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- Digital integration
Technology evolves so quickly that it’s difficult to say what 2012 will hold for us. However, there is one concept that I believe will not only transform the advertising and communications landscape, but keep it fluid in order to keep up with the dynamism of the economy and technology – integration.
Innovation within the online advertising sphere has increased exponentially over the past few years. 2012 will be about integration, better understanding of the use of new media and using the various media options together to better reach and communicate with consumers.
- Video advertising
It is becoming increasingly difficult to define advertising in terms of channels. It is not the channel through which we consume advertising that is important but rather the content we choose to consume that is important.
After years of ‘channels’ competing to deliver impressions, it seems 2012 will finally be the year that video advertising delivered telephonically or via broadcast transmissions, satellite or fibre optics will co-exist and complement each other.
Video advertising has a strong and healthy future – one only needs to look at the massive success brands have achieved by projecting their advertising into the ether through portals such as YouTube – Old Spice, VW and Nike, to name but a few.
I believe 2012 will be the year when content is embraced and when it is accepted that technology simply provides a means to generate a viewing audience.
- Full-service agencies
It is largely expected that the digital (including mobile) and experiential sectors will yield great future growth. During 2011, we saw a gradual move by clients back to full-service integrated agencies, especially those incorporating digital and experiential in their overall offering.
Such diversity within agencies is being heralded as the answer to agency survival – without the complete erosion of the entire industry.
- Social media
We have seen the social media sphere explode in the past year and expect to see it becoming increasingly integrated into our marketing strategies.
According to Dreamgrow.com, social media marketing will not be a separate activity but rather one facet of an overall marketing plan. Much like SEO or email marketing, social media will be another valuable tool in the box.
I believe we will also see large-scale integration of social media content into digital properties. Brands will use social media and user-generated content (UGC) to get closer to customers.
- Introducing the “new normal”
The annual trends forecast speaks of a “new normal”, whereby more brands in more categories will open up entry points for extremely cost-sensitive consumers. Marketers will find new opportunities in creating stripped-down offerings, smaller sizes and otherwise, more accessible products and services.
- Shared value
Also highlighted as one of many trends for 2012 is that some corporations are shifting their business models to integrate social issues as part of their core strategies. The aim is to create shared value, a concept that reflects the growing belief that generating a profit and achieving social progress are not mutually exclusive goals.
