Digital Marketing Trends: What to expect from 2022

The end of end of third-party cookies, the experience and Artificial Intelligence: discover the main digital marketing trends for this year.

All marketers know that their job must change and adapt to the market’s speed, which is often faster than the speed of light, following marketing trends. And in 2021, it was possible to prove how quickly this adaptation had to be made. We can even say that we are no longer in the process of the digital transition. We are in a world where Phygital is more than a trend: it is a “new normal”.

In the last year, marketing management professionals have embraced digital transformation to such an extent that the leap is estimated to have been more than 7 years. However, some saw the pandemic as a chance to “make the leap” digitally and shift entirely physical scenarios to hybrids. Others saw digital engagement numbers with the market decline. They were forced not to take for granted commonplaces when it comes to strategic and corporate decisions.

Keeping up with changes can be quite complex, but to make a difference to the market, it is essential to be ahead of them.

So you can design a solid strategy for 2022, we’ve put together a set of four major marketing trends that will dominate this year. Let’s do it?

1. Purpos has become a buying factor

According to Deloitte’s Global Marketing Trends 2022 report, the lasting relationship between price and quality remains a priority at the time of purchase.

However, further analysis shows that “purpose” oriented purchasing criteria still exist.

A brand’s purpose concerns the code of ethical and moral values that a company embodies and communicates at all points of contact with the market. In the same report mentioned above, there are already some important data regarding purpose:

• 25% of young people under 25 see sustainability as a fundamental purchase criterion in the Beauty and Personal Care categories;
• 29% see “safe experience” as a top travel purchase criteria;
• 42% are more loyal to brands that commit to social inequalities.

Customer Experience

Although there’s no representative data for now, the truth is that it brings important discussions for the future. With this visible space purpose” variable as a purchase decision maker, it is important for managers to have an integrated approach when selecting its brand or businesses purpose.

This holistic approach implies alignment across the company, both internally and externally. You can’t stop at just an isolated act or a moment of service provision.

Choosing a purpose requires attention, from the delivery of the product to the service provided in a physical store and/or online. Creating KPIs such as NPS surveys, for example, can help outline a more integrated approach to your purpose.

A clearly defined purpose resonates with customers. Therefore, no one better than a marketing manager to bring a unique purpose to the brand he manages.

2. Embrace the market in a cookieless world

We have already shared the news here on our blog – Google announced the end of third-party cookies in 2024. This type of cookies are stored in a different domain from yours, the so-called first party data. They are used to track users across sites and display more relevant ads based on their behavior.

According to consultancy Gartner, the abolition of third-party cookies could decrease frequency capping by up to 90%. Although there are other options from Google, such as the Privacy Sandbox, the truth is that a reactive posture is increasingly needed to better control these future changes.

We also talked about it on our blog, but the only safe bet in this scenario of ending third-party cookies is the focus on first party data. That is, it impacts all types of data that it may collect, whether physically or online. The bet on a first party data strategy implies a safe and qualified data collection, since they are related to your audience and the interest in your offer.

We can consider the following sources of information as first-party data:

Online:

• Interactions on the website or app;
• Online store behavior;
• Contact Form submission;
• Support requests.

Offline:

• Visit the store;
• Behavior in store;
• Point of sale payment information.

By combining the best of both worlds and the different sources of information, it is possible to know the customers’ purchase history, whether they are part of a loyalty program, in addition to user’s demographic and personal information.

One way to achiece this, cross-reference and interpret the data collected is to bet on a Customer Data Platform. This type of platform can process millions of lines of information in less than 5 seconds, to quickly eliminate potential bottlenecks in customer communication. From the support service, which is able to know customer’s contact history, to the marketing sector, which is able to have a more comprehensive and accurate view of the customer. It is possible to know purchase frequency, average purchase ticket, among other data.

By focusing your efforts on creating a first data strategy, marketing managers are able to create more chances of market reach, cultivating unique, qualified and secure data insights.

3. Experiences based on Artificial Intelligence

We thought of including this trend in the course of the previous one. However, it seems important to us to pay more attention to the immense value that a first party data strategy can add to a business and/or brand.

By gathering data on customer engagement with your business, it is possible to extract important insights into points of improvement, chances of upselling, etc. The accuracy and relevance of this data helps marketers deliver more meaningful and engaging customer experiences across multiple channels. Thus, data becomes a competitive advantage.

4. The right offer, at the right time

About 46% of respondents in Falcon’s “Digital Marketing Trends” study say that most of their online purchases are based on the relevance of the offer. E-mail and SMS channels stand out. In these, respondents confessed that the offer, such as the purchase completion email and/or recommendation of products similar to those recently purchased, makes them feel unique to the brand in question.

This relevance can thus be built through Artificial Intelligence. Through the first-party data strategy, AI helps generate new buying opportunities, as, for example, with the Next Best Offer algorithm. It will be able to predict when a customer’s next purchase will be, allowing the manager to take a more active attitude, creating new purchase opportunities in that period of time.

Summing up:

Creating the best experiences for your customers requires having the best possible market data on your side. In a year that has passed full of uncertainties, it is the data collected internally that will provide the necessary support to your new year’s strategy.

It is these same data that allow us to better understand the market, its habits and customs. The bet on a first party data strategy next year guarantees relevance and accuracy of the offer in a short term, but will allow us to draw significant conclusions in the medium and long term.