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There is no question that 2020 was a pivotal year in history, but how it will affect the future remains largely to be seen. In digital marketing we notice the continuation and acceleration of many trends. Marketing professionals believe that the push of digital transformation is the greatest opportunity that arises from the current situation and gives us an indication of what the future might look like.

Which trends are changing the face of the marketing industry? This question is no less relevant in 2021 – especially now that the pace of digitization has accelerated in many sectors as a result of COVID-19. Marketers are increasingly switching to online marketing. Many marketers plan to focus more on communication platforms, online lead generation, and marketing automation in the future, and believe that virtual events will long complement traditional trade shows and events. In T-Systems’ virtual innovation center, for example, customers can take part in interactive workshops as 3D avatars in order to achieve realistic interaction experiences despite social distancing. No marketer these days can afford to ignore digital technology. This affects sales, customer and event communication and also drives the spread of technologies such as AR, AI and digital signage. At the same time, consumer demographics, media usage and buying behavior are changing, opening up new opportunities to shape digital marketing in the near (and distant) future.

A diverse growth industry

You may think that digitization has made everyone a marketer – and everyone who has ordered a product from Amazon knows how e-commerce works. But it’s not that simple, because the marketing landscape is becoming more and more diverse and specialized. According to ChiefMarTec for 2020 there are more than 8000 Martech solutions. That is 13.6% more than in the previous year and an impressive 5233% in the last ten years (2011: 150). The numbers for the data category with data collection and analysis tools show the fastest growth rate (+ 25.5% since 2019), followed by digital applications for projects & workflow and social & relationships. The latter also saw the largest growth in sub-categories in the Conversational Marketing & Chat space (+ 70%).

With the increasing number of solutions available, digital marketing seems to be getting cheaper and cheaper. That may be true by and large, but the experts are also aware that targeting and marketing automation solutions, as well as AR / VR apps or 3D worlds, are becoming increasingly user-friendly, and the latter in particular require a comparatively high amount of resources. This is a challenge in times of cost-optimized marketing budgets. Companies plan to invest more in digital channels in 2021, especially in search engines, social media, audio / video platforms and editorial websites.

Doesn’t AI care?

In 2020, the global growth in the use of AI software was 154% compared to the previous year. It is difficult to predict future predictions right now, but the use of AI for marketing applications is likely to become more widespread once the financial and legal issues are resolved. One of the applications is marketing automation. Your benefits range from the automated creation of content to personalized ads and 24-hour shopping. Experts also predict that chatbots will soon perform most of the customer service processes.

It’s widely believed that AI eliminates the need for human personnel – but that’s not true. A successful marketing automation concept requires competent specialists who understand and use all digital points of contact on the customer journey. The lack of skilled AI tech personnel is one of the main reasons companies are reluctant to invest in AI technology.

Personalized experiences

The households of the future will all have AI-supported smart speakers such as Amazon Alexa or Hallo Magenta from Telekom. Thanks to smartphones, virtual assistants are our constant companions and are constantly conquering new areas of our lives. For example, Amazon is working on integrating Alexa into vehicles. Voice-operated services can proactively suggest facilities in the area, e.g. B. Restaurants at lunchtime.

There are many ways to bring the real and digital world together. Smartphones can interact with digital signage at local retailers to display personalized live product advertisements based on Google or Amazon data combined with technology to detect gender, body shape or clothing style. AR marketing tools are also becoming increasingly popular. They show smartphone users live information or 3D maps so that they can find their way around local shops. Soon, AR ads like Google View 3D ads will start running on a regular basis. They offer customers a 3D experience of products in their current environment by using smartphones as AR viewers.

At some point in the future we will be able to project products with AR glasses and lenses in front of our eyes. When you add nanorobotics and computer-brain interfaces to the equation, these visionary concepts take on a whole new dimension. Maybe one day it will even be possible to stream music straight to our brains or go on a dream vacation while we sleep.

SEM – from zero to hero

However, let’s get back to the present and consider the solutions marketers are already using to prepare for the future. Many of them invest their time in search engine marketing (SEM). One of the goals should be to provide specific answers to certain questions – including for Alexa and other smart speakers, as customers generally only ask them questions they want an instant answer to. It makes sense to aim for something like Google’s “position zero”. This is a featured snippet of the information that Google offers about the organic at the top of the search results.

With “traditional” (company) websites, the focus is not on keywords such as product names, but on customer benefits or the value proposition. Context is king and the new approaches become more significant as even the best online advertising is not immune to ad blockers. They cause billions of dollars in financial outflows each year. One reason people say they use ad blockers is because they think ad-free websites are easier to use.

Epic marketing is the way forward

Although we have seen a shift towards digital channels triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are still faced with the challenge of effectively managing the ever-increasing volume of data and content. Marketing professionals are the ones who need to analyze and use this information density. With this in mind, and taking into account the options mentioned above, a solid technological framework is of fundamental importance – for the smooth functioning of marketing tools and a seamless customer experience for digital applications on mobile devices or in digital shops. Professional cybersecurity protection is essential.

It is also becoming increasingly difficult to highlight products, brands and companies in the mass of information, which is why marketing campaigns have to be even more impressive to grab the attention of the target audience. In addition, the “new normal” may soon become “yesterday’s news”. For example, a digital corporate event that initially has a high innovation value can soon be forgotten when a large number of similar digital events occur. The goal in the sense of “epic marketing” should be to improve the quality and visibility of all marketing measures – and to remain receptive to new ideas.

The information: Four steps to effective digital marketing

The context is king – – Analyze your website and social media profiles and ask yourself why customers want to visit them. Adapt the content to the needs of the target group and demonstrate the specific advantages of your solution. This will improve your SEM and voice search success rates.

Technology first – – Make sure that you have a technological infrastructure in place that ensures the smooth operation of your marketing applications with the mechanisms of data protection and cybersecurity in order to create the necessary trust in the users. The earlier you invest, the better prepared you are for the digital future.

Try the best – – Review your marketing and sales data daily and regularly test your own and new marketing technologies to identify more efficient tools and actions that will increase your sales.

Epic Marketing – – Make sure your company tells a different story with epic marketing content that attracts new customers, inspires existing ones, and ensures long-term loyalty of both.

Author: Björn Radde

Follow @bjoern_radde

I am Head of Digital Marketing at T-Systems International, a leading global provider of digital services based in Frankfurt. As a long-standing expert in digital marketing, I am always up to date with the latest trends and technologies and am responsible for all points of contact in digital marketing at T-Systems International, such as: Show complete profile >