In 2024, numerous brands are reassessing their marketing strategies, pondering their future directions. We’ve consulted directly with experts! Our seasoned team has provided insights into the emerging trends for the upcoming year, highlighting the expanding role of AI, the rising prominence of short-form video content, the importance of sophisticated SEO strategies, and the implications of escalating costs on marketing budgets. These are the key trends we anticipate will significantly influence the marketing landscape in 2024.
DIGITAL + SEO
Smart Snacking: The Art of Targeting in a Cookie-less World
After several years and multiple postponements, Google will finally be disabling third-party cookies on Chrome in (allegedly) June 2024. This is to protect user privacy by preventing advertisers from accessing data on users’ site visits and page views. For those running ads (us!) this makes first-party data and contextual targeting methods that don’t rely on 3rd party data critical.
Clicking Your Way to Success | PPC
Most of the recent updates in Google Ads have been focused on more automation (i.e. Performance Max, Demand Gen), giving us less control. It’s likely this will continue into 2024, so instead of obsessing over what we can’t control, we need to focus on what we can. Become more creative with our strategies and testing. Validate the measurement/setup to make sure the algorithm is operating on accurate data. Get more value from our clicks by improving landing page user experience (UX).
Measuring Up to Data Measurement
From iOS updates with increasing tracking restrictions to regulatory pressure and the sunset of Universal Analytics, brands should focus on their data/measurement strategies. The more accurate conversion data you can feed into each ad platform, the better the algorithm will perform.
Lights, Camera, Engagement: Unreel Your Potential with Video
Video keeps growing! Short-form on mobile, long-form on TV, and now online video shopping on social through influencers – video is everywhere. In addition to brand awareness, we’re starting to see brands using video lower down the funnel to drive performance. Use AI to reformat horizontal videos into vertical or square videos to use on other platforms. It’s not about the type of equipment you have either, but your eye for creativity and how you utilize the tools you have.Â
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Robots in the Newsroom: AI Shaking Up Public Relations with Smart Trends
This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone reading this blog, but recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have made it possible for just about everyone – especially marketers – to incorporate AI into their own respective job duties. For PR practitioners, AI can be especially useful for research into current trends that would make pitches even more compelling and relevant, or even help narrow down a list of media pros or influencers to reach out to. While most AI platforms can generate a pitch or press release in mere seconds, most news pros can sniff out an AI-written release in the same 10 seconds. While it’s a great thought- or pitch-starter, AI is just that – a starter. Never the end, never the finishing touch. That requires the finesse of a (human) PR professional. And because public relations is about building and fostering relationships with the public, should we really rely on AI platforms to do that important work? No.
Tailor-Made Talk: Stitching Personalization into the Fabric of Public Relations
“Spray and pray” should never be a PR strategy. Yet, for some PR folks, it seems to be. In this age of AI when platforms like ChatGPT can seemingly churn out what was once weeks’ or months’ worth of tedious work in now seconds or minutes, it can certainly be enticing to “leave it to AI” to similarly help PR practitioners reach as many people as possible with a pitch. But our friends in the media don’t want what everyone else is getting; they want something unique. Different. Tailored to them. Take the time to get to know your pitch recipients; what did they write about last? Have they ever written about the topic you’re pitching? If not, find a way to make them want to (or, find someone else at that outlet who would be interested in what you have). Going back to the “relations” in “public relations,” taking the time to establish and foster relationships with your audience — and personalizing your pitches to be as relevant as possible — will be the difference between failure and success.
SOCIAL MEDIA
AI: Your Personal Digital StylistÂ
Imagine a world where your posts know you better than your best friend. AI is set to transform feeds into personalized wonderlands, making sure every ad and post is as relevant as your favorite coffee order. The AI-powered personalization creates a digital space that feels uniquely yours. It’s a coffee shop where the barista knows your order before you say it, a boutique where the clothes on display always fit your style. As we move forward, this AI doesn’t just serve up content; it crafts experiences, moments of digital delight that make your day just a little bit brighter.
Ephemeral Content’s Flashy Return to the Social Scene
Stories, fleeting posts, and vanishing videos are the new “catch me if you can” in marketing. They’re here today, gone in 24 hours, but oh, they leave a lasting impression. This flashy return of ephemeral content is also reshaping the creative landscape of social media. Brands and creators are pushed to be more innovative, spontaneous, and authentic.Â
The Reality of AR
Augmented Reality (AR) is taking the reins, turning mundane scrolling into an interactive adventure. It’s like having a magic wand that turns your smartphone into a portal to another dimension. Shopping becomes an expedition into virtual showrooms, social media transforms into a playground of 3D interactions, and educational content evolves into immersive experiences. This isn’t just technology; it’s a revolution in how we perceive and interact with the world around us, turning every user into an explorer of their own augmented universe.
Micro-Influencer Majesty
Move over, celebs! Micro-influencers are the new royals of relatability, connecting with niches in ways that big names just can’t match. Micro-influencers are proving that when it comes to connecting with audiences, smaller can be mightier. Unlike their celebrity counterparts, these micro-influencers rule over niche kingdoms, where followers feel more like friends than subjects. They don’t just endorse; they engage, creating a realm of authenticity. Every like, share, and comment is a conversation with a neighbor rather than a shout into the void.Â
CREATIVE + BRANDING
Another Dimension of Creativity
3D Hyper-surrealism is an intriguing style that seamlessly blends hyper-realistic and surreal 3D designs. It incorporates abstract and organic shapes, vibrant colors and experimental fonts. Brands can use it to create designs that excite and provide a welcome distraction from the challenges of the world, whether that’s through fun and vibrant mascots and characters or engaging infographics. It’s a means to cultivate positivity and find solace in creativity, offering a breath of fresh air.
Outside the Bento Box | Grid Design
The Bento box grid trend in graphic design revolves around the artful arrangement of boxes in varying sizes to house fragments of information or graphics. When these pieces come together, they form a cohesive larger box, resembling the compartments of traditional Japanese bento boxes.
This approach can be applied in many formats (flyers, brochure digital, web, mobile). This style offers a dynamic way to showcase numerous elements in a small space.
Organized Mess: Cluttercore
Cluttercore takes self-expression to a whole new level—a bolder, louder and more colorful way of asserting one’s individuality. It thrives on grabbing attention and embracing excess and extravagance. This trend uses thick strokes, vibrant colors, and the deliberate overlap of graphics as a form of self-expression aimed at fostering positivity.
Digital DestructionÂ
Where AI has become increasingly proficient at generating flawless digital art, digital destruction emerges as a captivating rebellion. It embraces the fragmented and chaotic, transforming these imperfections into intriguing and visually striking compositions. Pixelation, fractured typography and distortion are a bold counterargument to clean and tech-centric design trends.Â
Freehand Revival
The Freehand Revival graphic design trend finds beauty in the imperfect, the impermanent and the incomplete. It explores the world of hand-drawn lines, characterized by their delightful imperfections and gentle wobbliness reminiscent of delicate sketches. The color palettes often utilize similar tones or complementary hues, creating a soothing and visually pleasing feeling. This style and colors are easy on the eyes, inviting viewers into a world of tranquil design.
Anime Bold
In recent years, the captivating allure of anime has permeated the designs, bringing with it a vibrant burst of creativity. This trend embraces the hallmark features of anime, from exaggerated characters to expressive energy and eye-catching visuals. This style infuses bold, vibrant colors into animated anime graphics. These illustrations combine the charm of hand-drawn art with the playful and cartoony.
Blast of Color
Color experts are predicting that people will be much more adventurous with their color choices as with bright pinks, playful aquas, and rich browns. Of course, neutrals will never go out of style, but they are warming up with buttery and blush tones rising in popularity. All experts also agree color will be more personal than ever in the coming years.
Social Search Engine
As social media chefs sprinkle in advanced search functionalities, their platforms are slowly transforming into a full-fledged search engine buffet. Initially, users came for the social interaction appetizers, but now they’re staying for the main course of information discovery. Social media is ambitiously expanding its menu, hoping to one day rival the traditional search engine.Â
UGC: Unleashing Great Content
User-Generated Content (UGC) is the cool, new kid on the advertising block who’s not really new, just finally getting the attention they deserve. Brands have noticed this kid’s charm, and oh boy, are they swooning! Why? Because when brands team up with UGC, it’s like they’ve struck social media gold — a whopping 73% increase in click-through rates, turning heads and wallets alike. They’re not just making ads; they’re crafting digital art that feels like it’s coming from your witty, relatable friend rather than a corporate megaphone.Â
Want to get on top of the trends in the near year? Contact Commit Agency to see how we can help.
