Marketing for the Future: Innovate and Thrive!

Marketing has always been a constantly evolving field, but the events of the last two years have pushed the industry into an entirely new era. Some may even coin it “A Novel Era.” As a result, businesses are being forced to rethink their approach to marketing and adjust their strategies to keep up with the rapidly changing customer expectations. Today, we’ll explore how the “New Marketing Mindset” is changing the game and what businesses can do to stay ahead of the curve.

Trends Redefining the Marketing Landscape

Let’s get a better understanding of the latest shift in marketing, with a few trends that are redefining the industry. Digital futurist Brian Solis suggests that three key trends are transforming the marketing landscape: generative artificial intelligence (AI), Apple’s augmented reality (AR) and digital humans. These trends are all changing how businesses connect with their customers and how they make decisions.

Generative AI has officially gone mainstream. It’s WIDELY discussed. ChatGPT is free and open to the public, and businesses are building innovative solutions to harness its power.

Augmented reality is not new, but the theory is that with major brands like Apple making it more available to the public, consumers will soon become accustomed to AR solutions in their daily lives from testing out new products before purchasing, to education and training, to plain and simple super cool games.

Digital humans are virtual AI characters resembling humans that are specifically created to engage with people. They’re used as virtual assistants, customer support representatives, instructors for training and education, fictional characters for entertainment, presenters in promotional videos for marketing and sales, and some have even busted into the influencer game as digital influencers.

Connect Today, Thrive Tomorrow

As consumers become more accustomed to interacting with the world through tech solutions, businesses need to understand how that will change the way customers connect with the world around them. Businesses today must open their minds to this 2030-level tech transformation that has jumped the gun and arrived way early. As Brian Solis would say, “It’s time to start thinking about how the medium is the message, and the way you use tech to interact with people is an essential consideration in how your business connects with its audience.”

There are a couple of ways to shake things up and make changes that’ll transform your business. First, you can speed up the digitization of your existing processes, but don’t be afraid to hit “ctrl+alt+delete” and start fresh to really make an impact. Another way is to get innovative and come up with something new that’ll benefit your business, even if it’s not necessarily new to your customers. Innovation is all about creating value, while iteration is all about improving what you’ve got. Whichever approach you take, make sure you’re open to new ideas and willing to think outside the box to stay ahead of the game.

Customer 2.0: The Future is Now

If businesses want to attract the customers of the future, they need to start prioritizing the overall customer experience. It’s not just about what people think of you, but how they feel in the moment and what they remember after the fact. Everything from your marketing to your packaging to your customer service and checkout process contributes to these emotions, but it’s a team effort… no one person is solely responsible. The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is the one tasked with driving growth, which means finding ways to do more with less. Personalization is a hot topic, but it really just boils down to knowing your customers inside and out — their history, preferences and how they move through the buying process. At the end of the day, businesses should be aiming for a specific outcome and comparing themselves to top performers in other industries.

Tech’s Impact: Reshaping the Customer Experience

As technology evolves, so do our customers’ behaviors, and businesses need to keep up if they want to stay in the game. The development and eventual adoption of the Metaverse XR will be a game-changer. People will be immersed in a virtual world, reacting to virtually designed brands and worlds in a 360 view that completely feels real in the strangest way!

By going back to the basics and tweaking things here and there, businesses can create unforgettable experiences for their customers. Once people get used to being immersed in virtual worlds, it will change how they respond to emails and online shopping. Businesses need to think about how their customers are affected by what is now pretty common tech.

One that is already here and widely adopted is TikTok. The short video format, personalized algorithms and quick scrolling content rewires the brain to crave instant gratification and personalization, making us digital narcissists who want things to be fast and easy.

Think New, Innovate Now

To stay ahead of the curve, businesses need to be innovative and focus on creating a customer experience that is new and different. Focus on finding the “essence” or “spirit” of your product or service that people will connect with. Customers have changed their buying habits in the last 18 months, and the pandemic has opened their minds to new possibilities. Businesses must break through the TikTok brain and get customers to stop and pay attention by being the breath of fresh air they need.

Ready to future-proof your marketing strategy? Contact Kinetic today for a consultation on how to prioritize customer experience and embrace innovation to stay ahead of the curve. Let us help you capture the essence of what makes your customers tick and thrive in today’s fast-paced world.