Jan 03, 2020
Over the last two months, we at TopRight have been doing lots of research—in between Christmas shopping and holiday party attending, of course—on what we’re likely to see take shape in 2020 with regards to marketing. Fashions, passions, fads, trends, inspirations, disruptions—call them what you will. 2020 is bound to be a red-letter year for transformative digital and even traditional marketing methods.
If you’re curious to know what we discovered and wrote about, check out our posts. Click on the links and read the full articles below!
And starting January 2020, we will be pursuing a new theme: Marketing Influence and Impact. What’s cultural influence, after all, as opposed to say market influence? What does an ideal influencer look like, and does influence of any kind amount to real impact? Which brand had more impact in the past fifty years—Coca-Cola or Red Cross? And does impact amount to profit?
These and related interesting questions will be our guide until the end of February. And if you haven’t yet, please do sign up for our blog. Or, give CEO Dave Sutton a shout on Twitter or LinkedIn any time.
Without further ado, please enjoy TopRight’s 2020 Marketing Trends Roundup!
CEO Dave Sutton wrote about the unstoppable cannabis industry.
“America, get ready for a whole new USA. Whether we elect a democratic socialist or a conservative republican in 2020, the country that once gave us the infamous Puritan booze-basher Carry A. Nation will more resemble Amsterdam than you ever thought possible. … My foresight on this, and my choice to draw up this post, is not based on a mere overabundance of enthusiasm. Recent policies have been changing in significant ways and I’m here to tell you about them and why they’re important. All of them have to do with domestic shifts in regulations that you should know about whether you’re a vendor, a marketer, or a—ahem—consumer.”
VP of Sales Connor Reddick wrote about how to turn chaos into success in 2020.
“Now we’re faced with an unprecedented and dangerous shift in the control of global power, natural resources, and influence. But as bad as this sounds, I view it as a harbinger of what’s to come for markets in 2020. If you pay close attention, you’ll see the major lesson to be learned here is this: When crises breed uncertainty, only those who are calm and strategic will triumph.”
Partner Bill Price wrote about your 2020 destination plan.
“I’ve been planning for this very moment since last year. That’s right, it’s all in my old 2018 destination plan. That’s why fall is one of my favorite seasons, not just because of the big games and the changing leaves, but because my tasks, expectations, and strategies are mostly mapped out for me. And right now, of course, I’m busy preparing my 2020 plan, so I thought I’d share a few tips with you while I’m in the process. “
Principal Judi Friedman wrote about the customer “buyway.”
“When a brand doesn’t pay attention to the entire journey—including every step after purchase—there can be spectacular blowback, creating one of those terrible experiences that a (former) customer just has to tell the world about. And marketers must never forget that when negative word of mouth gets going there’s no stopping it. I call it the heaven-to-hell experience.”
CMO Chris Weissman wrote about the importance of tone, mood, and empathy in future marketing.
“In 2020, we’re going to face an historic election that will, inevitably, present us with both opportunity and risk. The ever-increasing level of vitriol you see out there will only work to further entrench that seemingly rigid line that divides America right now—if we let it. What marketing needs to do is step back and allow people a minor refuge from all the madness—a sort of “stop the insanity” moment—and be a bastion of peace and reason to consumers.“
TopRight Copy Chief Tyson Duffy wrote about what to expect from quantum computing:
“The World Economic Forum recently and very confidently announced that quantum tech is the “next wave of computers [that] will change the world.” But how true is this really? To understand the answer, you’ll need to keep four facts about quantum computing in mind, the aspects that aren’t getting as much air time as certain other things.”
Still want more? Check out these fantastic supplementary essays and articles from around the web!
Forbes on whether marketing talent is wasted in tech:
“This internally-focused mindset (on the development of products) versus an externally-oriented mindset (on the needs of consumers) means that marketers, in many cases, have limited roles in defining the product pipeline or innovation strategy in these firms.”
The New York Times on Disney’s marketing for its streaming services:
“Whether Disney has surmounted the tech hurdles remains to be seen. But no one is underestimating Disney Plus anymore, in part because the company has started to exercise its unrivaled marketing power.”
Inc. on marketing methods to adopt in 2020:
“With artificial intelligence, influencer marketing, and SEO dominating the online marketing space, it’s imperative for your business to be educated and prepared for upcoming shifts in marketing trends.”
business.com on the four big trends to start watching now:
“Approaching marketing with a broad-reach message can cause you to miss major opportunities to connect with your core users in a meaningful way.”
Near on all the best takeaways from Black Friday, 2019:
“To get a deeper understanding of consumer behavior this Black Friday, we analyzed the offline behavior of shoppers across the US who visited brands such as Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Costco and Sears. For a better understanding of consumer behavior, the study was conducted across five regions – West, North East, South Central, Midwest and South East.”
Care to learn more? Interested in signing up for our easy and awesome marketing health check? Well follow Dave Sutton @toprightpartner or visit him on LinkedIn. And if you still need another fix, grab a copy of Dave’s new book, Marketing, Interrupted.