Nostalgia marketing increased by up to 88% in 2020.
Whether it was M.C. Hammer providing the soundtrack to a Cheetos addict who conveniently couldn’t touch anything with his cheesy fingers or the Mountain Dew ad that made everyone remember the terror of The Shining, brands found that nostalgia sells.
For the same reason everyone piled on a few extra pounds with comfort food, nostalgia-laden ads helped consumers tell themselves everything’s going to be okay.
Nostalgia marketing is just one trend that’s expected to continue growing into 2021. Here are four more:
More Emails and Texts
Forrester Research reports that in 2021, consumers can expect to receive about 40% more texts and emails from their favorite brands. Companies are using this format in an effort to connect more directly and personally with their audiences.
This trend is also a result of Google’s announcement that they’ll no longer support third-party cookies in a broader data deprecation trend. Companies are embracing approaches that center on brand loyalty programs that allow them to make the most of existing leads and contacts.
Social and Environmental Responsibility
Social Media Today reports that audiences are becoming more socially conscious, and brands are responding with an embrace of that awareness. It’s becoming more common for corporations to announce their position on certain topics, such as environmental causes or racial issues. Some of the biggest brands, including Nike and Netflix, publicly announced support for Black Lives Matter in 2020, and you can expect these trends to continue.
Authenticity Prioritized
Content will be more conversational, and user-generated content will become more prevalent as companies embrace the need for a more authentic brand experience. Eighty-six percent of brands actively reuse their audience’s images and videos, plus reviews to augment their traditional content. And for good reason: ads with user-generated content receive four times higher click-through rates, plus a 50% less cost-per-click rate when compared with traditional advertising.
There’s another advantage to capturing this trend for your brand: only 16% of companies have a user-generated content strategy, making it one of the biggest untapped opportunities in content marketing.
Gamified Brand Experiences
When makeup can be gamified, you know it’s a bona fide trend. Estee Lauder has an interactive arcade game that awards “youth generating power points,” which has proven to be a reliable method for capturing the attention of their audience.
The line between content marketing and gaming is becoming more blurred, creating a more all-encompassing brand experience. It’s no wonder this is a growth area, with 32% of people over the age of 13 identifying themselves as a gamer on social media.
Overall, trends for 2021 are shaping up to maximize brand experiences through more authentic and personalized content. Contact us at DirectMail.io to learn about our automated, omnichannel marketing platform designed to cultivate growth for your brand.
