How can we keep up with the ever-evolving marketing and technology landscape? Even better, how can we stay one step ahead? In this article, we pull out key takeaways from DotDigital’s report on the key trends shaping the marketing landscape to help you do just that.

Real-time marketing

Real-time marketing is about being reactive to current events or feedback. Understanding how and where audiences engage with your brand is key to identifying the best channels to give real-time marketing a go. This could include SMS, WhatsApp or socials. Your website may already use live chat – and as the report notes that satisfaction with live chat has decreased, there is an open opportunity to offer a better service than competitors and stand out.

More real-time marketing channels are becoming available, too. You’re likely to have received more than one invitation to ‘Instagram Broadcasts’ recently. These private one-way instant messaging channels open a new way for brands and influencers to send direct messages to their community, offering a more personal connection and instant engagement.

Optimising additional channels

It’s important to adapt to changing customer preferences. Nearly 40% of Gen Z prefer using TikTok and Instagram for search than Google (as reported by Google themselves), and YouTube is often cited as the world’s second largest search engine. Maintaining a strong presence on relevant platforms and tailoring content to engage with each audience allows you to optimise a 360-approach. Data analysis (manual and AI-guided) can also help to identify key channels and adapt messaging accordingly.

For one of our financial services clients, we have worked together to optimise several digital channels in their marketing mix: paid search, display advertising and Performance Max campaigns, as well as organic content marketing. Each channel serves a unique purpose, but together they create a cohesive brand presence across multiple touchpoints.

Paid search ensures visibility when potential B2B customers search for debt collection services, driving targeted traffic. Display advertising reinforces brand awareness and trust through visually engaging ads, while performance max search optimises ad campaigns for conversions. Joining up these channels offers a consistent online experience for customers, enhancing brand recognition, building trust and improving engagement. Redwood can reach potential customers through multiple channels, creating a consistent online experience and ultimately driving digital leads and revenue.

Implement purpose-driven marketing strategies

Customers continue to demand more from their favourite brands. Purpose is driving many purchasing decisions. Brands need to ensure that their values are clearly defined and that they align with customer values too. But identifying a cause that resonates with your brand and audience is just the beginning. It's one thing to say a brand is committed to its cause, and another to take real actions to demonstrate this.

Our recent branding work with an Essex-based charity was driven by the need to reflect their values: bold, passionate and caring. We worked closely with them to develop a distinctive brand which underpins both the strong connection St Helena has with the local community and the incredible care and support they provide to everyone at the time it is needed most. A comprehensive set of brand guidelines helps them to live and breathe this new identity through various collateral: from shop frontages to social media content.

The DotDigital report also references sustainability as playing a bigger part in decision making. In fact, the report states that concerns over sustainability have caused 89% of audiences to change their shopping behaviour in some way. Brands must have an awareness of their impact on the environment and can’t be afraid to recognise where they may need to improve. Being transparent and demonstrating a need for change as well as the steps they’re taking to do so will resonate much more with audiences than a brand that sits still.

Incorporating AI into marketing strategies

AI continues to evolve – ChatGPT can now see and hear, browse the web and serve results in real time. AI can also help to automate repetitive manual processes and analyse large data sets, allowing you to focus more time on strategic, creative thinking. Machine learning on platforms such as Google Ads is tried and tested – helping digital teams to efficiently manage their ad spend and target receptive audiences, placing ads likely to gain the most engagement.

We’ve found it a powerful tool for idea generation, guiding personas and creating moodboards. You can read more about our experience with AI to date here.

Takeaway summary

Overall, DotDigital’s report outlines the steps we can take to set ourselves up for success in marketing:

- Taking a 360-approach and optimising the best channels for your brand

- Incorporating technology and AI to support day-to-day work

- Communicating the real purpose behind your brand

Future proofing your strategy ensures that customers have a positive brand experience at every touchpoint.

Our team can help you face present and future marketing challenges head-on.

Let’s do something brilliant together.