The Clapp 360 Communication team shares 13 trends they’re most looking forward to seeing in 2020.
Michael: I am hopeful that small to medium business leaders will become interested in measuring marketing spend and ROI like they do cost of goods sold or labor in driving P&L (profit and loss) performance.
Barb: I believe and hope that purpose-driven marketing will continue to be a marketing trend.
Purpose-driven companies witness higher market share gains and grow three times faster on average than their competitors, all while achieving higher workforce and customer satisfaction. A clear purpose is everything to an organization. The even better side is that good things happen for important causes when companies embrace purpose driven marketing.
Timmy: More of a fashion/home furnishing trend…This is no surprise to anyone who knows me – I hope to see a continuation of the pink color trend that started in Fall 2019! On a more serious note…The proliferation of data breaches suggests a need for the continued development of new technologies to protect client and customer information.
Karen E: I’m excited for Shoppable Posts to be the norm in 2020. This shortens the sales funnel, making it easier for users to shop and for me to get that cute top that I’ve been eyeing on Instagram😊
Karen B: I would like for 2020 to be the Year of the Customer (instead of the year of the Rat!) As it pertains to marketing, we’re already seeing a shift away from convincing people to buy a product and, instead, towards providing fantastic customer experiences. I believe that when you focus on building a positive business culture and provide great customer service, the marketing is more genuine. Referrals and positive reviews are the gold standard for new and repeat business!
Karen R: I’m interested in watching digital marketing evolve to be more data-driven. Targeting people using their demographics, geographic location, etc., could make our marketing efforts more fruitful—and cut down on the irrelevant ads and outreach we all deal with as consumers.
Carmel: As individuals and corporations become increasingly attentive to the impact they have on the environment; I’d like to see event marketing continue to include more sustainable tactics. There are many opportunities, including switching to mobile-based collateral instead of printed pieces that get thrown away or on the ground; digital ticketing systems; eliminating plastic bottles; and donating leftover food to local charities.
Leah: Getting back to what social media should be used for – less negative/controversial topics on social media!
Joe: I’m not sure it’s a marketing trend as much as a social media trend, but “cancel culture” needs to be “canceled.” The inability to listen to people with differing opinions traps us in our silos and prevents progress. There’s a reason we have two ears, but only one mouth!
Dana: Micro-influencers. These are people with a much smaller following than celebrities but a passion for their work. I love home design and follow many people on Instagram that have taken their love of design and décor and turned it into a business through sponsorships. It feels more authentic because it’s a passion turned moneymaker for them and not the other way around.
Michael V: With the abundance of marketing tools and subsequently the mountain of data and metrics they produce, I’m hopeful businesses seek mastery over the metrics that matter to their business. It’s easy to report vanity metrics like impressions, reach and clicks but how does it all tie into furthering the company’s mission? To its bottom line? The businesses that know what to measure are the ones that know what to change.
Brittany: I’m really interested in seeing how visual and voice search evolve!
Erika: I would love to see more insight-based and meaningful digital marketing. There is so much internet clutter out there and sometimes content is created without true thought into what the audience sees on their feeds. As a viewer myself, I love when creators and brands create content that truly speaks to me.
