2016 has already exploded into life with a very busy start to life in the marketing and creative world, but what else is around the corner this year?
Predictions are always tough, at Happy we’ve created our own 2016 prediction time capsule that has now been sealed to be re-opened at our Christmas party so we can see what came true and what didn’t.
No time capsule on this blog, just a good old list of 6 things that I think any marketer should be taking seriously in 2016.
Data. It’s been with us for ever, but the proliferation and usage of data, particularly well-developed customer data is going to be more crucial than ever before. In 2016 great marketing campaigns will be a partnership of well analysed customer data and great creative.
Personalisation. The days of “Dear Sir” on emails passed years ago, but a new movement is rebelling against the overuse of personalisation, not only in use of names but using habits, searches, likes and even conversation content to personalise offers/pages/emails and browsing results. For marketers the trick in 2016 will be to find that pleasant balance between enough personalisation to engage without pushing into creepy digital stalker mode.
Email Systems. If you are still pushing the send button on Outlook distribution lists to all your sales contact with a PDF attached you are frankly an idiot. Don’t even make this a cost issue, the amount of real and influential data you can gain from using marketing email systems is immense, not to mention the servers and bandwidth you’ll be saving v’s those huge pdf attachments. These marketing email systems are essential.
Responsive Websites. Mobile traffic went stratospheric in 2015 and that trend isn’t stopping in 2016. It is therefore even more crucial that your website looks good and works well across a range of devices/orientations. However, the responsive tools themselves are not enough. A well planned user journey allied to testing and regular review will ensure your key sales tool not only looks good but it also converts sales whatever device your customer uses.
Immersive Marketing. I’m not talking marketing campaigns under the sea, or even on an 3D Imax screen whilst your chair rocks to each laser hit. Immersive Marketing is Integrated Marketing for the new generations. It’s no longer OK for marketers to base their marketing around one or two elements. 2016 will see the growth in immersive campaigns where brands big and small will create campaigns that utilise a large range of above and below the line mediums to deliver content to customers.
Direct Mail / Text Campaigns. 2016 will see the return of two much maligned marketing methods. Direct Mail and Text campaigns reached the point of destruction through overuse and frankly terrible execution, and both will still suffer from this. However, new and cost-effective analytical data gathering techniques as well as increasingly innovative print developments now make high impact Direct Mail and Text message marketing a viable and high conversion method of acquiring customers/customer service tools. However, creative will remain the key to unlocking the real impact that has lain dormant in these tools for the last few years.
What are your marketing predictions for 2016? Let me know if you agree or you think there’s a crucial development I have missed.
Simon Brooke is a Director and creative thinker at Happy Creative, a strategic marketing and creative branding agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk or tweet us @Happy_Creative
