, and while the stakes are high, the barriers to entry are still low.” So, hitch up your wagon, and head West!

Meanwhile, Mae Karwowski of Obviously (cute url, btw) reminds us about collaborating with creators for the long term on platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. She believes that sustaining these relationships is essential for building and keeping brand awareness: “With privacy changes shifting the marketing landscape, brands need those strong relationships with brand ambassadors now more than ever in order to ensure organic content is landing in front of target demographics.”

Leading on from this, Megan Devine of the d.trio marketing group cautions us about doing our research before getting a brand attached to just any old trend. “Brands should be aware of and educated on current trends and do their homework to find out if a certain trend is right for their audience(s) or not.” Wise words – don’t waste your brand’s time like a teenager on TikTok if your audience would rather tread in doggy doo than adopt the latest craze.

Our last pearl comes from Sun Yi of Night Owls. With a length of attention span that’s been cultivated by our collective addiction to TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, audiences say adios if you don’t hook ’em within three teeny seconds. To keep their attention until the payoff at the end, micro stories are the way to go.

These are all conundrums for marketing, and ingenuity blended with creativity are the order of the day. If you’ve got it, and you’ve got it in spades, then we’d love to chat. Please call Hannah Lawry or one of her crew about some super bright opportunities for the bold and the brave.