Social and economic uncertainty continues to shape the business landscape across all industries, but there’s reason for cautious optimism. From the pandemic and geopolitical instability to supply-chain issues and the global war for talent, businesses have been faced with unprecedented challenges and opportunities over the past three years. Through it all, there’s been a clear directive: put people first — both customers and employees.
Smart leaders will double down on this credo in 2023.
As many businesses are rolling out their marketing plans for 2023, we suggest focusing on impact and results through human-centric and purpose-centric marketing initiatives. Our team has identified five leading trends that can help you grow your brand and business while expanding reach, increasing loyalty, and building stronger relationships with customers and employees.
There’s a New Hero in Town
The time has come to rethink traditional brand storytelling. In 2023 and beyond, customers will become the “hero" of the most compelling brand stories. Now an active participant, instead of a passive observer, the “Customer Hero" will actively co-create the brand story and be given ways to interact with brands to elevate their experience. Companies that do this best will win the hearts, minds, and dollars of the customers they serve.
Authentic Brands
In a crowded marketplace, brands that lead with authenticity and purpose will rise above the competition, grow their market share, and attract (and retain) the best talent. It’s no longer just about “what we have to offer” — “who we are” is equally important. Short, cinema-quality videos can quickly tell your story and highlight the “why” that shapes everything you do. Likewise, social media channels offer opportunities to humanize your brand, engage with followers and provide a deeper glimpse into company culture and values.
The CEO as Chief Brand Ambassador
Big brand CEOs have long been the flag-bearers for their enterprises; but in 2023, a variety of forces will converge to elevate the voice of small and medium-sized company chief executives. With growing global and economic uncertainty, consumers will gravitate to the brands they believe in — and CEOs are the human face of the organizations they lead. Society increasingly wants leaders who are authentic, principled, and willing to stand up for what’s right. At the same time, the ongoing global talent shortage has emboldened the workforce. Top talent won’t suffer a toxic work environment. CEOs, once again, can lead the charge when it comes to creating thriving organizational cultures.
Omnichannel Marketing
As technology integrates more and more into our daily lives, consumer behavior and expectations are rapidly changing. Audiences expect 24/7 access and interaction with your business, which requires a consistent and integrated approach to selling goods and services. Whether you’re a B2C or B2B organization, you need a customer-focused omnichannel marketing strategy that delivers holistic and seamless experiences across all channels, devices, and platforms. Moreover, by relying on data and analytics, your company communications need to reflect real-time knowledge of consumer preferences and purchases to provide hyper-personalization at every stage of the buyer journey.
Partnering with an external marketing agency brings unparalleled cost-savings and efficiency to internal marketing departments.
Hybrid Marketing Teams
With a tightening economy, we expect companies of all sizes — especially small and medium-sized businesses — to leverage a hybrid approach when it comes to building marketing teams. While it might be tempting to staff up an in-house marketing team that’s 100% focused on your business, a fractional model is infinitely more efficient and ultimately more cost-effective. Working with a fractional CMO and external agency can save critical resources — both time and budget — and bring a depth and breadth of expertise that can’t be matched by an internal team.
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