Pandemic-weary consumers and trends for 2022

There is a shifting mood of pandemic-weary consumers. It has been a testing time a navigate talent shortages, supply chain disarray and a couple of years full of constant uncertainty and doing less of what we love. Despite all this, some things are booming.

Trends we need to stay on top of.

1. Consumers are more likely to be open to change and will have shifting expectations, and they will also go into [this] year with a self-reliant mindset, knowing that they need to always be prepared for anything.

2. The metaverse became inescapable in 2021, with lofty promises and platform reinventions around weddings the real world with the virtual.

3. Consumer appetite drives a wave of short-form video. Although Facebook continues to dominate as the world's No. 1 social network with 2.9 billion monthly active users, marketers are shifting away from the big blue app to focus on buzzy short-form platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.YouTube is flexing its marketing muscle to get Gen Z on Shorts, a TikTok lookalike that the company has already invested $100 million into through a creator fund. Ads emphasize how easy it is to start posting to the portal through mobile, with a dedicated destination that hosts Shorts videos on the main YouTube app.

4. Micro-influencers are forecast to pull ahead and drive industry growth in 2022. While Instagram remains the reigning platform for influencer marketing overall, TikTok is drawing the attention of lesser-known creators as brands explore how the buzzy social video app fits into their strategy.

5. Brands from Gap and Target to Hulu in recent months have repositioned their marketing approach to focus more on brand value than pizzaz, deploying fresh creative campaigns conveying simple concepts like community and joy.No one wants to be sold too and brands are emphasizing a marketing message that communicates a brand's core value. Target put inclusion and community at the centre of their efforts, suggesting how brands may continue emphasizing human-centric campaigns as 2022 marketing plans get underway.

6. Accenture now estimates could create a $1.2 trillion social commerce market by 2025

7. With Google delaying the phaseout of third-party cookies to 2023, the coming months are expected to be crucial for the industry as advertisers, ad-tech providers and publishers implement new tactics that allow for tracking consumers and targeting ads.

8. There is a steady rise in popularity for digital assistants such as Google Assistant and Alexa. By 2022, the number of voice-based purchases will rise to 40 billion, and consumers are expected to spend 18% of their time using voice assistants.

9. Due to the shift from desktops to tablets and smartphones, businesses need to create content that is mobile-friendly in order to rank higher in search engine results.

10. Focusing on only one channel doesn’t cut it anymore; business needs to take a closer look at their marketing strategy to see how they can create content across all channels while still maintaining their brand voice. In addition to blogging, websites, social channels, and Whatsapp group presences, multichannel marketing can involve attending conferences, streaming webinars, and hosting events!