Top Marketing Trends of 2021

CPG brands ditch domestic tropes for culture-led marketing. Will it pay off?; How Mars approaches contextual advertising as a cookieless future looms; CTV is exploding, but can marketers capitalize on its promise?; Brands grow bolder with marketing M&A to fill steep orders on data, e-commerce View online | Sign up | Forward

BROUGHT TO YOU BY — Marketing Dive's studioID Boost Engagement Through Competitive Analysis Learn how a competitive analysis can help you break through the clutter and engage customers in this new playbook.   Few people, in marketing or elsewhere, had heard of a nonfungible token prior to the start of 2021. Now, the tech is inescapable and appears primed to remain ubiquitous in 2022. The meteoric rise of NFTs and all things metaverse over the past 12 months speaks to a period where new digital concepts have taken hold at a remarkable rate. Meanwhile, already budding tactics — from connected TV to TikTok (the latter of which surpassed Google as the most-visited site this year) — continued to gain traction amid an ad market rebound that's outpaced that of the general economy. Below, Marketing Dive has assembled its biggest trends stories of 2021. These pieces reflect an industry undergoing intense transformation in the face of changing mandates around ad targeting, cultural resonance and agency leadership. They serve as a bellwether for what will set the agenda as marketers map out strategies for a rocky — and surely exciting — road ahead. As always, thanks for reading. Peter Adams Reporter, Marketing Dive Twitter | Email Deep Dive How intense interest in NFTs and other collectibles is shaping marketing Consumer appetites for NFTs remain niche, but the format could serve as an important experiment if the metaverse ever takes off. Deep Dive CPG brands ditch domestic tropes for culture-led marketing. Will it pay off? Marketers face pressure to address a history of propping up gender roles that were woven into the cultural fabric by agencies in the "Mad Men" era. How Mars approaches contextual advertising as a cookieless future looms There is no one-size-fits-all solution for agencies looking across categories and brands, said the head of investment and activation at GroupM's Wavemaker. Deep Dive CTV is exploding, but can marketers capitalize on its promise? Executives at Advertising Week spoke about the opportunity connected TV presents despite persistent issues with fragmentation and measurement. Deep Dive Brands grow bolder with marketing M&A to fill steep orders on data, e-commerce An emergence of "asynchronous buyers" like Yum Brands and Walmart speaks to how marketers are asserting more control in the face of an uncertain future. How McDonald's boosts mobile growth with Famous Orders platform The burger chain's celebrity tie-ups are a key part of driving app downloads and expanding membership in its new mobile-based loyalty program. Kantar: TikTok ad exposure nearly doubles, as does platform's trust among marketers Several channels previously viewed as less popular, including mobile gaming and music streaming, saw gains amid the pandemic's radical shift to digital. Deep Dive Why the metaverse could be a breakthrough in privacy-compliant digital marketing Through cookie alternatives and lessons learned from past digital marketing efforts, brands can hit reset on privacy in the metaverse. Walmart unveils cross-channel ad exchange built on first-party shopper data Rolling out ahead of the holidays and leveraging The Trade Desk's expertise, the DSP serves as a major test of whether the retailer can scale in ad tech. Deep Dive Celeb-backed agencies are ready for their close-ups Shaq, Ryan Reynolds, Tony Hawk and Dwayne Johnson are putting their star power behind marketing agencies that are more than just vanity projects.

More Than A Newsletter Related Publications Retail Dive | Social Media Today Connect With Us Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn Editorial Contact an editor | Meet the team Advertising Contact our team About Marketing Dive Marketing Dive provides in-depth journalism and insight into the most impactful news and trends shaping marketing & advertising. The newsletters and website cover topics such as marketing technology, advertising creative, social media, video marketing, analytics, and more. Marketing Dive is a leading publication operated by Industry Dive. Our business journalists spark ideas and shape agendas for 10+ million decision makers in competitive industries. Sign up for the newsletter This email is optimized for display on mobile phones. Top Marketing Trends is a product of Industry Dive, Inc. 1255​ 23rd Street NW, Suite 550, Washington,​ DC 20037. We value your privacy. We won't share your email address with anyone else without your permission. This message was sent to potty.plant@gmail.com. You can unsubscribe anytime. See our full privacy policy.

Sign up | Manage subscription | Advertise with us | Submit story tip