MUMBAI: Over the last decade we’ve witnessed the field of marketing transform in previously unimaginable ways. Much of this transformation has been driven by the breakneck advance of technology, leaving marketers struggling to catch up. But before the profession starts pinning all its woes on these unprecedented changes, it’s important to take a step back and view the broader picture. Marketing has always been at the very forefront of technological development and advancement. 

Every era has seen the technologies of the day co-opted and put to use in service of the profession, from SMS marketing of the 90s and media buying during the internet boom, through to the more recent introduction of social media marketing. If we are to stay at the top of our game, it is our duty to remain constantly aware of new and evolving technologies and their applicability to our sector. As such, these are the marketing trends for 2020 that we expect will see the most traction:

Crowd Marketing

At its heart, crowd marketing is simply the next step in the natural evolution of influencer marketing. But whereas influencer marketing targets brand endorsements by actors, athletes, and other celebrities, crowd marketing is all about converting regular customers into brand ambassadors across their personal social media channels, regardless of follower numbers. Crowd marketing can serve as the digital analogue of word-of-mouth marketing, and stimulated by rewarding user-generated content and positive online mentions of the brand. In this way, brand loyalty is built and a vocal online community of online supporters is cultivated. This approach has resulted in the democratisation of influencer marketing and completely changed the paradigm. Marketing tools such as Brandie help companies tap engage with this segment, with leading businesses across India (including Air India, The Bowl Company, Godrej Nature’s Basket, and Raw Pressery) all reaping the benefits.

Meme Marketing

Memes have long been the mode of communication of choice for millennials and Gen Z-ers. Despite this, you’d be forgiven for never having heard of them before. Memes, for the uninitiated amongst us, are essentially images or videos accompanied by a humorous caption. The more socially relevant and relatable the meme, the more viral its spread across the internet. Meme culture has grown to such an extent that the most popular memes have jumped the bounds of the internet, with people incorporating them into their day-to-day conversations. As such, their allure to marketers should be immediately understandable. 

Meme marketing attempts to integrate the virality of memes and turn them to the benefit of a brand or company. The most recent high-profile use of meme marketing was by Netflix to promote Sandra Bullock-starrer ‘Bird Box’ in 2018. The film’s striking imagery, and promotional efforts that included a Bird Box themed blindfold challenge with prominent Twitch streamers, saw the internet community produce tremendous numbers of memes, with knowledge of the film spreading through a form digital cultural osmosis. The result was an internet phenomenon and an unmitigated marketing success. According to figures released by Netflix following the film’s launch, Bird Box was viewed by more than 45 million accounts within the first week of its release – a statistic touted as the platform’s best-ever debut for an original film. 

Dynamic Content Marketing

Dynamic content, otherwise known as adaptive content, refers to any online content or material which changes based on a user’s behavior, preferences, and interests. By personalising a user’s interactions with a website and the marketing material they receive based on available user data, this form of marketing provides visitors with an engaging and customised experience. Once again, streaming services provide us with an example of this method done right. Through various proprietary algorithms, OTT platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime provide us with a selection of media tailor-made for us. These algorithms determine our viewing preferences by analysing various factors such as the genre and setting of the content we view, and then compiling a thematically similar set of options. 

Video Marketing

The introduction of streaming services over the past decade has led to a surge in the public’s appetite for video content. This phenomenon has spread to social media as well, with both social networking sites such as Facebook and Instagram (via Facebook Live and IGTV) and standalone video-streaming apps such as TikTok and Dubsmash carving a space for themselves in the market. A direct result of this is the emergence of a glut of video marketing tools, all trying to utilize this opportunity to develop their customer base. The popularity of video content amongst both the public and businesses is easy to understand – it provides the former with a simple, easily digestible form of content, while providing the latter with an engaging and insightful avenue through which to reach their target audience. Social media networks serve as the ideal platforms for this sort of content, and allow for video marketing to target specific audiences and groups.  Startups such as online video creator InVideo are thriving in this environment, by helping companies create marketing videos quickly and affordably through their software. 

(The author is co-founder Brandie. The views expressed are his own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)