August 5, 2022
Whether you are a business that is just starting out, or firmly established in the market, chances are, you want your marketing to always be top notch and bring in new customers, as well as reminding your current customers that you exist. Current trends in digital marketing change rapidly and sometimes seem impossible to keep up with. But the benefits of keeping up with the digital marketing trends can be enormous. When it comes to modern graphic design, this sphere is even more unpredictable.
Some businesses were so successful in hopping on the advertising trends that they became viral sensations, such as the Duo mascot from the language learning app Duolingo that went viral on TikTok, generating millions of views.
Our marketing team sat down and researched some of the biggest trends of 2022, compiling a big and comprehensive list, that any business can use to be on the right track with marketing in 2022. Keep in mind that this list includes some of the best digital marketing trends, some prominent types of market trends as well as newest graphic design trends.
Without further ado, here are some of the marketing and design trends 2022 (not quick trends, those that are here to stay!) we found:
The first on the list of current trends in digital marketing is the metaverse (a combination of the words “meta” and “universe”) is “an integrated network of 3D virtual worlds.” which are accessed through a VR (virtual reality) headset. These 3D worlds are essentially digital universes, and just like in real life, the users can move, change their appearance, perform certain actions and complete tasks, like one would in games. Because the field is so new and not many companies have dabbled in it, there is so much potential for early-adopters to set trends, explore and lead the way. Scandiweb has recently launched its own metaverse for its client - Sportland.
NFT, ETF, crypto? It seems like every year there is a new way hipsters and finance bros make money, and it always for some reason sounds scary and complicated. But the reality is that NFT’s are neither of those - they are relatively easy to understand and not scary at all. NFT’s (Non-fungible tokens) are online assets on a blockchain with unique ID codes and that makes them completely unique and trackable. A lot of the NFT’s nowadays are digital artworks (which is why it can be considered one of the big design trends of 2022) or art valuables attached to the blockchain. Another key element of NFT’s is that they are most often purchased for crypto currencies such as ethereum or bitcoin. You might be asking yourself - how can this be used for marketing? And the answer is - due to the popularity of NFT’s, if your business creates and puts out NFT’s and they gain popularity, your business might benefit from the hype around it. For instance check out this cool example, where a digital image of a New York Times column was sold at a charity auction for $560,000.
Although both of these are not new trends in marketing, 2022 is the rare time that minimalism coexists with maximalism - despite being the complete opposite of each other. Minimalism leaves a lot of room for white space, doesn't have a lot of elements, colors or trending designs. While maximalism is a mix of everything - elements, colors, fonts but done so tastefully that somehow everything combines well together. More and more trending designs are emerging that fall within either minimalism or maximalism.
Though it is difficult to call diversity and inclusion a “trend”, it certainly has become a more prominent aspect of marketing and content. More and more POC creators are emerging on all of the most popular content creation platforms - Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. The audience does not care where you are from, what your religion is or where you fall on the sexuality spectrum - the number one thing that matters in 2022 content is its quality and quantity. The brands have also started seeing the enormous benefits of diversity and inclusion in their approach to business - they are finally starting to understand that everyone needs to feel welcomed and included.
Let’s face it - big billboards or very broad ads no longer work that well, especially in the field of digital marketing, where each user is seeking an extremely personalized experience. Users are looking for immediate answers, same-day delivery and perfectly tailored ads. The best way for businesses to adapt to this is creating a personalized experience for every user - but doing this by hand is simply impossible, so AI comes to the rescue! AI quickly learns everything there is to know, and when a sufficient amount of data is gathered, AI can make its own decisions and provide the most custom experience possible for each user.
Another one of the most popular digital marketing trends is influencer marketing, it has become a huge phenomenon, making it possible for creators even with a 5-10K audience to earn thousands of dollars monthly. However, influencer marketing has become more “sustainable” than before. A few years ago influencers shamelessly bombarded their audiences with a new sponsored product each week, often without even disclosing that it was an ad. Nowadays, creators are much more picky with the products they promote on their platforms and prioritizing user comfort. Brands, in turn, are now moving towards longer term collaborations instead of one-time projects - signing a contract which lasts months or even years as well as creating special ambassador programs.
Let's be real - the things that businesses could easily get away with even 10 or 20 years ago simply won't fly in 2022. Questions such as “is the product cruelty free?” “is it vegan?” “is it ethically produced?” or “what is the carbon footprint of this product” are becoming mainstream. What is the reason for that? Customers are becoming aware of the importance of the products they purchase being aligned with their values and beliefs. Moreover, customers are becoming less and less tolerant towards “shady” business practices and “vote with their dollar” - only purchase from businesses that don't employ such practices. How can businesses adapt? The first step is transparency with the customer - doing this business fairly and realizing that business is more about the long term relationship with customers and the environment than short term profits. Moreover, when these changes are made, it is important to make them part of the marketing and positioning strategy - explaining to your customers that the product you are selling is aligned with their values.
Through all of this, a trend is clear - businesses are moving towards transparency, openness and becoming more human. Whether they want it or not, businesses no longer can be these large, unapproachable and unethical money machines.
Additionally, with the emergence of cryptocurrencies, the businesses are becoming increasingly digitized and going online entirely.
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