The Future of Consumer Marketing: Trends, Strategies, and Key Takeaways

Succeeding in today’s consumer marketing landscape requires a consumer-first mindset. No matter your vertical, consumers are demanding more from companies, and downplaying their role can make or break your success. Brands that stand out and lead with what their audiences want will reap the benefits. Those that don’t risk getting left behind. We’re also living in a time with copious amounts of resources and opportunities to optimize consumer relationships.

In our latest Global and Regional Trends Report, we’ve identified the current trends emerging and plaguing consumer marketing. We’ve also taken a look into the future to predict upcoming trends so we can be proactive and stay nimble in a fast-moving industry. In this article, we outline important takeaways and offer tactical advice for consumer-facing marketers to take action on the findings.

The Current State of Consumer Marketing

Being mindful and staying safe in a changing online landscape

The growing adoption of artificial intelligence has changed our means of communication. With major news organizations licensing their content for the development of AI models, brand stories in press publications now have the ability to reach far more with generative AI tools. 

With great power comes great responsibility – a theme seen throughout today’s trends. For each opportunity tech offers marketers, there are still concerns about cybersecurity, deepfakes, the spread of misinformation and disinformation, and how this tech might be weaponized by bad actors across the internet.

Social media is a useful outlet for consumers to connect and share their honest opinions with other consumers and brands,  but it can also be a breeding ground for misinformation (getting the facts wrong) and disinformation (false information shared to mislead people intentionally). Consumers are more online than ever, with many younger consumers having only lived in a world with easy internet access. This behavior change has made consumers feel more comfortable with new technology, but it could also make users more vulnerable and susceptible to bad actors. 

AI, for example, has become an efficiency game-changer. But simultaneously, it has the power to create imagined realities, such as using voice-generating technology to make politicians say something they haven’t or crafting videos of celebrities doing things they haven’t done. Similarly, younger online consumers may be so accustomed to platforms taking care of their data that they don’t take cybersecurity threats as seriously. As a result, data breaches are becoming increasingly common, with more organizations understandably relying on cloud services and software to hold vital information.

Using emerging technologies for good

That said, technology has done so much good for consumers and marketers. Let’s take the health and wellness industries, for example. While tech does often require consumers to share personal health information—a potentially invasive feeling for some—to optimize and personalize their medical care, it also allows them to become more informed about their own habits and health. Increased awareness can connect consumers with additional tools and resources to improve, fix, or even entirely reverse these physical issues and ultimately have more control over their health outcomes. This concept can be applied across industries, as technology is often a bit of give and take in consumers’ lives and highly dependent on their comfort levels, i.e., how much they’re willing to give to get more personalized results back. 

But technology can only take us so far. Just as it’s important for today’s marketers to understand today’s rapidly shifting technology landscape, it’s also vital to recognize regional differences and respect cultural norms.

Understanding geographical differences

While many trends and themes are shared across cultures globally, there remains some disconnect between North American marketers and marketers worldwide.

For example, the U.S. has historically been farther behind the U.K. in speaking on traditionally taboo topics within women’s health, like breastfeeding, pelvic floor health, and even chronic conditions like endometriosis and PCOS. North American consumer-facing marketers may have the means to start these conversations, but gaining traction could be difficult until these topics are normalized in the region. That also creates an opening for marketers to drive those conversations and be at the forefront as they become more commonplace. 
Similarly, conversations on sustainability vary widely throughout the world. Nearly every country and organization is emphasizing sustainability efforts, but many brands have given it more lip service than serious commitment. Brands in Europe, for example, are taking this commitment seriously, mostly due to government initiatives and ultimatums. The European Union has set a target of renewable energy (from wind farms, solar panels, etc.) to make up 42.5% of energy consumption by 2030. As of 2022, renewable sources make up 22.5% of Europe’s energy consumption compared to the United States’ 9% renewable energy in 2023. Consumer marketers should expect more demand for sustainability and renewable energy as many consumers—especially younger generations—start to hold brands accountable.

The Future of Consumer Marketing

Finding commonalities in a global election year

2024 is a significant election year across the globe, with 49% of the world’s population electing leaders and governments that will influence the future for years to come. Media conversations will also be dominated by the election cycle, so expect this to be top of mind with reporters (especially as we get closer to November in the U.S.), and be mindful of how the stories you’re trying to tell fit into that context. To quote Vice President Kamala Harris, “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.” We live in an age where your brand ad might be displayed underneath volatile rhetoric on social media or alongside an organization with conflicting morals to yours. Consider the possibilities of what your brand creative could show up near, and keep this context in mind when building your campaign. 

Brands typically don’t want to be too political or polarizing, but there’s always an opportunity to tap into the conversation without choosing a side. Lean into trending conversations, embrace issues argued by both sides, or maybe even jump on a popular meme format. Even if you don’t want to get involved in such topics, being aware of what’s happening worldwide during this time can help you stay mindful of where your story fits in the public zeitgeist.

Adapting to generational shifts and the need for authenticity

We’re also living through a time of generational shifts in buying power and the rise of micro-generational preferences. A deep level of nuance and sophistication is required by marketers today. It’s not enough to just consider one age group when niche subsets of each generation are emerging with uniquely different interests. Millennials, for example, consist of those born in 1981-1996, with the earliest population in their late 20s, navigating early adulthood, and the oldest cohort in their mid-40s, often more settled down in both their lives and careers. For truly impactful and effective campaigns, consumer-facing marketers should craft multi-layered, multi-faceted, and highly segmented campaigns – be that through integrated communications (i.e., mixing paid and earned media) or by tapping into unique interests (like embracing your own “brat summer”). Consumers may start to outgrow one-size-fits-all approaches, so don’t try to be something for everyone.
The few things these younger generations do have in common? The desire for authenticity above all else and a deep love of nostalgia. Authenticity helps consumers retain brand loyalty and interest amidst a world of misinformation or disingenuous promises. Nostalgia is just plain fun. It evokes feelings of joy, reminds us of simpler times, and unites communities through shared experiences. Callbacks to cult classics have been particularly loved in recent years, like Walmart’s 2023 Black Friday ad including some of the original cast of Mean Girls ahead of the Mean Girls musical movie – some may call the nostalgia play, “so fetch.”

How Consumer Marketers Can Take Action

Trends are great and all, but what can consumer marketers actually do to take action on these findings? Here are our top recommendations:

Get to know what’s most important to your consumers today. Do your consumers prioritize relevance or authenticity? Feeling a connection to your brand or getting a good deal? Being on top of the latest trends or focusing on the cultural and social moments that matter?

Evaluate your investment in marketing, public relations, and communications efforts. Consider investing in unique opportunities like influencer marketing or paid placements. While an integrated approach—one that combines earned and paid media—can maximize your reach, it does take effort to manage. Allocate your resources in the areas that make sense for your brand, even if it contradicts some of these best practices.

Generate your own news. Shrinking newsrooms are a persistent problem, so it’s best not to hold your breath for media to come your way. How can you create news when there isn’t any? You won’t always have a new product or corporate announcement. Consider how you can take advantage of internal data, executive thought leadership, and newsjacking trending news stories to stay relevant to today’s consumer.

Accept that you may not see immediate results. Unfortunately, for many of us, earned media isn’t instantaneous. You may have to wait some time to see ROI on your work, especially compared to paid efforts like SEO or advertising. Leaders often have concerns over investing in earned or integrated programs without being able to justify the spend before committing. You may find more success within your organization by starting with a limited budget until you can share proof of concept or show a direct correlation between PR efforts and business goals.

Explore our full report. If you’d like to dive even deeper into these trends, download our full Global and Regional Trends Report for free here. The report also explores trends and predictions in other marketing focus areas, including enterprise, advertising/martech, and European trends. Understanding the larger scope of all of these trends can help consumer marketers identify unique opportunities for promotion and adapt to our ever-changing world.