Who Knows What Digital Marketing Surprises Await Us in The Next 10 Years!

Digital Marketing has been a great addition to the integral part of life for billions of people around the globe! Today, customers have access to a pool of information at any time and any place they want it or need it. Thanks to the internet and globalization, most people on the globe have access to information through computers, laptops, tables and mobile of course! Marketers and consumers both have benefited drastically from digital marketing and social media has become a part of every business strategy!

I have learned and gained insights on the various techniques that digital marketing has to offer in order to target, acquire and retain consumer segments. As a professional marketer in the advertising industry, it is all about segmentation and targeting ad units to consumers via search, online display advertising and social media. The most important insight I have gained throughout this course and throughout my career, is that today consumers have no time to waist. Meaning? Marketers need to be on the mark when advertising to their consumer segments. Without targeted online ads no matter how good your creative is, you will never see results! According to Roberts (2013), “the ability to target with precision, based on data of many kinds from many sources, is the overarching advantage of advertising on the Internet”.

Another very important topic that I enjoyed deep-diving into is social media marketing! Social Media is definitely not going anywhere anytime soon! Social Media is a global phenomenon and a very popular space where consumers are constantly engaging with one another. I believe that with the right use of social media and an effective strategy, a business can gain marginal benefits such as, consumer engagement, loyalty, retention and new acquisitions.

Below is a great figure, which takes us through the most important steps to build a great consumer relationship. This takes time and effort and an up-front investment in order to retrieve worthy results.

FIGURE 9.6: Steps in Developing a Social Media Marketing Strategy

Moreover, social media content and communications need to be relevant and engaging, or it will not attract attention. There are so many types of media available to marketers to promote their content. Media types such as, paid media is your traditional display ads, which you pay for to promote either on different social media networks or on different targeted websites. Brands like to reach the point where their media is earned and shared. Unpaid media that receives a lot of engagement and attraction from consumers without having to pay for advertising is a sign of success! However, going up the ladder takes time and constant monitoring of the market and consumer trends is crucial. 

In the next 10 years, digital marketing will continue to grow and develop. There will definitely be enhancements in mobile technology and new engaging promoted ads. The continued growth in mobile and its impact on brand messaging, the continued rise of video and virtual reality, the need for brands to work on a timeline that matches culture, not ad campaigns. Rise of video and video sharing. With the rise of mobile, video is in high demand because people love visual storytelling. In 10 years, I see a big shift in consumption, which will shatter some of the conventional marketing models. I also foresee that most branded content will come from consumers. User generated content will far exceed branded content and brands need to embrace this and accept that they might not be in complete control of their own brand. According to co-founder of Percolate Brier, “Over the next five years we’ll see technology become a part of the core fabric of marketing itself” (Beer, 2017). I deeply believe that social will become an integral part of the “broader marketing discipline.” As its impact grows stronger, most brands will fully transition their marketing efforts to social channels. As such, social has the full potential to become not just one of the channels but the channel. What are your thoughts on the future of Digital Marketing? Do you feel a movement of technology coming soon?

References

Beer, J, (2017, April 3). 25 Predictions for What Marketing Will Look Like in 2020. Fast Company. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/3043109/25-predictions-for-what-marketing-will-look-like-in-2020

Internet Marketing: Integrating Online and Offline Strategies, 3rd Edition. [Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781285827261/

Nike’s Visual Representation Speaks Louder Than Words

Looking at one of the world’s largest footwear and sports clothing brands, Nike I see one of the most well designed websites in the e-commerce industry today! Nike’s website design is an essential component of the brand functioning. They are reliant on their products being attractive to customers and their website speaks volumes to that!

The Nike homepage is a leading example of the ever evolving design of the web. With a focus on striking graphics, the page is dominated by a photo of a new product. The use of the pattern illustration in the background is bold and very effective in capturing the attention of viewers, helping the site rise above competitors with more simplistic sites. The use of an illustration as the primary image adds a customized style rather than just using the plain product image, a trap many e-commerce sites are guilty of falling into.

Homepage's are often more design focused, rather than content, that’s what the subpages are for. For example, it’s not as common for the main feature of a subpage design to stretch across the whole width of the browser window. As a homepage, this full spread design makes a clear and bold statement, emphasizing the product. This is also the case with the components that form the full spread image. The contrasting colors highlight the shapes in the product, and the use bold headlines are very effective. Bold titles can sometimes overpower a design.

In terms of layout, the design of the homepage is actually rather simple. Rather than have a long, busy homepage with lots of product images and text, the body contains just the full spread image and a strong call to action, enticing customers further into the store. While the wireframe may be quite basic, it’s a clean cut, professional design, allowing the product to stand out and be the hero.

Moving on from desktop to mobile, according to Joseph (2016), “Nike has reported that mobile traffic to its ecommerce site exceeded desktop for the first time, signaling the company’s long-term efforts to cash in on cross-channel promotion are starting to take effect”. Why so? Well, because Nike does an outstanding job in designing a mobile app that is intelligently designed in a way that makes the mobile navigation easy and intuitive for consumers.

The examples below show how Nike’s mobile presence is as effective in design and visuals as their desktop presence. Their products are organized clearly for consumers to be able to shop and view through mobile. With a clear set of visuals and creative, we see Nike fulling energy through their mobile presence, and we always see a clear call-to-action which promotes consumers to act on purchases.

Nike’s mobile wireframe is, energetic, full of design and makes clear and bold statements. Homepages here are also more design focused, rather than content. As per their desktop, their mobile subpages are used for more content. That is great when it comes to consistency.  

Simplicity is key and if Nike remains to keep up the great work they will continue to dominate the social media and mobile space! Their simplicity and easy to use applications have made consumers love the app. Consumers are looking for the latest trends and Nike makes it easy for them to shop. Below are a few comments by Nike App user just to show you how positive the App has been so far!

It is so important for me to be inspired by a brand in order to engage and eventually make a purchase. Mobile is everything today and brands must create experiences that stand out from competition in order to gain brand loyalty. What are your thoughts on Nike.com and do agree that the imagery used delivers a consistent look and feel? Overall, how was your experience going through Nike's web and mobile platforms?