The Bulletin January 2022

Obviously, no one can predict what will happen in the new year, but that didn’t stop us from trying! We start the year with predictions of colour, design, e-commerce and social media trends. If these are anything to go by 2022 is shaping up to be a good one, consumer driven, personal, bold and inviting!

With the scales tipping in favour of maximalism, marketing is set to look and feel more exciting this year. We’re talking bold colours, broad colour palettes and patterns making a comeback. Shillington also predicts the end to “blanding” culture, where brands simplified their logos, typography and colour schemes, suggesting that instead we’ll see more brands embracing vibrancy and sophistication. Due to technological innovations, Shillington also suggests 3D rendering and design will play a big part in 2022 allowing designers to create impressive looking mockup images as part of campaigns. So here’s to some exciting colours and bold visuals in 2022!

Social media is expected to become bigger and better in 2022 according to Hootsuite! Post-pandemic for small and great businesses alike, social media is becoming the heart of the shopping experience. This means a focus on your online community is key! As consumers wisen-up and hold brands to higher standards, you’ll find collaborations with creators at the heart of successful social strategies. No one wants their time interrupted by brands that haven’t put much effort into knowing their audience. And just like you would in a real-life storefront, delivering great customer care online and through social media is paramount. As Hootsuite says, this is the best marketing your brand will ever get. You’ll reach your customers online but in 2022 it’s all about curating a human experience.

People use Pinterest to plan for the future and 8/10 of their 2021 predictions came true, so buckle up to see the Pinterest predictions for 2022! Starting with a bang Pinterest predicts that parties are going to go off post-pandemic with Millenials and Gen Z wanting to celebrate everything. This is a trend we can match in marketing, making the most of the collective energy to celebrate life to the fullest! “Dopamine Dressing” is also a big one: the suggestion that consumers will be over the rainbow this year. Stay ahead of the crowd by introducing vibrancy, iridescence, bold colour palettes and specifically chequered patterns to your brand. Emotional wellbeing, spiritual connection and self-care are also here to stay so finding a deep connection with your consumers and community will serve your brand well. Read more of Pinterest’s Predictions at the link!

E-commerce is changing for the better in 2022, with a focus on personal and curated connections and sustainability. Reaching a deeper connection with your consumers will be the best thing your brand can do, even with the privacy changes that came through in 2021. This year in return for first and zero-party data, brands will create exceptional experiences through strategies like superior service, loyalty rewards, personalized recommendations, advanced access, and more. Another key highlight is that, post-pandemic, consumers are retaining their new shopping habits. So your brand needs to be where your consumers are, with a consistent experience across all channels. Nailing down what your brand is and who it is for will serve you in 2022 as social commerce becomes a major revenue stream. A huge part of this will be sustainability as 1 in 4 consumers are focusing more on environmental issues and social aspects in their shopping. 83% of consumers prefer positive activism and show support for companies through purchasing. So, in part, your revenue stream will depend on how well you address the social and environmental desires of your consumer base. Know your consumer!

As Tik Tok remains one of the top players for social marketing in 2022 it will maximize business engagement in the app, and boost revenue opportunities, by rolling out a new ‘Instant Page’ shopping display option. This will enable brands to connect their TikTok ads through to a lightweight, native landing page, built within TikTok itself and loading up to 11 times faster than standard mobile pages. According to TikTok they’re easy to build and customise for your brand and the process is a lot like Facebook’s Instant Articles, with the content built into the app itself. These Instant pages will be an interesting way to add more direct, engaging elements to your TikTok promotions, which could help to provide a better user experience for your consumers!

And finally as we wrap up January we come to Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2022! PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri displays a carefree confidence and a daring curiosity, with gratitude for the stability that blue represents, but richer and complemented by a new perspective. In 2022 this colour is set to animate our creative spirit, help us to embrace the altered landscape we live in and open up to a world of possibilities. It sounds perfect to us!