Marketing Predictions 2020-21

It’s back! Read what our marketing clients and candidates have thought of 2020 and what 2021 could bring for their sector as compiled by our Recruitment Board Director, Laura Walters. Read it from the marketeers who have been on the front line of urgent campaign changes, brand updates, team engagement issues and a pandemic, all in the backdrop of a pending departure from the EU. 

Never a dull moment. What a rollercoaster!

The Travel Industry - Icelolly and challenges with Digital Acquisition vs Brand

Simon Lloyd. CMO at travel brand Icelolly.com is only too aware of the challenges that 2020 has presented us and what this means going into 2021,

‘As with any extreme or extraordinary event, change happens at an accelerated rate and everything has to adapt to survive. For marketing this has meant that brands have had to adapt quickly to how their current and future customers want to interact with them. In marketing terms there has been a bit of a divide between those businesses that have relied on performance and digital acquisition marketing versus those that have very strong brand heritage, relying on organic or traditional channels for customer acquisition and retention. The 2020 pandemic has shown that those brands that have not had sophisticated or advanced digital acquisition activities have had to rapidly develop these to compete and survive. Similarly though, brands that have been too heavily reliant on performance marketing and digital acquisition have found that as budgets have dried up and the cost of paid digital has increased they have realised that they need to strengthen their brand and organic activities so they are more resilient to change and less reliant on paid media. 2021 will therefore be a year of more blended and integrated marketing again which is only a good thing for all of us working in this fabulous discipline!’

Nicki Capstick from PrettyLittleThing agrees with Simon’s projection on brand, ‘I think in terms of 2021 predictions there is the ever growing challenge of staying ahead of the game but also reigniting some of the brand activity that we haven’t been able to do over the past 12 months due to Covid restrictions and whether we be able to do them at the same scale and with the same impact as previous years.’ Good luck Nicki, we look forward to brand activity from PrettyLittleThing.

A view from the Health & Fitness Industry

Rich Higham, Digital Marketing Manager at Ultimate Performance puts an interesting spin on what 2021 might look like, explaining marketers should look at people’s senses following what we’ve been through in 2021,

‘With most people on some form of lockdown for the majority of 2020, experiential marketing has an opportunity to entertain and add an element of joy back into people’s lives. How advertisers capture attention will be more important than ever in 2021. Appeal to the senses of sound, scent, taste as well as the more traditional visual to delight potential consumers.’ Looking into the year his advice is to, ‘Be meaningful. People reclaiming their time and focusing less of presenteeism in the office, adding value and being meaningful in comms will be a significant way to cut through the noise. Reactive and adaptive creative will be a big part in driving that meaningful exchange.’ It’s going to be really interesting to see the marketing outputs from Health & Fitness brands into 2021. 

For Parcel Delivery, 2020 has been about survival of the fittest

Angela Rhodes, Interim Head of CRM at Parcel2Go’s thoughts on 2020 explains how flexibility has been key in 2020, ‘All the predictions for 2020 pretty much went out the window at the start of the year and it’s been survival of the fittest. Those businesses that have shown that they can adapt their business model from the ‘normal’ environment to a Covid one thrived and did so by turning their whole business on its head. This year has been about going back to basics, understanding what the customer needs in this testing time, and how to get that to them, sounds simple surely?’

Focussing on 2021 and the part email will play in driving revenue Angela explains, ‘It will still be a year of uncertainty but what we have seen in 2020 is the resurgence of email marketing with the number of channels to communicate to customers vastly reduced. It has proven to be reliable and consistent for building and maintaining relationships, and helping to meet customers’ expectations, especially the need for transparency around products and service. I believe through personalised, targeted, brand relevant comms, email will continue to shine bright in 2021.’ Following the growth of e-commerce and the vital role deliveries have played in the supply chain, we know that this area will continue to boom in 2021 and beyond. 

B2B in electronics & e-liquids advise focus on retention and ‘local’ dialogue

Dan Roylance, Senior Global CRM Manager at Distrelec has his round up of 2020, ‘To say this year has been a challenge is an understatement! However, it has forced businesses to ensure the products and services they offer their customers are more relevant than ever. Businesses have had to adapt inventory to suit customer’s needs, changing how and what they market. While automation and personalisation of acquisition and retention channels have played an important part of marketing this year, the relationships brands have with their customers, particularly in the B2B space, have been vital in building the relevancy and impact of marketing activity. For many businesses the goal this year has been to ensure customers feel valued and protected as much as possible while they weather the storm.’

Giving his marketing predictions for 2021, ‘Automation and personalisation will continue to be pivotal as the C-Suite and Shareholders expect marketing budgets to work harder. I expect focus will be on existing customers and scaling back on costly acquisition activity and anticipate more from loyalty programs, retention and customer reactivation. I also expect businesses will pay special attention to the on-boarding of new customers as they work to push them to their next order.’ 

Jess McEwan, Creative Director at NextGEN360 sees 2021 as being the year of agility but says, ‘Quite frankly, who the hell knows what it will look like!’ Giving some thoughts she predicts, ‘Marketing spend will remain agile with the lion’s share being deployed to programmatic and social - with screen time is up 31% since March 2020, mobile users are the captive audience of Covid. Out of Home will undoubtedly suffer, and continue to offer bargain rates because quite frankly - who knows who and who won’t be “Out of Home” with the ever evolving tier system. If OOH is the channel of choice in categories of limited scope, it goes without saying that public transport and digital sheets are the safer bets over traditional paste billboards.’ Finally she thinks, ‘Those braving entrepreneurship next year will reap the rewards of the “local” dialogue despite utilising e-commerce over bricks and mortar - therefore probably not a bad time to increase shares in Shopify and other entry level platforms.’ Good luck all entrepreneurs in 2021, we salute you! 

The view from the mobile phone sector

Darren Kunar, CRM consultant at KTM Online (Fonehouse & Metrofone) has observed a lot whilst busily working from home, ‘Well, what can we say about 2020? Nothing remains the same. Working from home appears to be the new norm and I for one love it! Spend and marketing budgets across the country have been impacted and marketing strategies overhauled. Whether it's downsizing TV budgets, working with a reduced workforce, or completely changing campaigns, marketing teams have had to remain reactive to a Government that has moved the goal posts on more than one occasion.’

Looking toward 2021, he explains that the future looks set for the same uncertainty, ‘The breakthrough of a vaccine alongside a Deal/No Deal Brexit will be the biggest drivers. The high street will no doubt have to play catch up to the increase of digital adopters, but we hope they can do so. The only true way for us to prevail as marketeers is to keep our customers front and centre of any marketing campaigns. Ensuring we understand their motives, fears and desires is paramount to success. Customer-centric marketing has never been so important.’ Good luck Darren! 

Home Improvements & Brexit

Clyde Vella, Head of eCommerce & Digital Marketing at Walton Flooring Centre says, ‘I believe that the habits formed during 2020 will create lasting effects. Firstly, consumers not used to shopping online have embraced e-commerce out of necessity and will continue using it long after the pandemic has passed. Secondly, consumers have gained a greater appreciation of their home and I do believe the property and DIY markets will continue to grow strong.’ Giving us his final thoughts, ‘My bonus prediction is that we will all be happy to see a steep decline in usage of the word "unprecedented", which has popped up far too many times in our inboxes.’ Thanks Clyde, it’s been an unprecedented year! 

Thank-you

Thanks to all our contributors for their thoughts on 2021, we wish you all the best for your businesses and most importantly hoping you smash your marketing targets! Good luck.

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