MARKETING
4 MARKETING TRENDS THAT WILL LIVE BEYOND COVID-19
By Chrissey Breault
We ’ ve all had to make changes over the past few months as we adjust to life with COVID-19 in it . We ’ ve changed our habits and adopted new technologies for work and life at home . Our circles of influence have shifted , and , in many cases , so have our priorities .
Many of us are watching those consumer behaviors closely and looking at the short- and long-term implications of those changes as we seek to create meaningful returns on our marketing dollars .
For thousands of brands , the disruptions caused by COVID-19 are seismic . There are an unprecedented demand and growth opportunity for some , and for others , there ’ s a real and raw struggle for survival .
Yet , as we look at the big picture , some common trends emerge amid the stay-at-home , or social distancing , economy .
Here are some of the most prominent marketing trends that are expected to become leading tactics for 2021 , and some insights into why each will earn their right to become a mainstay in your 2021 tool kit .
FOUR EMERGING TRENDS THAT SIGNAL THE MARKETING OF THE NOW .
1 . Marketers are adjusting with unprecedented speed and agility .
2 . They ’ re grounding their messaging in shared brand values .
3 . They are doubling down on immersive experiences through augmented reality ( AR ) and virtual reality ( VR ).
4 . Improving mobile shopping experience has become a priority .
Frankly , none of these trends are coming out of the left field . We all know that COVID-19 is accelerating behavior trends that were already in motion . The pandemic ’ s disruption is bringing each of these trends into the “ here and now ” faster than anyone predicted .
1 . SPEED AND AGILITY Adjusting and adapting are not new concepts to marketing teams . However , this year , marketers have pulled out all the stops , showing an unprecedented agility level that might be marketers ’ best superpower yet .
Not only have brands adjusted their marketing playbook , but they ’ ve also already had to re-write their messaging several times over to meet the changing times . While stay-at-home orders have hampered typical production methods , that ’ s not stopping the creative process . Brands have stepped up to develop all-new creative assets in turnkey order , without their usual teams and “ normal ” production processes .
Check out these three speedy production techniques that are getting results .
• USER-GENERATED CONTENT : When COVID-19 hit , many campaigns were already planned and ready to run . Several brands had to shelve their plans altogether and instead turn to user-generated content to create authentic and meaningful connections in real-time with their customers .
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