Trends to watch in marketing and advertising in 2024
How AI, creativity, sport and culture will join forces this year.
2023 was the year that The Machine dominated conversation. By The Machine, we are particularly talking about AI, but whether because of that (or just coincidentally), the other force we found to be at play is that we are seeking more human connections.
Cinema & Sport
We’ve been reading a lot in the last 6 months about the power of both of these mediums as one of the last true live shared experiences. As every other channel is becoming more fragmented, sport offers a single point in time, and cinema offers a moment in time, to connect.
As a channel for brands, they present enormous opportunities to be part of shared cultural experiences. Given we work A LOT in the sport space, the key is about finding a sport that connects with your audience and isn’t overly saturated by sponsorship. Netball is one that we have identified as having great potential (as well as NRL and Basketball of course!)
AI
We’re sick of hearing about it but it feels like this will be the NEXT BIG THING that actually sticks. It’s always fascinating to do a post-mortem of trend reports 12 months later and see what eventuated. Web3 was on everybody’s list last year but that was DOA and Meta’s Horizons World has quietly been sunsetted.
AI on the other hand as a tool not a fad is here to stay. It is already being integrated in everything from search engines to Canva.
The most interesting thing about AI as a trend is that we are learning what inputs are needed to get the most out of it. It’s like learning a new language and we have gone from speaking pigeon AI to being conversational. Those that become fluent will truly unleash its potential.
Sonic branding
This went from one to watch in 2023 to featuring highly on a lot of lists. It has gone from an afterthought to a critical part of a brand. We have a great relationship with sonic branding specialists Resonance here in Sydney. The work they do is best in class and well worth a click.
Brand collabs
The Barbie movie (see our email from August) has propelled this from small scale (often FMCG) partnerships to behemoths working together. One thing we have noticed is the rise in collaboration between brands housed under the same holding company. Once again, FMCG has been doing this for a while but we’re seeing it a bit in the luxury space too.
Our favourite of late has been Omega and Swatch. Omega (luxury brand) collaborating with Swatch (entry level) is surprising at first until you realise that Omega is owned by Swatch.
This launch saw queues stretching hundreds of metres outside stores in multiple countries around the world, all at the same time. We think this goes back to our previous point about the power of a live shared experience.
Creativity
It would be remiss of us not to mention this (for obvious reasons). We think the above factors present enormous opportunities creatively for brands. Now that we are finally accepting AI as a tool not a threat, creativity is cost of entry for brands. As everyone begins using the same tools, creativity becomes the magnifier to make truly effective work that cuts through.
