Our Top 10 Digital Marketing Trends & Predictions for 2014

The most exciting thing about the upcoming year is the paradigm shift that’s already begun. We are entering an age of

maturation in digital marketing. If there’s one prediction for 2014 we can count on, it’s that digital will continue to evolve

away from its former silo. More and more, brands are realizing that it’s no longer sufficient to simply slap on tactics. A greater

behavioral shift is forcing a more integrated way of thinking. It’s changing brands from a macro level, requiring

unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability. As the walls of communication and interaction between brands and

consumers continue to erode, those that don’t adapt will be left behind.

F O R E W O R D

1. CONNECTED DEVICE ADOPTION WILL INCREASE DRAMATICALLY

Consumers will continue to see the life-improving benefits of connected

devices. Adoption will increase through increased product availability (Nest,

Philips Hue, Roku) and integration with even the most mundane of hardware

(TV’s, appliances, garage door openers, power strips). Home automation will

no longer just be a tool of the wealthy. Cognitive computing and sensor-

enabled tracking add real-life value. Brands can take advantage of this

behavioral trend by offering campaigns that make use of touch devices as

remote controls for branded experiences. We have found they can be

effectively achieved in-browser without a full app download. We will start to

see more of these experiences in retail and live events in the coming year.

READ MORE CONNECTED DEVICES AND THE FUTURE OF USER EXPERIENCE

2. WEARABLE TECH WILL BEGIN TO ENTER MAINSTREAM

The Google Glass Explorer program built a lot of hype around wearable

tech in 2013. It was a sort of early proof-of-concept for a future of

inevitable breakthroughs. More wearable devices have begun to pop up,

and although Google has not yet announced a release date for Glass -

many believe it will be available to the public sometime in 2014. As price

points for these devices begin to drop, we’ll begin to see more than just

early adopters sporting fashionable tech. The market is expected to grow

to more than $19 billion by 2018. Progressive brands will follow the lead

of innovators like Nike in releasing their own hardware, as well as

developing apps for smart watches, Google Glass, and others.

VIEW LABS PROJECTS CAMELBAK THIRST & YALE FOOTBALL

3. WITH PRIVACY CONCERNS AT FEVER PITCH, BRANDS WILL NEED TO OVERCOMPENSATE

With the NSA, Edward Snowden, and concerns of online privacy hitting the press en masse in 2013, the average consumer

enters 2014 more cynical than ever. In fact, roughly 9 out of 10 adults online have some privacy concerns. Most brands

already do a sub-par job of quelling privacy concerns with digital campaigns, contests, opt-ins, and other interactions. The

consumer is going to be less likely than ever to blindly accept Facebook Extended Permissions or to opt-in to an SMS

campaign. Instead of avoiding effective engagement channels, brands must over-index on reassurance and better

communicate what they will and won’t do with personal information. Most consumers are willing to give up some privacy

when the implications are clear. When those implications aren’t communicated properly, the fear of the unknown sets in

and the assumptions are usually worse than reality.

4. MARKETERS WILL DEMAND MORE REACH FROM ONLINE VIDEO CONTENT

A recent Pixability study unearthed an alarming statistic: of the content

published by Top 100 Interbrand Global Brands on YouTube, 50% of

videos had less than 1,000 views. That’s despite huge investments in

creative and production. Brands still have a muddy view of online video

ROI, an almost-mythical disillusionment on “viral”, and insular digital

media buying habits. To remain competitive, brands need to be more

scrappy in releasing online video content, while backing up their

initiatives with smart paid support. The shiny-object novelty of online

video is beginning to fade, and marketing managers will need to start

demanding more performance from their investments.

READ MORE P.O.S.E. FOR YOUTUBE SUCCESS

5. TEENS WILL CONTINUE TO GRAVITATE TOWARDS SELF-DESTRUCTING SOCIAL

There’s good reason Facebook dangled $3B in front of SnapChat in 2013.

While it may seem like a monumental amount of money, Facebook

continues to struggle to maintain the teenage market. The appeal of

rapidly growing apps like SnapChat and WeChat is not necessarily what

they do, but what they don’t leave behind. Today’s teens don’t want to

leave a running log of incrimination that parents and authority figures

can find, and that’s exactly what Facebook and Twitter do. Facebook has

already begun to try to adapt to this movement by introducing

Instagram Direct, a private group messaging feature in its Instagram

app. There’s an overall scaling back of mass social media and a move

into micro-communities and tribes. It’s an important lesson to learn as

brands seek new ways to market to the elusive youth demographic.

6. GUILT-FREE CONSUMERISM IS THE NEW LUXURY

2013 was the year that saw Tesla’s stock hit a high of $192.50, a

nearly 600% increase in value from the year’s first trade.

Indicators like TSLA hint at guilt-free consumerism expanding.

What was once a trend among Millenials is now becoming

commonplace among older demographics, as Baby Boomers

exert their spending power. These consumers are willing to

spend considerably more money on products they feel

good about purchasing. Sustainable, made local, zero waste,

proceeds to non-profit. Altruistic tenets are driving big

spending. Brands that embody these values will sustain (no pun

intended) a higher price tag. A fine line will need to be balanced

between genuine values and commercial exploitation,

especially on the campaign level.

7. GOOGLE WILL TAKE A BIG BLOW AT TRADITIONAL TV

Or at least attempt to. Google recently reorganized its ad group to better service brands. In 2014, Google will attempt to make YouTube more

competitive for advertisers by making it more like TV as we know it. The video giant is making moves like embracing Nielsen OCR, improving content

(and therefore audience) segmentation, encouraging upfront deals with media buyers, and making the experience more TV-like in general. A move of

this scale will only increase tension between streaming services, content providers, and networks. Expect the content war to heat up in 2014.

8. BRANDS WILL NEED TO MAKE TOUGH CHOICES TO STAY COMPETITIVE IN SOCIAL

In this day and age, brands needs to pivot on a dime to be effective

in ever-changing social channels. The needs for faster response

time, more nimble content, and a lean-forward strategy have

increased. The number of social networks that beg for attention

continue to grow. In 2014, the notion of a single community

manager handling social for a brand is seen as increasingly

impractical. Up to 23% of brand managers are struggling to

execute. Social is a mix of art, copy, strategy, customer service,

listening, personality, and a nice dose of pop culture. The problem

exists that ill-equipped agencies are still attempting to land grab

social and dedicated social agencies are still a relatively new breed.

2014’s scrappy social team can scale to provide quality content

quickly, while constantly adapting to the social landscape.

9. TARGETED, CONTEXTUAL, SOCIAL ADS WILL CONTINUE TO GAIN GROUND

The old school Flash banner’s days are numbered. Namely because they’re

built on a dying platform. HTML5 ad units will become commonplace to

solve the Flash issue on tablets, but the pressure will be to push more

relevance. Basic banner ads aren’t keeping up, and consumers are twice as

likely to be influenced by targeted ads. Consumers are becoming more

accustomed to native and contextual advertising. Facebook is littered with

sponsored content. Pre-roll and interstitial ads are just a by-product of web

browsing. Whereas a few years ago such intrusions were met with rage,

most users have accepted them - even embraced them when the content is

relevant. And while impressions are more expensive, their performance

speaks for itself. That said, display ads aren’t going anywhere - but expect

increased demand for better targeting (and re-targeting).

10. NON-RESPONSIVE WEB EXPERIENCES WILL BEGIN TO FEEL ANTIQUATED TO USERS

Many major brands made the shift to fully responsive sites in the past year or so.

Others are following suit, and we’re seeing marketers begin to demand #rwd.

Even your local web designer is starting to see the value in selling responsive

templates to their clients. What was once a specialty of most savvy digital

specialists is now something that average shoppers are going to expect when

they’re doing research at the grocery store. Consumers now access the web on

mobile devices 28% more often than on desktops. Those legacy mobile sites are

going to seem more and more dated, and consumers are going to start to expect

the same content they get on a full site on their mobile browser in a readable

format. Deny them that, and you risk looking quite old-fashioned.

VIEW LABS PROJECT GUMBY FRAMEWORK

Founded in 2007 in New Haven, CT, we are a full-service agency driven by the relentless urge to move brands forward. Built from the need for greater effectiveness, we’re a passionate group of visionaries, technophiles, and strategists. We’re digital savvy, but channel agnostic. We’re low on fluff and hell bent on doing great work. We aim for innovation and disruption without hesitation.

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Written By @rkurfehs with Contributions from @petesena & @digitalesquire

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