​Marketing Trends 2015

Credibility - 2015's most important marketing tool

Consumers have a multitude of channels and platforms available at their disposal to discredit a business within a few short seconds. Tactical credibility and transparency becomes increasingly important and an effective way to deal with this. In 2015 it will progress to be the most powerful tool of marketing. Experts say, next year the best brands won’t be the ones with the best stories - the sort of made up, fictional stories - but those that will give an accurate insight and real time picture of what they are doing in the interest of the consumer, at any given time.

In 2015, personalisation and unique content is the name of the game

Next year's marketing shifts from globalisation to personalisation. We will all be living in the 'YOUniverse' – the entirety of creation that relates to one specific, narcissistic individual. In the 'YOUniverse' everyone is considered unique, so a more personalised content will be required to satisfy customers' demands. Throughout 2015, personalisation remains a crucial tool for successful marketing, proving it passes relevant information across the channels. One of last years' examples of how effective such an approach could be can be found in this campaign.

'Mobile first' will be the rule, not the exception

Everything’s shifting mobile and in 2015 it is a must for anyone to offer full mobile-ready content, presented on a reliable web platform, compatible with the growing variety of mobile devices. According to Ovum, one billion people will use mobile as their only form of Internet access in 2015. Focusing on mobile content will require a change of mindset. Where to start? Fine-tune your mobile strategy to encompass the totality of content execution: persona profiling, content theme, design and distribution. Employ dynamic display technology to adjust content offers and image sizes based on users’ screen resolution. And last but not least: Power up your social media channels with micro-content like thumbnails or cropped images, or build up a slide deck to draw viewers with bite-sized chunks instead of big, overwhelming images.

Marketing technologies will multiply in 2015

The number of marketing tools is clearly on the rise. Marketing automation suites combine traditional marketing activities like CRM, email marketing, content management, search engine optimization, lead scoring and analytics into holistic tools to help boost response by delivering relevant and timely messages to prospects. This type of marketing automation typically generates significant new revenue for companies and provides an excellent return on the investment required. But technolgy is only part of the secret sauce. As marketing automation grows, so will the demand for marketing technologists. In 2015 we will witness the emergence of the marketing technologists.

Content will be in the hands of everyone in 2015

Random users already began harnessing the diverse capabilities of technologies that produce content. Storytelling and visual storytelling ist now in the hands of everyone. Agencies and publishers will do well to act both as creative directors and as content consultants in order to harness this content. They should help clients think through how to strategically use these new technologies to increase interest in their brand.

2015 is the year of visual content

Photographs, videos, animation and infographics can offer an effective way to relay large chunks of information into more easily digested portions. Many brands are using furthermore augmented reality to promote new products and services. Augmented reality „augments“ viewer’s surroundings with new digital imagery and information. Closing the gap between online and offline experience will be a big step not only for online marketing, but for Internet in general. The Internet of Things (IoT), for example, is about to create a completely new kind of environment and marketers will have to keep up with its rapid development.

What's on your radar for 2015? Let us know in the comments.