2021 is already here. We have not experienced a significant shift that everyone dreamed of. But it does not mean that the new year will be steady and predictable. Quite the opposite, marketers are gearing up for an evolution and changes that are about to come. Therefore, we have gathered marketing expertise from our member agencies and narrowed it down to key trends from a local European perspective.
1. Covid 19 – the impact in 2021
In March 2020, we all thought that COVID would keep us at homes only temporarily. Nothing could be further from the truth. A lot of companies had to reinvent themselves to offer their customers a similar online experience. Vaccines are now available, but we will still feel the impact of the COVID crisis in 2021. Companies were forced to shift towards online. But such processes take time. According to Dall experts, this transition will continue and accelerate the digital transformation we have been in. More and more companies, even small businesses, do not want to miss out on potential clients. The offline to online business transformation will be combined with further exploration of online marketing channels and strengthening of a visual identity in the face of growing competition.
2. Post-Third-Party Cookie Era
For over 20 years, cookies have been the basis of online advertising. Thanks to their use, marketers can precisely target an advertising message, using sophisticated segmentation, and effectively reach users based on their interests or online behavior. After the new GDPR standards entered into force in 2018, the European Commission has recently introduced new regulations including the “Digital Services Act” and the “Digital Market Act”, which will come into force in the coming years. There is no escaping it. Safari, Firefox, and then Chrome will block third-party cookies. The “cookieless future” is, without a doubt, one of the biggest challenge for marketers. It is crucial to prepare a strategic, holistic approach to embrace change. At Dall, we are constantly monitoring the situation and gathering knowledge, so stay tuned for more on the topic!
3. Google as an Answer Machine
In the difficult and uncertain time of the pandemic, it was Google that was helping us to find ourselves in the so-called “new reality”. Hence it has transformed from a search engine to an “answer machine”. This goes beyond COVID-related topics. In general, users no longer have the patience to browse through numerous search results. They want to know at that very moment. Soon, websites will be just one part of a formula that Google will use to directly provide the best response to a user’s request. For this reason, a content strategy focusing on the quality and diversity of content should be prioritized.
4. Social Commerce
The value of the Social Media market is constantly growing. It is essential to keep abreast of all e-commerce opportunities offered by social media, such as Facebook Shops, and look out for news on this topic. Brands will be searching for new places to reach consumers, also for cost-effective reasons. Movements on the market are already visible, aimed at activating new players on the online market as soon as possible. Instagram has just offered its users the Store option, and Facebook is trying to deal with the image of a marketplace dedicated to used items. Shoppable posts allow users to complete their purchases without leaving the app. All key players like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, and now TikTok will most likely scale their e-commerce presence up.
5. Predictive Analytics & Automation Advertising
In this rapidly changing world, the information glut and big data make it impossible for marketers to approach a customer journey without automated solutions. Thanks to machine learning and AI, we can combine historic and new data to predict consumer behavior. A combination of prediction marketing and automation advertising facilitates selecting your target audience and reaching it with a proper message at the right time. Everything points to the fact that any day now these automation and prediction technologies will become new advertising standards.
This list of new and upcoming trends is of course much wider, and we are expecting even more to come! After unprecedented 2020, 2021 will be a fascinating year. One thing for sure, the digital transformation will continue accelerating new trends and movements, and we should be prepared for new challenges that are about to come!
Special thanks for co-creating this material goes to: Universem, Bluerank, Traffic Builders, and Sleeping Giant agencies!
