Every trending list is a challenging process, especially when it comes to digital marketing. In a market where everything can change in a week, making plans for the future is walking on uncertain ground. And there is only one certainty: you will get something wrong. But as Pixar president Ed Catmull says: “be wrong as fast as you can.” Before starting the list, I think it is important to emphasize that, even if marketing trends are not consolidated, they are topics to keep an eye on.
Web 3.0, the 1st marketing trend
The internet has revolutionized our world, and everything indicates that we are heading towards a new phase. Before talking about version 3.0, it is essential to clarify what the previous ones were. Like web 1.0, we understand the first internet, static and little interactive content. In 2.0, we have the social era where sender and receiver interact, and the user can create content.
The famous “user-generated content” makes the world’s largest online video channel, YouTube. You do not have to worry about generating the content like other vehicles. Its older brothers still do. Web 3.0 throws concepts such as the Internet of Things, blockchain, decentralization, and 5G into the blender to enable a new era marked by collaboration between people and platforms.
As brand managers, we must understand that we must be where our customer is. Therefore, many brands are already trying to be in new spaces, such as the metaverse. Recently, Nike bought a company called RTFKT. They specialize in NFTs and produce virtual sneakers. With the evolution of platforms and online games, why not dress our characters in our favorite brands? An avatar is a representation of how we want to be seen online, and for markets like fashion, this opens up a whole new world of possibilities.
The world is hybrid, and there’s no way back
The last few years have been challenging for society. Experiences that were once purely physical have been forced to move online. As a result, marketing has gained even more weight in digital. The first impact was an explosive growth in the consumption of video creating tools and mobile devices, a behavior that presented an excellent opportunity for advertisers to adapt their investments.
Another critical factor is that prime time (prime time from 8 pm to 11 pm) has ceased to make sense. With more flexible work schedules, people consume media-on-demand when it makes sense for them. Therefore, it makes much more sense to look at brand engagement data, cross-reference days and times of most fantastic interaction, and create your own prime time.
People are returning their data for advertising
Data privacy laws have brought a new dynamic to marketing operations. Today, every action needs the user’s prior consent—either an email or the collection of a cookie. When Apple implemented stricter restrictions in iOS 14, much of the mobile ad industry felt the impact. Within a few months, most iPhone owners blocked their traceability for advertising. This prevents the person from receiving targeted advertising and prevents advertisers from knowing whether or not that person converted.
However, this is something that seems to be changing. According to Gartner, by 2023, the rate of non-acceptance of advertising on mobile devices will drop from 85% to 60% because people realize that by blocking advertising intelligence, they end up being exposed to low-quality content or content that has no connection with their interests. Here it is clear that, despite privacy issues, the consumer, who now owns his data, understands that it is worth sharing his information to receive the right message, at the right time, through the ideal channel.
Virtual influencers will compete with celebrities and traditional influencers
According to Gartner, by 2026, almost a third of the celebrity and influencer budget will be directed towards digital influencers, personalities created through illustration, 3D, and animation techniques, which bring the brand or its persona to life.
The great advantage of virtual influencers is that, in the long term, they become brand assets and can be worth thousands of reais, as today, a logo or signature like “Just do It” is worth it.
Another advantage of this type of influencer is the control that brands have. They don’t have to worry about an influencer slipping or a misplaced sentence, and they cost much less for day-to-day actions. It is perhaps one of the most significant disruptions that the influencer market could suffer in the coming years.
Brands will have multiple online stores
Until recently, a manufacturer’s sales were split between direct sales and retail. With the growth of the marketplace, the concept expanded, and we had the entry of 3P into the game. Social networks like Instagram and TikTok, through Social Commerce.
According to Gartner, by 2026, about 60% of millennials and Gen Z will prefer to shop through social platforms rather than e-commerce stores. The model has advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, we lost control, tracking, and the ability to customize our own online store; On the other hand, we gained a universe of possibilities by integrating content and social interaction with the purchase journey.
It is an opportunity for brands. They can understand that they will have more and more space for conversion in channels.
In addition to these stores on social networks, the growth of autonomous and parallel virtual worlds creates the possibility of new and immersive shopping experiences. This can happen in the hyped metaverse or even within a game – like the Cidade Alta server from GTA roleplay that had the entry of food, allowing players to work as couriers. Or the Outback that opened a store with special missions within the game.
