Dry January is almost over, so it’s time to turn our attention to the rest of the year. Over the past few months I’ve been reviewing reports, expert opinion and marketing journals to compile a list of the five biggest opportunities for agencies to deliver effective and creative work in 2016.
This one’s for all the early adopters out there…
Content v distribution
In 2014 and 2015 the term “content” cemented its place within the infuriating marketing terminology hall of fame. Whatever the form – disruptive, storytelling, long- or short-form – the focus was clearly on creating a lot of it.
2016 will see a slightly different approach. While (obviously) the content must remain effective and high-quality, expect to see agencies and brands place even greater emphasis on influencer marketing as a leading distribution channel.
When talking about influencer marketing, it’s not solely about YouTubers, but members of the public who display genuine brand affection. These are the first to adopt new experiences/products and services, and whose social sphere pays attention to their recommendations. We’ve installed tools that enable this important identification, but the reason we’ve adopted this approach is rooted in the following point.
Authenticity rules
Yes, being true to the brand, value and beliefs are incredibly important, but authenticity doesn’t rest there. For ideas to drive effective change in 2016, authenticity will need to come from:
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Insights: an understanding what is fundamentally important to an audience’s world.
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Hobbies, fears, passions, friends: having the right tools in place will be half the battle and one that, if PR agencies in particular get right, will help close the gap between comms and advertising.
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Influencers: the most popular are sometimes a red herring, so look deeper. Look for social influencers who epitomise point one. The more niche influencers will often provide far better audience engagement and results.
Video still leading the way
“By 2017, video will account for 69% of all consumer internet traffic,” says a Cisco report. That’s a staggering statistic. What is interesting, however, is how most people in developed markets have access to smartphones with improved video and photographic capabilities.
The emergence of both the access to this technology, and the appetite for video, has a number of implications for marketing in 2016:
- Brands will place even greater confidence in the public’s ability to create better quality content, giving rise to more user-generated marketing campaigns.
- Expect a greater emphasis on the role of real-time content as an engagement channel and content production outlet.
Virtual reality (VR) kicks on
Oculus Rift will launch a consumer version of its headset in March. The brand said the new version would “build on the presence, immersion and comfort of the Crescent Bay prototype” with an improved tracking system that supports seated and standing experiences. Microsoft, Samsung and Sony are also releasing their own headsets. VR will have a huge impact on tech, creativity and the consumer experience, as the barriers to accessibility shrink considerably.
With the expected increase in consumer VR adoption, 2016 will also see VR accessories such as 360-degree cameras and gesture accessories becoming more sophisticated, allowing for even greater immersive experiences. The automotive industry has been decisive in its adoption of the technology, but expect other industries to follow suit as experimentation with platforms increases.
Wearable tech
Wearable technology will be the biggest trend in fitness in 2016, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. At New York Fashion Week, for the first time, we saw shows incorporating wearable tech into designer collections. This year it will really blossom.
The wearable technology market will balloon from $20bn to $70bn by 2025, according to research from IDTechEx. In the next four years, an estimated 300m wearable devices will be shipped, contributing to an adoption rate that will jump 28% in 2016 alone. What does this mean for us marketers?
Very simply, available data will become even more behaviour driven, more in tune with where customers go, what they do, watch and sites they visit. This sounds very “Minority Report” but if the objective is to produce the authentic experiences indicated, then brands can harness this to hit the sweet spot.
Julian Cirrone is creative director at Lexis
This advertisement feature is paid for by the Marketing Agencies Association, sponsors of the Guardian Media & Tech Network’s Agencies hub.
