Creative in 2022 (and Beyond!)

Our Creative Recruitment Manager, Katy Nagy, recaps the creative landscape in 2021 and looks forward to predict what next year has in store for the industry.

Katy Nagy - Creative Recruitment Manager

2021 - what a year! Cuthbert the Caterpillar was jailed. England nearly won the Euros. Over 8 billion people were vaccinated across the globe. And I started here at The Candidate!

But what happened in the creative space?

Disruption seems to be the word on everyone lips. Gone are the days of shoving out a tear-jerking TV commercial; creative has never been more digital.

The birth of TikTok in 2017 initially was saw people dancing, creating Vine-esque comedy shorts, and lip-syncing to your favourite song. Now, thousands of brands are successfully using the app to engage their target audiences. 62% of TikTok users classed themselves a Gen Y or Z and many companies have utilised this platform to attract their younger audiences, often without the viewer even knowing it’s an ad!

Lockdown has also meant that brands have shifted their advertising budget to focus on more socially led campaigns. There’s been a mass hiring for individuals skilled in Motion, UX, and all round Digital. Print will never be dead, and research has shown that this form of advertising creates a stronger emotional connection with readers, vs digital only content. However, further lockdowns and working from home will mean the opportunity for customers to gain access to print materials will be fewer.

Shifting back to TikTok and other similar apps. Due to the large amount of content now available online, consumers are becoming less and less receptive to the idea of long commercial videos. They want something fast, concise, and that grabs their attention within seconds. With the introduction of reels and stories across Instagram, Facebook, and even LinkedIn, brands and users can create playful experiences for everyone.

So what’s next? What will 2022 bring?

The biggest trend from 2021 was artificial intelligence (AI). It allows brands to target even more specific audiences that ever before, and will likely be exploited further in 2022.

Programmatic ads mean more exciting trends on the horizon; voice search and voice commands (thinking about your Alexa in the corner!). We can expect brands to be super interested in developing their won voices apps to put customers in contact with business easier and more frequent, boosting communication and customer experience.

Many industry experts also predict that marketing will be less about the product, and more about the customer’s needs. Big data has made it possible to create hyper-personalised experiences based on the customer’s online activity. By understand their needs more and adapting their advertising, companies can create better brand loyalty and more meaningful interactions.

What does this all mean?

Ultimately, companies need to stay ahead of the curve and create a long term strategy in order to do this. Don’t just hop on the latest fad – think about how your internal teams are structured and what areas you might need to bulk out on. Do you have the right talent to create stunning and successful campaigns across digital and social?

Here at The Candidate we are always on hand to discuss your hiring needs. If you’re looking for advice, insights, or need some help on a vacancy, give us a call!

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