Technology has had (and continues to have) a huge impact on marketing and marketing campaigns as they are becoming much more immersive and personalized to prospective consumers. It’s not only the way that brands and consumers talk to each other that has changed in light of technology, either. It has also made it so that the infrastructure and systems on which companies are built is altering, delivering value to procurement and adding to the bottom line as a result.
The shift in focus from creativity to technology can be seen in recent stats. In 2013, it was revealed that 47% of US marketers focused predominantly on creativity as a means to drive marketing. That changed in 2020 as that number went down to 29%. Now, as we reach the back end of 2021, it looks like in 2022 some 56% of marketers are going to be focusing on both creativity and technology, believing they will both play a very important part in the development of businesses.
Where Do Consumers Get Their Information?
For a clearer view of why these figures are changing so much and why technology impacts marketing so much, you only need to take a look at the way that consumers are getting their information. It should be noted that when consumers take to the internet as a means to shop or procure services, they are usually looking to simply do research at first rather than engage in a sale, and marketing has altered in light of this. So, what do consumers need when it comes to getting information?
- Connectivity
We are now more connected than ever as over half of the world has access to the internet and uses it on a regular basis. That connectivity is reflected in how people digest information and how they communicate with loved ones, and they expect it to be reflected in the way that businesses communicate as well.
- Mobile
More than 5 billion people have mobile devices and a lot of these are smartphones. This is another reason why technology impacts marketing so much. Given the fact people are on their smartphones so much, of course ads are going to take advantage of this. Ads are carried on social media and also sent via email and SMS text. These methods don’t stop at businesses either and are now often used in politics. For example, organizations such as ActBlue SMS are used to growing mobile SMS lists so that political candidates can spread their messages and provide updates via texts.
- Entertainment
A third of activity online is spent watching videos, as sites such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube dominate in terms of popularity. As such, brands are embracing these trends and trying to create their own videos on such sites as a means to show off their wares. This alters the way that marketing is done as often, with these sites, it is not just a case of making a video but also of following trends and staying up to date with online culture.
