5 Brand Trends in 2020 You Need To Know

We’re well into the first month of 2020 and already new brand trends are popping up that you have to pay attention to. These may be new categories but definitely worth the note. Consumer needs are ever-changing and that will continue to apply indefinitely as we look to brands to make our lives better. Whether it’s in beauty, tech or foods there will be something new that’s born every quarter. 

Here are the top 5 trending categories we’re seeing in the marketplace: 

1. Intimacy School 

This one’s interesting, intimacy is definitely recession-proof as we’re all looking for ways to connect with one another whether it’s through technology or face to face. In 2020 we’re going to witness a backlash to the loneliness epidemic that plagues us as a society. Similar to how mindfulness is a trend we will start seeing more organizations teaching us how to build deeper bonds, be vulnerable and have meaningful conversations. We’re going to get schooled on how to be human again. 

2. Frozen Foods 

Frozen foods usually get a bad wrap, but it’s going to experience a renaissance in 2020. Consumers are seeking more and more convenient ways of eating that reduces waste. Frozen fruit and vegetables have become a convenient way to introduce micronutrients into consumers’ diets while remaining open to trying new healthy frozen meals. Frozen food start-ups are now providing plant-based or gourmet meals to update convenience food. People will also challenge consumerism and bring their attention to self-sufficiency.   

3. Nanoswimmers 

Beauty has been an explosive category in the last five years so it’s time to take it to the next level. Nanoswimmers are tiny robots that are used to deliver ingredients, medicine, or nutrients from inside the body. Though this technology is still in its infancy it holds a lot of promise because it avoids invasive procedures. Injectable “beauty bots” may be the wave within the next decade or so.  

4. Dressing Above The Keyboard

As the work from home workforce rises, on-screen meetings have become the norm. Above the keyboard is designed to focus above the waist while “off-screen” (below the waist) is all about comfort. It’ll focus on statement pieces that enhance the neckline and sleeve shapes. Shoes and bags will become less important while bold jewelry especially earrings and necklaces will become the focal point. 

5. Digital Fragrance

Yes, you heard it right! As of now, it’s projected that by 2030, digital smell technology could allow odors to be transmitted in online chats. How will this work? Machine-learning algorithms will analyze structures of scent molecules, predict their smells, and send it digitally. The digital scent will also have wellness applications to interiors, at home, in the office and even cars. This will allow for scents to be digitally tweaked. Downloaded digital fragrances will be used to enhance positive behaviors such as good sleep or cognitive alertness. This may be a technology that could be well adapted in the hospitality industry. 

3 Things We Learned About Brands During NYFW

Fashion Week in NYC just wrapped up with tons of cool new looks, celebrity sitings, and most importantly interesting brand experiences. The week-long fashion festivities brought people together from all over the world and it was also a chance for brands to showcase their newest product. Here’s what we learned at Fashion Week. 

EXPERIENTIAL POP-UPS ARE A THING

Brands are breaking tradition and looking for new ways to engage customers by inviting them to be part of an experience. For example, Showfields created a space where many Indie brands across a variety of industries had a chance to showcase their products. Each station had a story attributed to a brand that was part of a guided tour. Other pop-ups such as Shopbop and Mejuri were the most popular event influencers attended. These pop-ups made the experience available to influencers over a number of days in order to maximize social media presence throughout the week. 

BRAND VALUES DO MATTER

The new generation of buyers is interested in fashion but more so they want to know how fashion will share in cultural moments and that is why socially-conscious fashion speaks to this generation. Many influencers are not only challenging mainstream fashion but also beauty brands and they are interested in representing brands that share their values and think about the greater picture of how these brands build their businesses. 

SUSTAINABILITY

Consumers have long been taking advantage of fast-fashion that’s dedicated to a balance of trending and affordable. Now more than ever with the rise of global concern for the environment, many consumers are turning to rental services to satisfy their fashion needs. While other consumers are selecting to spend their dollars with brands that are sustainable or brands that sport vintage merchandise. 

These trends aren’t just specific to fashion but across the board brands in every industry are starting to recalibrate the way they are building brands. The days of simply creating ads are long gone as marketing is a cohesive practice of implementing social impact strategy, building brand values and actively listening to what consumers want and need. 

7 Marketing Trends Brands Can't Ignore

The marketing landscape is changing at what seems like lightning speeds. It seemed like it was just yesterday when banner ads seem to be the hottest thing. Fast forward and we’re now debating all types of different content and if they are still even relevant to consumers. 

As we shift in the way we as consumers consume content, brands need to be nimble enough to shift alongside their customers to meet their needs. If all this seems daunting or scary to you don’t fret, technology can not and will not take over the human to human interaction. Matter of fact human interaction will still be key but technology will just be a conduit or complement to human interaction. 

So what’s really shaping up to be some of the marketing trends that we no longer can ignore? Here are the top 8 marketing trends brands need to pay attention to:

1. Voice Search 

This category isn’t going away, a matter of fact it’s going to be growing even more so. Think Alexa and Siri. With the increasing popularity of voice search make sure your brand is optimizing all or part of your content marketing. So what do you optimize for search? Well to start with, the important aspect of your business, the short blurb that shows up on search results. 

2. Relevant and Creative Content 

Consumers are still interested in content that will relate to them. Relevant content is shown to increase sales and create original content that positively engages your customers. 

3. Different Content-Length To Better Connect 

Today our customers will connect with you differently so by making sure that you have content at every length and style is going to be key. Some customers are still into the old fashioned reading a blog post while others want to listen in on a podcast driving to work. Or maybe they want to watch a 15-second video. Whatever content you create keep in mind that different customers want different types of content. 

4. Engagement Is The New Metric 

It’s easy to buy followers now and brands are starting to get hip to the game so they are now using engagement as one of the measures of success. Based on recent study brands across industries are stating that look for 3% or more engagement rate when working with influencers. 

5. Social Media Stories 

Lately with all the algorithm changes on Instagram has many of us a bit lost in the sauce. But do start to take a look at integrating social media stories into your marketing campaign. It’s a fun and quick way that customers get a glimpse of your brand. 

6. Choose The Right Influencers 

There are plenty of influencers out there who create all types of content. Make sure your brand is picking the right influencer(s) to align with your messaging. Do some research about your picks. 

7. Rise of AI

AI is a growing category as it can collect large amounts of data for businesses. If left to humans it would take a lot of manpower and not to mention hours to collect all the information. AI is also a tool that businesses are using to create lead generation. 

2019 Customer Experience Trends You Won't Want to Miss

The end of Q4 is fast approaching and brands are gearing up for holiday sales while vying at 2019 trends. This year we started to see a shift in brands where the focus is mainly on customer experience. It’s not something new but today’s consumer is asking for a whole different type of experience than say five years ago.

Consumers want to be part of the brand journey, they want to be part of your brand story and most importantly they want to be seen and heard. It means that your brand will need to reshape the way it connects with customers.

Here’s what’s on the horizon for 2019 customer experience trends:

1. Employee Influencer Marketing

We’ve all heard about the wild success of influencer marketing but this is also a category that is becoming quickly saturated. So brands are starting to look inward towards their own employees as influencers. This strategy has plenty of benefits from promoting employee loyalty to cutting cost.

2. Verbal Intelligence

This is a category that will continue to grow year after year so it’s pertinent that brands think about how to integrate this function into their brand experience.

3. Chatbots

Consumers today are no longer demanding but requiring instant gratification and that goes for customer support. Consumers want to be able to instantly access information and help so employing chatbots (if it makes sense for your brand) will be another avenue to grow your customer experience.

4. Sharing Economy

We’ve all heard the saying, “sharing is caring,” and the sharing economy has been a consistent rising star. This trend is mostly driven by Millennials who see this not just as an economic way of living but also as a way of sharing trusted information. It speaks to the fact that our consumers are needing instant gratification, hence brands such as Uber, Netflix, Amazon have become widely popular. It’s through one click of a button that the customer can attain their wants.

5. Know Your Customer

It’s no longer about fitting your customer into a bucket of statistics, you need to get to know them. In order for brands to have longevity in the marketplace, they need to know about their customers’ lives. What problems are they facing, who are they, what are their personalities and many more details which can not be ascertained through simple numbers. Therefore when brands paint a precise picture of who their customers are it creates a personal connection. It also makes personalization of your product or services much easier. This rising demand is prevalent as customer seek out brands that will change their lives for the better.