The year 2019 is off and running. As times, tastes, and trends evolve rapidly and have the potential to change direction on a dime, the only reliable prediction is based on the adage: “The only thing constant is change.” Where advertising is concerned, there are many projections as to what this “constant of change” will present over the course of the year. Here are three of them, all with one common theme: building a stronger relationship between a brand and its customers.
The human element
Last summer, John Hall, writing for Forbes, theorized that the basis for emerging trends in 2019 had more to do with thought and attitude, with an emphasis on the basics: value and honesty.
- People will put more faith in credible content and personal recommendations when it comes to shopping and – possibly – making a purchase.
- The success of advertisements will depend on relevance and transparency of the product or service represented; in essence, how valuable it is to the customer as well as its integrity.
- An additional benefit to this culture is in how this positivity will carry over to the professional creative and marketing teams who are handling a particular brand campaign.
- Marketing professionals should not allow automation and technology to blur – or worse – sour relationships with customers and they must have the option to interact person-to-person.
Now, let’s examine two established technologies which – if properly curated by following the points listed above – will strongly benefit the brand/customer relationship in 2019.
Ever-evolving email
In a piece for Marketing Land, Kyle Henderick presents noteworthy observations regarding email. There will be a greater demand for brand-related emails to be more personalized and interactive. These emails need to prioritize quality over quantity for the express purpose of delivering relevant content to the appropriate customers.
- Emails featuring interactive content (e.g., games, quizzes, etc.) will become especially popular as they enable potential customers to learn about and engage with the brand – all without needing to click out of the email they are reading.
- The use of loyalty programs will increase as a way to maintain and strengthen the relationships between brands and customers. Customer data will be tracked and collected, but only as a measuring tool to gauge behavior, and histories regarding browsing, engagement, and purchase.
- Mobile will continue to advance. If customer satisfaction from shopping on mobile improves, so too will its average order value (AOV). Technology will therefore be strongly focused on improving and advancing the mobile experience.
Increasing influence of influencers
The advent of brand influences may be seen as the near-perfect balance of a personal approach to marketing via technology. With social media as their operating base, influencers express their enthusiasm of their favorite brands, and awareness spreads to their followers and followers’ friends and contacts. And 2019 will see influencer marketing – also known as brand ambassadorship – reach new heights. As David Bloom states in Forbes, this is a “fast-evolving sector,” and notes that:
- In 2018, campaigns that utilized influencer marketing doubled in the space of one year, with particular success on Instagram, which accounted for 93 percent of these campaigns. Part of this success can be attributed to inclusion of “snackable” photos and video content.
- According to Steve Ellis, CEO of WhoSay.com, as advertising professionals become comfortable with the concept and application of influencer marketing, they will discover the ease of incorporating it into broader digital campaigns. So, influencer marketing is versatile.
- Brand influencers will in some cases break down into sets of “micro-influencers” (between 2,000 and 50,000 followers) or “nano-influencers” (between 1,000 and 10,000 followers). Again, this is an example of quality over quantity and the demand for a close connection between a brand and its customer base.
To sum it up, there are many ways for an advertisement to promote a brand’s message. Email and brand influencers are two ways where a brand is presented to a customer as personally as possible – albeit, through technology. Whatever methods are selected and integrated into a campaign, it is essential to never lose sight of:
- The honesty and strength of the content in the message about the brand.
- The audience to whom the message is delivered.
- How the audience is influenced by the content.
In closing, consider this quote from Jon Kaplan, Global Head of Partnerships for social media site Pinterest. He recently expressed his opinions to Adweek regarding marketing and the customer experience in 2019: “Context is king – and brands should care about the emotional quality of where their brand shows up.”
EGC can help give your brand a personal touch in promoting your message through email, influencer marketing, or any other marketing service. Please contact us to find out how.
