As we collectively wake up from the nightmare that’s been 2020, what will we find? We’ve all put our lives on hold somewhat, patiently or not so patiently waiting for the world to return to normal. But will it? I think a lot of people expect some return to normalcy following widespread vaccine distribution, but I think this experience has changed us forever. As I’ve been preparing for 2021, I’ve been contemplating how these changes will affect my marketing consulting business. Here are the marketing and business trends I think we’ll start to see ramp up this year:
Digital and technology innovation
Not surprisingly, the pandemic has sped up digital transformation timelines. Businesses that were purely offline or clinging to outdated technology have been exposed, unprepared for “the new normal.” Now, faced with an even stronger imperative to foster productivity among wholly or partially remote workforce, ensure enterprise data security, or eliminate risk from facility maintenance operations — or sometimes, all of the above and more — most businesses have come to terms that they must adapt to the digital future or cease to exist. The pandemic has also increased the urgency of certain technological developments. New technologies that level-up the feeling of in-person experiences will be in high demand. This is a prime opportunity for virtual and augmented reality to illustrate how useful and desirable the technology can be for our lives. Technologies that advance educational experiences will be hugely popular. Health and wellness technologies, especially psychological wellness will be emphasized in the coming year. Since people will be using screens more and interacting in-person less, we’ll more likely find ourselves dealing with epidemics of loneliness, addiction, and suicide. Most health institutions have been forced to accelerate their technological innovation and we’ll continue to see more advancements in how we access care in the coming years. We’ll undoubtedly see wider adoption of virus and vaccine tracking software, which will further isolate certain groups of people. There will be a growing hunger for community, spirituality, and purpose in 2021.
Authentic connections
Authenticity has always been important, but never more important than today. Everyone’s bullshit meter has gotten really sensitive this year. No one has the patience for schlocky empty promises and meaningless words. There is just too much content to wade through and we are tired. Don’t hit me up with something less than stellar. Don’t pretend to be something you are not. First impressions make a difference, believe it or not. Stop skimping on your brand. If I’m looking for something utilitarian, I’ll order it from Amazon. I want to care. If you want me to care, then you need to raise the stakes and connect with something deeper. I’ll know if it’s the truth by the emotions it elicits in me. Yes, those feelings that determine, ultimately, what I’ll buy. Believe it or not, those feelings count. They count more than ever.
Mission-driven companies
If you are going to thrive as a successful business over the next ten years, you are going to need to figure out how your mission fits into the context of the wider global community. It’s going to be more important to people that the businesses they are partnering with or buying from have a bigger mission than simply making money. People want to see how businesses are taking care of their employees and giving back to their community. Brands will stand out by showing creative thinking in identifying what matters most to them and how they can maximize impact. Being able to roll out this message in bold, mindful ways that are then supported by real-world action and involvement from both employees and community will pay dividends.
Are you demonstrably inclusive?
It’s not enough to say that diversity matters to you. It needs to be demonstrable on your management team and in your cultural makeup. One or two female management members does not an inclusive culture make. A common excuse is there are not enough people in the pool, but that’s only because your requirements are too narrow. The meritocracy thinking is very limited in my opinion. You have to challenge your thinking a bit, make your hiring an innovative process instead of normative. Bring in diverse decision makers at every step of the hiring process. It is common for like to attract like, so you want to minimize unconscious bias as much as possible. If you are relying on algorithms to make data driven decisions, make sure those algorithms are set up free of biases. Or get rid of the algorithms all together, when necessary (to wit, it has been proven that certain types of tests at the hiring level are not a good indicator of performance). These steps could very well be part of your winning strategy. If your company is diverse, then your brand will authentically represent that diversity.
Tailored and intimate experiences
I think some people will attempt to return to how they lived pre-Covid, but I don’t think travel, or in-person events will return to the same levels en masse. This is probably a good thing for the environment, but it will have a huge and long-term impact on our service economy. Even if we have a vaccine for the current virus, there is a good chance there will be other viruses we’ll have to contend with. Even as I write this, London is on lockdown because of a new strain. People are eager to have in-person experiences, but I think they’ll be more tailored to the individual and more intimate. I also think we are going to start seeing groups of like-minded people forming private cooperative communities. Since people are free to work remotely, we’ll see more freedom of movement as far as where people will live. What attracts someone to a place will be more driven by community rather than a job. What we’ve come to understand during this time is that in-person authentic experiences are important. There is no online experience to replace this connection… YET.
…Online communities too
Online communities will also become smaller and more niche. This is already in progress but will be pushed into hyperdrive if Facebook and Google are forced to break up some of their monopoly power. Free services we all take for granted, such as email and social networks, may be on its way out, but I think we’ll be better off in the long run. Services that aren’t predicated on selling your data, will lead to more privacy protections, after all. I think we’ll start to see the infrastructure that underlie platforms like Facebook become white label technologies that can serve multiple networks, companies, or groups. Those networks can feed into each other, but they will operate under individual companies and users will have more control if and how they connect. This is when the promise of blockchain technologies will really deliver.
A collective new wave of spiritual expansion
As we’ve experienced this collective trauma, there’s been a natural shift in our values. We’ve all individually started to review what is important to us. Of course, this shift will not be the same for everyone, but the main commonality is that more people are waking up to the reality that the obsession with the unrealistic “American Dream” is not only making us miserable, it is destroying our society. I think more people are going to shift toward spiritual seeking at the same time they are abandoning traditional patriarchal religions. Ancient esoteric studies like astrology and the I ‘Ching commonly labeled pseudoscience will become revered again. There will be renewed interest in how to utilize these tools for self-actualization, mental health, and community healing.
Even though it’s been a difficult year for all of us, there have been some bright spots and I have optimism. These past months have allowed us time off the treadmill to review our values and assess what matters most. It is only with this kind of reflective space that we are able to truly step into our best future.
