Trends for 2014: Now what?

7 Feb 2014

It is of utmost importance for us marketers to know the trends and fully understand them. But should we all be following them like sheep?

There are worldwide, continent, country, industry, regional, channel etc. trends. It is a cliche, but we live in an "overload of information" era.

Marketing hasn't changed

Throughout the decades of marketing, it has often been the brands/companies that "bucked" the trends that have had huge impact on markets. Should we all be playing the same game? I don't think so. The basics of marketing have not changed.

Sure, we have new words, tools and channels, but knowing your brand and fully understanding your target audience is still critical to the success of any marketing. Then, find the right way/tools to communicate with them to build a long term relationship. By doing something different to your competitors, you will stand out.

With the advent of web sites, every brand had to have one. The same happened with Facebook and Twitter. Is this right for every brand and consumer? It all costs money and if all your competitors are doing it, what impact is your brand making? I can hear the answers; It is how you do it, What you do, How you manage it and of course, How creative you are!

Try something different

Please understand I am not knocking trends or social media, I am simply saying look at your brand and target market and try something different, or not.

You could do something bigger and better as Apple did with their Macintosh Super Bowl 1984 advertisement. It was already a trend for more than 10 years, but they just did it a hell of a lot better. Best of luck for 2014.