If you’re looking to turn heads, make a positive difference, and stand out in 2022, then you need to tap into the marketing trends that will get you there. Take advantage of these trends and you will be most likely to get a head start next year, and who knows, you could very well get ahead of the competition, too!

1- Inclusive Marketing:

Consumers are expecting more DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) messages from brands that follow through on their promises. According to Deloitte 2022 Global Marketing Trends Report, 57% of consumers are more loyal to brands that show their commitments to social inequities. Another insight is that 90% of Gen-Z say they will consider switching to brands that offer products that benefit the society and brands that are genuine with holistic effort to practice DEI.

2- Influencer Marketing:

Influencer marketing will not only continue to be a trend, but also a common practice that most brands follow in the upcoming 2022. According to HubSpot, 57% of brands found influencer marketing effective. 46% of them plan to feature more influencers in their campaigns in 2022, and 11% say influencer marketing brings in the highest ROI among all the other marketing trends.

Why does influencer marketing work the best? It is mainly because influencers have amassed a group of followers that are interested in and engaged with their content. That does not mean that you must hire celebrity influencers. According to CMA, depending on your target audience, having a combination of macro and micro influencer is usually more effective than spending to hire celebrity influencers.

3- Video marketing:

Short-form content is the second most effective trend marketers are currently leveraging, according to HubSpot. The popularity of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts proves that short-form video is the future of content marketing.

Why should you consider short-form video content marketing? The HubSpot report suggests that 46% of the marketers that were interviewed consider the trend effective in terms of performance and engagement. A key factor to remember is that short-form videos get straight to the point and appeal to more audiences that are less patient nowadays.

4. Experiential Marketing:

Even though more brands and organizations have turned to virtual events, experiential marketing may make a comeback in 2022, according to Forbes. The immersive experience that embedded AR/VR platform is the hottest topic among marketers. As COVID restrictions are eased and more businesses reopen to the public, there will be more opportunities to tap into experiential marketing. Immersive and hybrid experiences that are marketing-oriented will allow brands to communicate their message in new ways and connect with new audiences on a deeper level.

5. VR/AR Marketing:

As mentioned in the previous trend, most marketers are either exploring or planning to explore with AR/VR in their marketing strategies. If AR and VR are new to you, HubSpot summarizes it well, “VR is viewing a computer-generated, lifelike scenario. AR is viewing the real world augmented with visual, haptic, olfactory or visual additions”.

AR marketing is the next big thing as it is more effective than print, online, and television advertisement. Customers can virtually “try on” products at home before purchasing them. AR can help customers to make better purchasing decisions as it gives them a sense of what the products would look like in real life.

If you want to stay ahead, then you should incorporate these five trends into your marketing mix for the next year. The common theme of these trends is to embrace new technologies and changes in society and customer preferences. As Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “Change is the only constant in life.” So why not take advantage of the inevitable changes early on for the benefit of your brand or business?

“Are you talking to me?” This powerful question of reflection is asked by ethnic audiences in a bold new video by AV Communications (AVC) that’s drawing attention to why it’s important for brands to implement diversity and inclusion in their marketing.

In the 30-second video, AVC zones in on the various ethnic groups to command the significance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the marketing industry.

Filmed in Vancouver and Toronto, with a diverse cast including Canadians of Arab, Black, Chinese, Filipino, and Indian backgrounds, the video is a solid representation of diverse cultures in the country. In the video, different ethnicities share the same concern as to why aren’t brands speaking to them, ultimately showing that there is a lack of representation of ethnicities in their marketing efforts.

“We are living in a multicultural era, but are you talking to me?” This question is a wake-up call for brands that are still not focusing on diversity and inclusion despite calls for change in recent times. While there has been a shift across marketing in the country and while many brands have adjusted their focus, the question AVC wants marketers to contemplate is, are you really representing diverse audiences? Culture goes beyond the colour of your skin, the language you speak, and where you were born, and if you’re not catering to the core elements of that culture, are you really connecting?

By curating “Are you talking to me?”, AVC raises awareness of a longstanding issue in the marketing industry, which is the lack of DEI. The video is a bold move for AVC’s CEO, Joycelyn David to openly challenge the status quo and tackle the problem head on. It’s a deliberate and important step towards garnering attention to reshape the Canadian marketing industry by getting the powers that be to wake up and look at DEI from a fresh perspective.

The video is produced by AV Communications and Talentosa Productions collaboratively. It is one small step for AVC and it could be one giant leap for Canadian marketing industry. According to The Global DEI Census which was released on June 3^rd, 2021, the pandemic has made it harder for many organizations to prioritize their diversity and inclusion efforts. The marketing industry is going backwards on diversity and inclusion and inequalities have been exacerbated by recent hardships. But there are also companies like AVC which are still moving forward in terms of their DEI approach. The video is one of several strategic steps that CEO Joycelyn has taken to fully integrate and grow DEI into AVC’s mission and values.

AVC’s focus is on advancing the interests of all multicultural and BIPOC audiences by making sure their stories are represented and heard. In tandem with that, AVC amplifies the voices of diverse communities by creating work that not only speaks their language but reflects their culture and celebrates their diversity in every single way.