Are you ready for 2021?
Hope you’ve been looking into your Crystal Ball….
After a year like 2020, how do you plan for 2021? How do you build a strategy, buy media, create campaigns, and plan PR? How can we attempt to predict the mood of a nation which has gone through this year, and has no certainty of what the next year will bring? More Vaccines? More social distancing? Brexit? No-deal Brexit? Travel corridors? Weddings back on? Who knows…
Here are some of my predictions on what we can expect (in terms of marketing) in 2021:
Digital spend will continue to grow
Brands will continue to invest in digital channels – social, SEO, paid search, display networks, etc. For many marketers, whilst this can feel a somewhat dull approach (no shining out of home campaigns), digital is one of the most likely ways that brands can make sure they get in touch of audiences - no matter their approach to COVID-19. We’re likely to see more brands use digital to support other areas of their marketing mix, such as PR, helping it spread across their audience.
2. Customer experience expectations will increase
With the lines of work and home now blurred, customers will change their expectations of customer service and experience – they are always available, so they will expect the brands they interact with to be. Instantaneous responses, always-on platforms, and quick feedback will be vital for brands success. Forbes agrees and says that the reason this is so potent is “because, in every response, there are breadcrumbs of information that help these brands to enhance their current offerings a swell as evolve their customer experience.”
3. Brands will push their boundaries
After the year businesses have had, most need 2021 to go really well. The best and boldest brands will not be battening down for 2021, they’ll be looking to push boundaries; of their brand, of their content, and their coms channels. They’ll not be afraid to fail, as they navigate the new playing field we find ourselves in.
4. The death of the faceless brand
#ShopLocal #ShopSmall #SupportLocalBusiness. For any savvy online social shopper or business, these hashtags have helped connect people to their local business and area throughout 2020. People have realised in the pandemic that small businesses are very much a use it or lose it, and there are people and families who depend on them for a living. I’d love to say I think this will continue as we step out of the pandemic, but people do want convenience also. I do however think that people will start to put people at the heart of their buying decisions. So putting your team/ staff at the forefront of some of your content will grow in popularity.
5. A great strategy will become more important than ever
Mike Tyson famously said, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” Well, 2020 was a big old punch! But one of the biggest takeaways as a marketer for me is that your marketing strategy remains more important than ever. Without it, you are more likely to react and jump from project to project as you navigate the choppy 2021 waters - leaving you and your audience feeling a bit seasick. A defined strategy keeps you focused on the goal. Yes, elements of the plan may change, but the strategy, the guiding approach, will shine through to deliver success.
If you’re looking for help on any of the above. Please drop us an email we’d love to help!