From the Russian War on Ukraine, the pandemic, rising inflation, and continued calls for diversity across industries, it’s a challenging time for brands to craft on-target marketing strategies and effectively cut through the clutter. What does the future of marketing hold? Leading brand strategists recently convened at the AMA San Diego’s The Art of Marketing Conference: The Future is WOW to talk about trends. Here’s what they are saying: 
 
1. Address Humanity with Technology – Qualcomm’s Senior Director of Marketing and Channel Sales, North America, Andrea Hogan describes a new era of marketing at the intersection of technology and humanity. “The use of human mimicking technologies such as AI, NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality), and XR (extended reality) is drastically changing the marketing arena and overall customer experience. We can expect marketing to be more data-driven, agile, predictive, and contextual. The next generation of consumers – Generations Y, Z, and Alpha will demand that marketing is more conscious and human,” Hogan says. 
 
2. Use Data for Good – Rubio’s Head of Loyalty and Digital Experience Adam Fox says, 
“Privacy and trust will continue to be a trend in the industry; consumers are getting savvier and savvier about what data is being collected and how that data is being used. It becomes incumbent on marketers to use data in a way that maintains trust. Another is continued advancement in the area of artificial intelligence and machine learning. We’re just scratching the surface of how our data can be harnessed over time. User experience in both the physical and digital world is another one – how are we using technology to make sure physical and virtual experiences are seamless between what we do on our desktops and with the phones in our pockets.” 
 
3. Avoid Trends That Don’t Serve Your Brand – CEO of Red Door Interactive Reid Carr says with the new surge of buzzwords – Web 3, Blockchain, NFTs, Crypto, GA4 – marketers need to ask themselves: does this amplify and support my brand beyond the fact that it is trending? “You don’t want to be left behind, but you also don’t have time to waste on things that don’t match your brand,” Carr says. 
 
4. Ensure Diversity – Managing Director, Head of Multicultural Strategic Client Segments, UBS Melinda Hightower says smart marketers will work to ensure DEI is prioritized across the entire marketing ecosystem. “Smart marketers will work to ensure DEI is prioritized across the entire marketing ecosystem. From the people on our teams to the agencies and partners with whom we work to the audiences we first engage – we should be intentional in our efforts to center marginalized perspectives. We should also be intentional about measuring our efforts to encourage transparency and accountability. As the saying goes, ‘What gets measured gets done.” Hightower says. 
 
5. Everything Old is New Again – Mint Mobile Chief Marketing Officer Aron North says the future of marketing will likely hold some surprises. “I think we will see more people commit to a digital ecosystem. And in a total surprise analog becomes en vogue again.” 
 
The author, Bonnie D. Shaw, is President of Clearpoint Agency, and a member of The AMA San Diego Art of Marketing Conference: The Future is Wow marketing committee, with the latter online here.