The 12 Marketing Matters that Matter in 2020

1. The 12 Marketing Matters that Matter in 2020 Andrew Baxter has been successfully leading major professional services firms for well over a decade. This included time as the CEO at Ogilvy which saw the agency create iconic campaigns such as AAMI's “Rhonda and Ketut” and Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke”. He is a sought-after speaker on Marketing and Communications, and in 2017 was awarded the Australian Marketing Institute's Sir Charles McGrath Award for his significant contribution to the field of Marketing. Andrew unpacks the 12 marketing topics that should be top of mind for companies this year below. Brand trust Trust with customers is won in drops and lost in buckets. The small incremental surprises and delights for customers soon add up, as does dealing with issues genuinely and quickly. Trust fuels integrity, and integrity is the second-biggest driver of excellent customer experiences according to a recent KPMG report. Delivering on promises and doing the right thing are the major contributors to building trust, according to Edelman’s 2020 Trust Barometer. Influencers AI has also been behind the rise of influencer marketing platforms matching brands with influencers who develop content around the brand to share on social media — based on the awareness that word-of-mouth is still the strongest form of advertising. But watch out for deep fake technology that makes it hard to distinguish ¬ between Kim Kardashian supporting a product from a Kim ¬ Kardashian avatar supporting a rival. Digital media Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat are still growing their media revenues by more than 20 per cent year on year, and more than six in 10 marketers intend to spend more on podcast advertising ¬during the next 12 months. Google and Amazon are recording growth in digital media revenue of about 20 per cent and 40 per cent respectively but they are also investing heavily in AI. Launch of 5G As marketing becomes more personalised, particularly through smart phones, the ability of 5G to analyse more data from more places, more quickly, will provide brands with even better opportunities to engage with their customers, particularly when 5G will unlock the power of data from IOT devices such as beacons, buttons and smart chips. But 170 million 5G phones

2. around the globe by 2021, along with more than 25 billion IOT devices, will make it a reality at scale. Personalisation Personalisation was the number one driver of customer experience excellence in the KMPG report. A survey by Marketo found that just over 50 per cent of consumers were likely to switch brands if they did not receive personalised communications. Marketing technology investments should be made first with the customer in mind, and any cost efficiencies second. In many cases, coffee shops have been able to do this better than multinational companies. AI Google’s AI investment this year will be close to $US4 billion ($5.9bn) and Amazon’s close to $US1bn. Tech Republic predicts that AI will power 95 per cent of customer interactions by 2025. For marketers that mean AI can be used to help automate processes, as well as optimising marketing efforts and predicting marketing ROI. For marketers it means even more tools in their armoury; from chatbots, automated form filling to AI-created content, real-time AI-driven media buying, and predictive results. Voice search AI has powered the switch to using voice for searching the internet, rather than typing. According to Adobe, one in four people have placed a delivery order via their smart speaker, and nine in 10 say that voice is easier to use and saves time. This means big changes for search marketing, with voice responses meaning no first page of results and algorithms favouring home brands over traditional brands. Another Adobe study found 91 per cent of brands are making significant investments in voice: McDonald’s has invested significantly in AI voice technology to support its drive-through ordering. Read More…