Brand marketing is a hot topic of conversation among marketing professionals. As the traditional norms of marketing give way to the all-out blitz that is digital marketing, it’s beneficial for brands to do their best to look ahead and try to anticipate what’s coming. Instead of operating on a more reactive basis, brands should focus on being as proactive as possible when it comes to pushing their marketing to the next level.
Marketing is a tricky industry because it is one that is very subject to trends and consumer behavior. This creates an environment that’s constantly shifting and changing, requiring marketing professionals to regroup on short notice and adjust the sails.
While this is an environment that many thrive on — marketers, after all, are creative and therefore more prone to adjustments — it still means that preparation and forecasting can go a long way. In order to keep up and, to put it bluntly, stay relevant, brands must stay on top of marketing trends in order to adjust their own strategies accordingly.
As we look ahead to the coming year — yes, it’s already high time to be doing so! — marketers will do well to keep tabs on marketing industry news. Sources such as Digiday can be a great go-to for marketers seeking an informative resource. Another great way to stay on top of news and trends within the industry is to set up a Google alert for keywords that are relevant.
Brands looking to stay one step ahead of their competition will do well to keep an eye on the marketing industry. As Generation Z grows up, the Baby Boomers grow older, and the millennials continue to forge their paths in the world, it will be a challenge to find the right marketing recipe to reach them. This is when monitoring trends comes in handy.
For example, much of digital marketing has begun to move further towards video and newer social media channels such as TikTok to reach younger, Gen Z consumers. While other brands may miss the boat on this platform, just a bit of proper research points to success had by campaigns on more generation-specific social media channels.
It seems simple, in theory. However, having the ability to properly forecast a marketing trend is next to impossible. All we can do in this situation is to do our best to stay educated and aware of the industry and also have the ability to tie these trends back to the brand itself and its marketing strategy.
Data is a heavy part of the marketing industry and for good reason. Without data and insights, we wouldn’t have a clue what was working and what wasn’t. This data also provides a wealth of information that can then be utilized to create trend forecasts and give marketers some direction on where to go next.
In 2020, brands will want to keep an eye on social media as well as media marketing. Why? Because these channels continue to grow and see heavy investment from brands as they continue to show record growth in user numbers and engagement.
No one wants to be known as someone who only goes with trends, but when it comes to marketing the notion of trends is still highly valuable. For continued marketing success in 2020, it’s important for marketing professionals to be educated and aware of what’s coming so that their brands can be ready for whatever’s next.
Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5WPR, a NY headquartered public relations agency
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Ronn Torossian’s Professional Profile on Muck Rack
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Ronn Torossian’s Articles on Entrepreneur
Ronn Torossian’s Blog Posts on Times of Israel
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