Marketing looks a whole lot different now than it did just a few generations ago.
While Boomers and Gen Xers watched ads on TV and used the yellow pages to find businesses, Millennials and Gen Z are firmly in the digital age.
But with the rapid evolution of technology as we know it, will marketing even be relevant in the future? How will marketing look to Generation Alpha (yes, they’re the next in line!)?
Will it still be a thing, or will marketing become obsolete?
In this article, we’ll explore how marketing has shifted in the last decade and use the latest trends to predict the changes to come.
Will Marketing Become Obsolete?
For many of us, it feels like we’re already living in the space-age future that was only imagined in the movies. Sure, we’re not zipping around in flying cars or holidaying on Mars (yet), but we do wear sophisticated computers as watches and toss the words “artificial intelligence” and “virtual reality” around pretty casually.
In just a few short years, the Metaverse may be as popular as TikTok is right now. Automation has made many marketing practices obsolete already, but does that mean it’s going to be non-existent in the future?
While marketing as we know it may become obsolete, as long as there are businesses, products and services, there will continue to be a place for it.
Platforms will change, the playing field will alter, our tactics and how we show up will need to evolve, but the concept of marketing will always exist.
The Evolution Of Marketing
While TV and newspaper marketing still exists – and serves a purpose for the right audience – the majority of marketing efforts now take place online. Email marketing and social media marketing are hugely popular, and there are plenty of niche experts out there that focus on specific platforms or types of marketing, like Facebook Ads or Google Adwords.
But technology isn’t the only thing driving the shifts in marketing. Our style of marketing has also changed to accommodate consumer sentiment.
Pushy, noisy marketing is outdated and offputting to today’s customers. Instead, effective marketing techniques are all about attracting the right people to your business. Analytics are vital to help you understand your audience, and the most successful businesses have put a considerable amount of work into identifying their ideal customers and shaping their marketing around them.
What’s Next?
Right now, digital marketing experts are still a thing – but in the future, this “specialised” job title will fade away. As the next generation of marketers step up, this will be second nature, not a specialised skill set.
Just how different will things be? The past holds some clues: between 2011 and 2020, the number of marketing technology solutions grew from 150 to 8000. That’s 5,233% growth in just 9 years.
Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to get smarter and more efficient, taking care of many of the marketing tasks we do today. Did you know that 71% of consumers would rather conduct queries by voice rather than typing? Many of us already talk to the smart devices in our homes and communicate with our phones using voice instructions, so voice marketing is another trend set to accelerate in the next few years.
Elon Musk and his scientists are currently developing tools that communicate directly with the brain using neural implants – almost literally, a mind-blowing concept.
And while the Metaverse seems like a far-off concept for many of us, in reality – or should we say virtual reality – it’s already here. Marketing within the Metaverse is already happening, and the potential is enormous. Imagine being able to virtually visit a hotel to see if you like the room set up, the restaurant and the view before booking? Or being able to virtually try clothes on before you buy? Experts predict that Generation Alpha are likely to prefer the virtual world to the real one.
Marketing For The Future
So, will marketing become obsolete in the future? Definitely not. Will it be a whole different beast? It’s pretty much a given.
While none of us can predict the future with any certainty, we can follow the trends, analyse the numbers, and create intelligent, flexible marketing strategies using the data in front of us.
And, in order to market your business in the future, you will need a strong brand base now. So, if you need some help creating an effective marketing strategy for the here and now, book a time to chat with me today. Together, we can discuss the most effective marketing solutions available to your business and future proof your strategy.