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Wondering what marketing trends you need to watch out for in 2023? Three years of pandemic, a succession of natural disasters, war in Europe and the associated increasing economic pressures have understandably had an impact on consumer confidence, businesses and household budgets. It’s clear that 2023 will present its own unique challenges but there’s also light ahead!

2023 MARKETING TRENDS

Wondering what marketing trends you need to watch out for in 2023? While the saying goes that “the best way to predict the future is to create it”, keeping an eye on market, competitor and consumer trends will certainly give you a head start!

Three years of pandemic, a succession of natural disasters, war in Europe and the associated increasing economic pressures have understandably had an impact on consumer confidence, businesses and household budgets. It’s clear that 2023 will present its own unique challenges but there’s also light ahead!

Here’s our forecast for the 5 top marketing trends for 2023:

  1. Data, data, data! Consumer confidence has been shaken by public data breaches, and sophisticated email, messaging & phone phishing scams. Coupled with these consumer concerns? The challenges of marketing in a post-cookies world and upcoming changes to the Privacy Act. As CEO of the Association for Data Driven Marketing Andrea Martens recently wrote here, “2023 is going to be Regulationageddon”. This will have significant implications for businesses on how we safely collect, store, manage and ultimately destroy consumer data, and it will be more important than ever to clearly communicate these processes and security measures with customers.
  2. Tailored branded content remains crucial for driving reach and engagement. Consider how you can develop and optimise short video, user generated and native content for your brand. Always remember the golden rules… a mobile-first approach, must effectively convey your message with and without sound, include your key message in the first 3 seconds and keep it short and snack-able where possible. With tighter marketing budgets, consider using a brand device (the Nike swoosh, Rexona tick, Telstra music), consistent imagery and messaging to drive memorability and improve ROI.
  3. Consider how you can integrate social responsibility throughout your business. When it comes to sustainability, championing a cause or sponsoring a local team or event, it isn’t enough to simply stick your logo on t-shirts and encourage staff to get involved. Authenticity and follow through matters. For example if you’re sponsoring an event for International Women’s Day for a local women’s shelter, then consider offering a paid internship, scholarship or mentoring program for women rebuilding their lives from a violent relationship. Organise a team day volunteering at their premises, create a program which provides some pro-bono support for their clients and put policies in place in your workplace to support staff and clients in similar circumstances.
  4. Whether you’re working in the food industry, fashion or manufacturing, expect increased supply chain scrutiny. Consumers are looking for brands which reflect their values… from farmgate to plate in produce to anti-slavery policies for textiles, to sustainable ingredients and materials. More and more alert to “greenwashing” and lack of authenticity, consumers aren’t afraid to name and shame businesses and brands that aren’t living their values. Consider how you can improve your supply chain, employment practices and product delivery to better align with your business values and vision, and signal that to consumers.
  5. With improved online measures comes smarter direct marketing. For most industries blanket marketing such as letterbox drops and the associated wastage and high cost per contact is a thing of the past. Email marketing, social media advertising and search marketing lead to greater opportunities for personalised communication tailored to different types of consumers, with messages varied to people at different stages of the sales funnel. While expensive CRM tools continue to boom, focusing on getting your messaging, tone and timing right will really shift the dial in terms of driving sales, and building loyalty.

The most important consideration for the new year? Building a network of expert support and resources to help navigate this fast-changing business environment. By positioning your business to tap into these trends in 2023, you’ll set your business up for success for today – and into the future! Need some help? Get in touch with [email protected] for engaging, cost-effective marketing plans which GROW your business