Lest you think it is too early to start thinking about your 2019 marketing strategy, you couldn’t be more wrong. Technology is rapidly changing how companies market their products and services. The sooner you realize the marketing landscape is changing, the sooner you can prepare for the future of marketing. If you want help developing your brand marketing strategy for 2019, following are seven trends you should be tracking.
Blockchain
Blockchain technology will cause one of the most dramatic shifts in marketing in 2019. Brands not prepared for the decentralization of everything from payments to the procurement of talent will be left wondering what happened to their business’ stable revenues. The sooner you immerse yourself in the basics of blockchain and understand its impact on the future of commerce, the sooner you can start to develop a blockchain marketing strategy for your company.
Facebook Backlash
There is growing backlash against Facebook and their embracing/enabling of the Trump campaign. Not only did Mark Zuckerberg secretly call Donald Trump to congratulate him on his presidency, but he has also recently acknowledged he thinks it is okay to not stop Holocaust deniers from promoting their content on Facebook. With a growing backlash against Facebook as a technology platform, brands would be well advised to start thinking about their Facebook marketing strategy. While there may not be a mass exodus of advertisers from Facebook, there is growing concern over the caliber of consumers brands are engaging with on Facebook and whether contributing to Facebook growth is an ethically wise choice.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence exploded in popularity in 2018 and will continue to do so in 2019. From AI-powered automation algorithms to AI-powered image recognition, artificial intelligence is massively influencing marketing. If you want to get out ahead of your business’ competitors, doubling down on artificial intelligence as a central component of your marketing strategy is a smart move.
Augmented Reality Experiential Marketing
Augmented reality will continue to be a hot 2019 marketing trend. As smartphones and virtual reality headsets become better enabled to showcase high-end AR graphics, brands will flock to augmented reality to up their consumer engagement rates. Exploring augmented reality mobile apps is an excellent way to dip your toes in the AR marketing pool and discover ways you can connect with your target audience. Something as simple as conducting a Twitter search for the hashtag #ARKit will expose you to the wonderful world of mobile-enabled augmented reality.
Fake News Gives Way to Fake Reviews
The term ‘fake news’ has become part of modern society’s terminology. Unfortunately, fake news is influencing more than just the journalism sector. Fake reviews and bogus testimonials are part of marketing, and the sooner brands realize this trend, the sooner they can guard their business against it. Platforms like Fiverr and UpWork are breeding grounds for fake reviews, both with writers offering on-demand fake reviews and companies looking for fake testimonials for their company. This influx of bogus brand reviews is leading consumers to distrust testimonials entirely. In 2019, companies will need to develop a strategy to ensure consumers know their brand’s reviews are authentic and that their business is worthy of consumer trust.
Data-Enabled Marketing
Check employment search engines like Glassdoor and Indeed and you will find a growing number of data analysis jobs for marketers. From marketing research analysts to social media data analysts, the number of employment opportunities for data scientists within the marketing sector is exploding. Expect this trend to continue in 2019 as more brands begin to realize the significant return-on-investment they can achieve by integrating hard data into their marketing outreach efforts.
dApp Marketing
Where mobile app marketing used to be the must-have outreach method for brands, dApp marketing is beginning to gain traction. Distributed apps are currently a hot trend within the gaming and crypto-collectible sector, but their popularity is expected to extend to the business/enterprise sector soon. As more companies realize the potential of connecting with consumers via a distributed app instead of a basic mobile app on iTunes or Google Play, there will be a landslide of activity as developers rush to meet the need.
Understanding the transformation of the marketing landscape is critical for companies wanting to get out ahead of these changes. Whether it is through decentralized blockchain technology or growing interest in technologies like augmented reality and artificial intelligence, how companies market their wares in the future is changing. Discuss the above-listed trends with your team so you can start developing a brand development plan-of-action before 2018 draws to a close.
