Top 5 trends from Dentsu’s 2022 media predictions

Post-cookie targeting

• As Apple and Google clamp down on the prevalence of cookies into 2023, opportunities for ad personalization will diminish, hitting the ability of advertisers to keep tabs on key metrics such as views and conversions.

• With marketers no longer able to rely on cookies to channel data from consumers to advertisers, brands will be forced to find alternative avenues of identification beyond names and email addresses to group interactions.

• Instead, contextual advertising will do the heavy lifting, with the likes of Facebook and Twitter already asking users to select topics they are most interested in to ease this process.

An e-commerce-driven world

• Heading the list of trends to watch out for is the impact e-commerce has had in upending the marketing landscape, forcing brands to recalibrate their relationships with consumers by crafting new experiences and targeting methods.

• Pressure to introduce new ways to buy has already seen Netflix launch an online store, and with the number of clicks between product identification and purchase falling over time, this trend is only likely to continue.

Virtual worlds

• With the real world not being in great shape, virtual interactions such as video calls have boomed.

• Facebook’s recent rebrand to Meta also shows the pull of the metaverse, virtual online worlds pioneered by the likes of Fortnite and Roblox, which now look poised to gain widespread acceptance.

• Far from being the preserve of games and communication, virtual reality (VR) is also proving its chops in fields such as fitness with a plethora of apps such as FitVR inspiring people to work out without trudging to the gym.

Long Covid

• Just when you thought the worst ravages of the pandemic were behind us, Dentsu warns of a ‘prolonged pandemic,’ described as a continuous period of rapid adjustment, experimentation and innovation as brands scramble to adapt.

• New ways of living are already upending established norms, from hybrid working to a greater reliance on virtual worlds and flexible hours as workers prioritize lifestyle over income.

Brand citizenship

• During the climate emergency and amid pronounced social shifts, brands are responding with a greater emphasis on civic responsibility in manufacturing and marketing, wielding their influence to form a more sustainable and tolerant society.

• Within this category companies such as Samsung are observed to be embracing concepts such as the reuse, resell and repair of technology to help consumers live more sustainably.

• Brands such as Levis and Nike are also repairing and reselling pre-owned items that they have bought back from customers.

Dentsu says

• Peter Huijboom, global chief executive officer, media and global clients, Dentsu International, said: “We felt this year, after having been so long separated from offices and colleagues, is the right time to demonstrate how radical collaboration and cooperation can also bring cohesion around the best of ideas, thoughts and insights. With so many amazing specialists across our media network we’ve been able to go deep into the topic and truly appraise each trend with an unbiased eye, based on three very different viewpoints from each of our agency brand perspectives.”

• The full report is available to download directly from Dentsu.