Six marketing shifts to consider in 2020
How much and how fast are things changing in PR and marketing? New trends and preferences, many enabled and empowered by technology, are shifting at an astonishing pace, elevating customer expectations and demolishing old ways to reach target markets and audiences.
A quick thought in review: successful marketing and influencer campaigns hold a critical timeless goal in common: reach the right people at the right time with the right message. A “master of the obvious” thought? Perhaps. But it’s certainly been a top goal of marketers for eons. Today, hoping to achieve this, far too many companies punch out shotgun messaging on disparate platforms, hoping that their potential customer will see (or hear or watch) it, and act positively in their direction.
In 2020, marketers and people concerned with effective communication face all kinds of new challenges. Technology has heightened expectations, and the pace of life has diminished people’s appetites to spend time reaching and reading. As one Forbes commentator recently noted, “Clever ads, catchy taglines, vibrant visuals—marketers need to make a statement in the blink of an eye.”
What’s necessary to succeed in today’s marketing environment? Ironically, consider this fact: a popular “quote” in this vein commonly attributed to Thomas Jefferson — “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people” – was never said nor written by America’s 3rd President. The fact that this spurious “quote” has gained a wide audience underscores the numerous challenges that professional communicators should consider. Online statements can take a life of their own and become “truth.”
To anticipate and leverage these changes positively, here’s six to briefly contemplate:
Make it visual…and funny
One source notes that people under 30 consume up to 63 videos per day, spending in excess of seven hours daily viewing various digital screens of all shapes and sizes. One could say that this trait represents the attention span of a gnat. The Economist international news magazine, a weekly venture that requires a serious vocabulary to read and appreciate, recognizes that if you want to reach people in their 20s (or teenagers), humorous packaging on social media scores high, particularly if it’s video-based.
With young people, personalities often trump traditional news sources
Many of the under 30 crowd today get their news from late-night TV, including the irreverent Late Show with Stephen Colbert or The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (where other popular YouTube crossovers like Mehdi Hasan weigh in on political themes). Impact is further increased with the wide distribution of short form clips from these popular shows (populated online with targeted remarketing online ads)
Further, consider this example: Joe Rogan, a former stand-up comedian and marital arts instructor, commands a fearsome presence on YouTube, serving up regular chaotic conservations that reflect his self-described (and influential) views on recreational drug use (pro), routine infant circumcision (against), universal healthcare and universal basic income (pro), and many others. The online Joe Rogan Experience video podcast, freely available to anyone online, has secured nearly seven million devoted subscribers. Rogan’s sketchy “blue humor” may not be a typical Boomer’s cup of tea, but Rogan (and others like him, including YouTube’s powerhouse and equally chaotic PewDiePie who attracts a whopping 102 million subscribers) wield influence and lots of it.
Compare that online subscriber base to the fact that the total print and online circulation of all newspapers in the United States is a mere 30 million.
Many brands or communication initiatives obviously don’t fit this specific online mold. One possible general take away? Perhaps consider lessening the brain power required to comprehend and retain key messaging (as in the use of video and simplified messaging) which can heighten attractiveness and retention, particularly if it’s funny.
Considerable research shows that people don’t typically last past 20 minutes of a presentation in terms of retention and attention, but that barrier drops when the presenter is entertaining.
Recognize that technology conveys power
While we’re talking about teens and young people, here’s an important consideration: as found by the Pew Research Center, 95% of American teens have access to a smartphone and 45% are online “almost constantly.” Why is this important? As the Economist writes, “Teenagers understand that technology gives them outsized power. Greta Thunberg, a teenage activist in Sweden, started the global ‘school strike for climate’ which has now spread to 150 countries.”
People crave recognition, and according to the Economist, apparently young people crave a lot of it, coupled with a need to be perceived as authentic. Online communities and online activism offer a means – typically achieved quickly – to accomplish this.
Personalization key to validation
Speaking of recognition, personalization of communication is more important than ever. Personalization goes far beyond merely including a personalized greeting or an embedded name in content (although that is very important). Personalization also refers to ability to deliver content and messaging that is directly paired with the interests of the people reading or viewing the message.
Technology enables marketers and PR professionals to segment and deliver messaging more effectively than ever before. Even with privacy concerns, online consumers are willing to trust sources with preference data if it improves their online experience.
AI (or machine learning, if you prefer) is here to stay and will directly impact you
All of the above, particularly with the personalization and delivery of content that people actually want, will be driven in large measure by increasing advances in artificial intelligence. Communication today is all about the consumer and the customer. The timeless consumer questions – “So what, who cares and what’s in it for me?” – can all be instantly answered 24/7/365 by AI (can one say “chatbot”?). Immediate response is the expectation. Making people wait (especially for an untried or low value idea, article or content) is a brand-bruiser, perhaps even a brand-killer.
Videos are great, but people still read
Boomers notwithstanding, millions of people still read ancient things like books and magazine articles, and yes, long-form ads and white papers. Even the vaunted e-book, once forecast to eclipse the printed page, has reached a bit of a peak. E-book reading in the United States (of all books) has leveled off at about 28 percent. Of book readers in the United States, about 40 percent consider themselves to be physical print exclusive.
Reading is still alive and well in younger people, where some 70 percent read (or have read) a book in the past year.
But there’s no question that reading has declined (particularly reading for pleasure) as video sources (commercial TV or the internet) has increased. Mixed in here is the rise of podcasts (some 73 million people listen to podcasts, a figure that has doubled since 2013) and audiobooks, that latter generating more than $2.5 billion in sales.
The point? People hold higher expectations regarding the companies who would like to communicate with them. As those in the omni-channel environment well know, one size does not fit all.
Uncovered a major trend that you’d like to discuss? Let us know!
By Michael Snyder, Managing Principal, MEK