The year 2020 TWO started off much like 2021, and many people were having some serious déjà-vu’s with COVID still running riot globally, Kanye West losing his mind on Instagram & Meta facing their largest loss in a single day and we’re still only in February! While we may not be able to predict the future, we can take a look at some major media trends that will continue to play an important role in 2022 and impact the way brands tackle their advertising strategies. I lay out the top 5 trends that I think will continue to evolve in 2022:
- Audio & the beauty of sound ON
For so long us advertisers have had to contend with content that is made specifically for sound OFF, leaning on the power of creative & text to draw user’s attention in but now a new era has emerged largely thanks to platforms like TikTok & placements like IG reels that are leading the way in video content with engaging sound. In fact, the most popular trending videos on these platforms all stem from the use of sound whether that be music, voice overs, jingles, or original sounds…but it’s not just these platforms that are pathing the way for sound – Podcast listenership is increasingly on the rise with expected listeners to reach about 160 million in the US by 2023*. Sound can not only elevate a creative piece it can also make it more memorable and more likely to be talked about, however, it is important that the sound acts as a compliment to the creative and doesn’t feel like a last-minute add-on. Furthermore, with new platforms like TikTok & Podcasts hosted on Spotify and other platforms that host a variety of short-form & long-form content leads us to believe that users are now desiring a richer, more diversified experience online which is something brands should pay attention to – don’t shy away from experimenting with longer-form content either.
- Gaming & e-sports
The world of gaming has historically always felt like a sub-culture, with users playing in their own worlds for hours on end making strategic decisions in virtual worlds, using different language & expressions that would only be known if you part of the game, however, over the last few years and especially during the early months of the pandemic the gaming world started to collide & merge with culture in the mainstream world. Suddenly, football stars were celebrating goals using popular Fortnite dances, TikTok trends also tapped into that with the famous floss dance & online streamers were becoming ever more popular thanks to the likes of Twitch. Suddenly, we were all being exposed to new cultural trends that were playing a massive role in influencing & shaping the online community. Pair that with the explosion of e-sports now worth close to $2Billion and the acceleration towards web 3.0 and The Metaverse and we can start to see how important the gaming world has become over the last few years. But why does it matter for brands and advertisers? Well, simply put the fabric of our online audience is changing rapidly, how they consume, what they consume, who they consume & where they consume is shifting and brands need to start coming to terms with this change and adapt to a new type of consumer.
- Conversational/Social Commerce
Where people shop and how they shop has massively evolved. Commerce is no longer just a transaction that happens within a physical space, commerce happens everywhere and more importantly all the time. Smartphones have allowed users to be connected what feels like 24/7 and the rise of app culture has created an increasingly competitive landscape for demand. Users are no longer satisfied with businesses that take days to respond, or to deliver items or spend hours on a customer service call in fact a recent study done by Meta suggests that 72% of people surveyed in their study agreed that waiting on hold to speak to someone is a waste of their time which is why Messenger apps like Whatsapp have played an increasingly more important role in the consumer journey. Leveraging the power of chatbots, instant messaging & 1-1 communication increases conversion & repeat conversion potential for brands and businesses. Brands without a messaging features risk losing a significant portion of their audience especially millennials & Gen Z’ers who prefer to message and receive instant gratification, especially as today’s biggest paint point for the modern consumer is friction. Apps like Messenger and Whatsapp can play a key role in reducing that friction and guiding a user along their consumer journey from awareness to conversion to even loyalty.
- The new age content creators
TikTok has contributed to some of the world’s biggest cultural trends, but it also has given rise to a new generation of content creators, now all you need is your phone & potentially a ring light to create popular content that in some cases have led to products being sold out and recipes going viral – content creators if leveraged properly are a gold mine just look at Gucci partnering up with Francis Bourgeois TikTok’s famous train guy. The key here for brands is to again adapt their influencer strategies to the modern user but beware content creators are incredibly savvy and will only work with brands that make sense to them and their persona.
- The importance of AR in social commerce
Playing into the idea of richer online content for our modern user/consumer, AR will continue to have importance in order to bring to life the experiences and content on social and online. We’ve seen fashion brands such as Gucci & Axel Arigato run AR based ads where the end user can virtually try on products before purchasing using their phone camera & Snapchat as a social platform has been instrumental in driving forward the idea of shoppable AR especially in a post-pandemic world, the idea that you can try on items without having to leave your home is definitely appealing. I believe that AR is here to stay and will continue to evolve especially as we move into web 3.0. For now, AR works well for retail & fashion as well as beauty brands, but it will be interesting to see how AR develops and expands into other industries that aren’t so obvious.