To say 2020 was a watershed year is an understatement. Covid-19, climate change, unstable economies and high unemployment, systemic racism, the rise for the demand of diversity & inclusion, and gender equality, a contested presidential election and divided country––all of these social and economic moments of crisis and conflict will remain with us to face and continue to solve in 2021. Yet moments of crisis and conflict can beget new ways of addressing problems, and defined new behaviors: “Throughout history, moments of crisis and uncertainty have galvanized new innovations and shifted views on what matters most to people. The 1918 pandemic popularized the use of the telephone so much that the people-powered switch operators couldn’t keep up. In the Cold War era, the rise of televisions in households directly influenced how people perceived conflict at a time when the Vietnam War became the world’s “First Televised War.” (2021 Global Marketing Trends: Find your focus, Deloitte Insights)
2020 has given rise to new behaviors that we should be paying attention to as marketers in 2021, and should be considered in all our solutions to help people in the face of crisis and conflict. Here are a few of those trends:
Purpose-Driven CSR Brands
BLM, Diversity & Inclusion, Climate Change, these social movements have defined a mindset, a scrutiny, and a demand from consumers that the brands they do business with do good in the world and respect human beings and the planet we inhabit. Consumers are looking for brands that have a larger purpose, and deliver on the values and promise they make in their business. 25% of consumers who noticed brands acting in their own self-interest walk away from those brands. Patagonia, Unilever, Blackrock, Ben & Jerry’s for sustainability commitments, Stryker, Cisco, Progressive Insurance, Netflix for diversity commitments are good examples of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) brands.
Doubling Down On Digital Solutions
Websites and digital channels will continue to be the workhorses for marketing in 2021. Social distancing has deepened the need for social connections, and digital is that bridge “More than 70% agreed they valued digital solutions that deepened their connection with other people, and 63% believe they will rely on digital technologies more than they did prior to the pandemic even well after it subsides.”
Customer Data Platforms
Growth in the use of customer data platforms to aggregate marketing channel data and a singular unified view of the customer, then deliver relevant content in the right place and the right time of the customer journey. The shift from brick-and-mortar experiences to digital has increased the value of orchestrated delivery of content to meet consumer needs. “US ecommerce sales will reach $794.50 billion this year, up 32.4% year-over-year,” reports an article in eMarketer. “Ecommerce sales will reach 14.4% of all US retail spending this year and 19.2% by 2024.” The shift to digital is global and across consumer categories as people work and play more from home. “[Consumers] are three times likelier now than before the crisis to say that at least 80 percent of their customer interactions are digital in nature,” according to a survey from McKinsey & Company.
User-Generated Content
Not necessarily a new trend, but one that continues to build momentum. Customers are participating more often as brand ambassadors, influencers, collaborators, and idea contributors, which is an opportunity for brand and marketers to build engagement, loyalty and advocacy. In 2020, 32% of consumers participated in online conversations about brands, 21% gave online advice on products or services, 15% provided direct input on design, and 14% developed original content for a brand. UGC brings authenticity, trust and humanness to a brand. 86% of companies are now repurposing the content of their followers and advocates.
Social Commerce
The growth of consumers shopping and buying on social channels continues. Social shopping platforms Facebook Shops, Instagram shops, and Pinterest Shopping Ads and Catalogs are opening new paths for brands to do business. 55% of online shoppers have made a purchase through social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, evidence of the growing need to establish social media as a transactional channel.
