The marketing industry is ever changing, trends are constantly evolving, it can be
difficult to keep up. Nobody knows for sure what the marketing industry will look like years
from now, or even a few months from now, however we can delve into the marketing trends that
currently dominate the industry. These trends will likely evolve into even new tactics that we
will constantly have to adapt to. There is no time for stagnance in marketing, but we can use
these trends as a guide for where to focus currently. The following is a list of the five top
marketing trends in the industry right now, and how companies are utilizing them.
- Collaboration With Influencers
The most common way companies have been connecting with consumers through social media,
besides through their own social media accounts, is through popular influencers. Through social
media applications like Tik Tok, Instagram, and Twitter, collaborations with influencers have
become one of the main ways for a company to reach a specific target market. One prominent
example includes Dunkin’ Donuts collaboration with Tik Tok star Charli Damelio. Through Tik
Tok posts, Instagram advertisements, and continuous brand placement Dunkin was able to
significantly grow their reach. According to Influence Hunter, after the release of the Charli
drink Dunkin had a “20% overall sales boost for cold brews the day the drink was released and a
45% increase the following day.” Only influencers and celebrities have the power and influence
to reach this many consumers in such a short period of time. - Using Short Term Videos to Connect with Customers
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are some of the main sources of marketing for companies.
Through short and captivating videos, brands have been able to reach consumers more rapidly.
Not only are these short videos more cost effective to create, they reach a much bigger audience
at a time. According to numerous studies our attention spans have significantly shrunk due to the
usage of social media. It is key for companies to incorporate short videos that capture a customer
within seconds. According to the 2019 Video in Business Benchmark Report, “Over two-thirds
(68%) of viewers watch a video to the end if it’s less than 60 seconds, but only 25% will finish a
video if it’s more than 20 minutes.” This information is key to knowing how to create a
successful video for branding. - Interactive Content
Interactive Content can be seen in forms of personality quizzes, interactive videos and graphics,
stories, surveys, polls, and webinars, among other things. Interactive content completely
transforms content to be more personalized and unique towards customers. Companies can use
this information to then guide a customer to the right product that best fits their needs. The more
engagement a post receives, the more people will see it, growing the company overall. Adidas
demonstrated a great example of this. The company created a Snapchat competition that allowed
users to create their own shoe and enter into a contest to have the shoe actually created for an
Adidas collection.This campaign not only helped increase engagement but it increased overall
customer satisfaction with the brand and its aim to please customers wants and needs.
- Companies Taking Social Responsibility
Companies have realized that they can use the concept of taking social responsibility as a
marketing tactic. With the rise of “cancel culture” it has become more important than ever for
companies to protect their brand image. One of the main ways companies have chosen to
promote themselves is by using social responsibility and owning up to certain matters as a
marketing tactic. Companies like Ben and Jerry’s have created their brand off of this concept.
They use political issues and social injustices to draw customers to their products and create
brand loyalty. According to BuzzSumo, in regards to Ben and Jerry’s, “The levels of engagement
they’re getting for their political content, on the other hand, is huge. Their top post has had 1.1m
total engagements, and they have regularly hit above 50k. The number of links generated are
impressive too; the company received 675 backlinks to their Silence is NOT An Option post that
boldly stated ‘We must dismantle white supremacy’.” This data alone goes to show the true
influence social responsibility can have in a company’s branding. “Forrester found that 53% of
U.S. online adults said they are likely to boycott a brand if that brand is found to have mistreated
its employees.” Not only does social responsibility have the power to grow a company’s
following, but it also has the power to destroy it. - Conversational Marketing
Conversational marketing is the concept of engaging customers through direct, personalized
conversations. In recent times conversational marketing has become more popular and useful for
companies as it helps to engage customers and form relationships, creating more loyal
consumers. The main forms of conversational marketing are live chats where customers can
speak one on one with a customer service representative anytime, anywhere. However there are
other examples of conversational marketing, like Sephora offering a virtual artist experience, the
“Okay Google” virtual assistant, and chatbots when using food delivery or ride service
applications. These marketing tactics create a more humanized version of a brand, making it
easier for customers to connect with a company.
