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In this fast-paced era of digital transformation, staying ahead of the curve is not merely an advantage — it's a necessity. Let’s explore the cutting-edge technologies, experiences, and strategies expected to have a profound impact on your business in 2024. (For industry examples shared in this article, our agency is not responsible for the work itself unless otherwise noted.)

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

2023 was the year of AI — starting with the broad release of ChatGPT in November 2022, followed shortly after by Google’s Bard and countless other tools. In 2024, AI will continue to change the landscape for both brands and consumers, and it’s certainly revolutionizing marketing as we know it. 

Customer service: Advancements in AI have revolutionized customer service by automating routine inquiries, streamlining support processes, and enhancing response times. Businesses are now able to provide more personalized and efficient customer interactions through sophisticated machine learning algorithms and natural learning processing.

See it in action: Tesla is rumored to be using AI to book sales meetings.

Design efficiency: AI can efficiently aid designers in automating repetitive tasks, generating innovative ideas, and predicting user preferences. From intelligent layout suggestions to automated color palette selections, AI is reshaping the creative process, allowing designers to focus more on ideation and strategic aspects of their craft.

    See it in action: Nutella created supply and demand by using AI to generate 7 million one-of-a-kind labels — which sold out soon after hitting shelves.

    Content generation: AI plays a significant role in content creation, making tasks like researching, brainstorming, keyword research, and outlining more manageable for writers. AI quickly analyzes vast amounts of information, enabling writers to concentrate on their ideas and the crucial aspects of the writing process.

    See it in action: US Open partnered with IBM to create an app with AI-generated commentary based on real-time matches plus personalized app content and experiences.

    It’s important to note that data privacy regulations are playing catch-up amidst the fast-evolving space of AI technology. There are a number of current and forthcoming national and global policies aimed at protecting consumer and creator rights that are important for your business to comply with.

    2. Customer Journey

    Dynamic shifts in consumer expectations and technological advancements are shaping the modern customer journey — here’s just a sample of how.

    Self-service tools: Across industries, we’ve seen a growing demand for self-service tools that allow decision-makers to gather crucial information before initiating direct engagement with a brand, dealer, or sales rep. The surge in demand for tools like total cost of ownership calculators, product builders, and pricing guides reflects a growing preference for autonomy in the decision-making process. These tools empower users to assess costs, customize solutions, and navigate complex product offerings independently, fostering a more informed and efficient decision-making journey.

      See it in action: Mack Trucks truck configurator is built to help buyers feel more informed heading into a large purchase decision. 

      Loyalty programs/gamification: Loyalty programs are undergoing a transformative shift, with successful programs moving from simply transactional to engagement-based models. Rather than relying solely on points for purchases, businesses are reimagining loyalty by emphasizing deeper emotional connections forged through polls, surveys, and other interactive content. This shift is not only about rewards but about creating experiences that resonate emotionally with customers. By encouraging active participation, brands can gain valuable zero- and first-party data while also fostering a deeper understanding of customer preferences.

      See it in action: Sephora's Beauty Insider program combines traditional loyalty points with gamified elements, allowing users to unlock exclusive rewards, participate in beauty challenges, and build a community around shared interests.

      Connected ecosystems: The continued trend toward more cohesive, connected digital ecosystems emphasizes creating seamless, cross-device experiences. From exploring better user onboarding and frictionless authentication between platforms and systems to recognizing the importance of standardized design systems, the goal is to deliver a visually appealing and user-friendly experience across all of the touchpoints you have with a customer, from a public-facing website to a self-service calculator to a logged-in portal.

      See it in action: Apple is a great example of how a connected ecosystem can work, allowing you to use the same login across product experiences, easily move and sync photos between devices, and have a clear, clean design experience down to button styling no matter where you are in the Apple universe of products.

      3. Experiential Marketing

      We predict that more brands than ever will invest in immersive brand experiences that captivate audiences, foster meaningful connections, and leave a lasting impact.

      “Live” webinars and events: More companies are using live webinars and events to reach their audiences. A live webinar is an interactive video conference that takes place in real time. These are similar to in-person seminars in that they typically consist of a host or panelists discussing a certain topic of interest to the audience. Attendees can view the webinar online and engage with the host through Q&As, polls, and live discussions. Live webinars increase accessibility, and they are more engaging than automated or on-demand webinars. They also allow you to reach a larger audience, increase brand awareness, and generate new leads in a cost-effective manner.

        See it in action: Here is an example of a live webinar from Duarte, Inc., that discussed how to improve virtual communication skills through storytelling.

        Lifestyle branding: Another growing tactic in experiential marketing is lifestyle branding. This is a marketing approach that creates an image of your brand to appeal and resonate with a particular audience. Lifestyle branding is a way to connect with your audience and showcase the values of your brand. These campaigns consist of engaging visuals, content, social media, and influencer marketing. A lifestyle branding strategy allows you to grow a unique and memorable image and helps you stand out from the competition.

        See it in action: Nike is a great example of a company that has embraced lifestyle branding in their marketing campaigns. Their imagery of athletes, both professional and amateur, and their “Just Do It” and “You Can’t Stop Us” slogans speak to their demographic and create an emotional connection.

        Immersive paid media: Staying ahead of the curve with the most current paid media trends can help shape your go-to-market strategy now and into 2024. Check out our recent blog outlining four paid media trends we’re tracking this year: programmatic dynamic audio, programmatic CTV, high-impact, and rich media.

        See it in action: 2RM worked on this Pioneer CTV campaign that was targeted toward corn and soybean growers and incorporated advanced first-party data to reach a very specific audience on their streaming devices and smart TVs. We also developed this high-impact mobile display ad for Volvo Construction Equipment that showcases video elements, attention-grabbing transitions, and engaging messaging and call to action.

        4. Personalization

        In 2024, brands are expected to deliver unprecedented levels of tailored content and experiences that resonate deeply with individual consumers.

        Targeted messages: Customers have come to expect a seamless and personalized experience with brands. Utilizing personalization in targeted communications allows a brand to achieve this by delivering the right message, to the right person, at the right time. This approach is crucial; it increases the relevance of messages for the customer, which fosters stronger connections by delivering content that resonates with their unique needs. Targeted messaging can utilize channels like live chat and chatbots, powered by conversational AI, to engage with customers in real time.

        See it in action: Check out Amtrak’s Ask Julie, a virtual assistant designed to help customers without requiring them to call or email customer service.

        Product recommendations: Personalized product recommendations are customized based on user preferences, past behaviors, and purchase history. This technology is almost always powered by AI and machine learning. Product recommendations enhance the overall shopping experience by presenting customers with products that align with their interests, increasing the likelihood of conversions, and creating customer satisfaction and loyalty through a more relevant shopping journey.

          See it in action: Amazon took their product recommendations a step further with content-based recommendations, a machine learning-based engine that presents related products based on recent searches or purchase history.

          Custom videos: As video continues to be one of the most popular forms of B2B content, brands are finding ways to personalize videos to individual viewers based on their preferences, behaviors, and demographics. This improves viewer engagement by delivering content that is highly relevant to their interests, creating a more impactful experience that increases the likelihood of conversion and brand loyalty.

            See it in action: This personalized video content from Marketo uses a fun approach that creates FOMO (fear of missing out) to drive sign-ups for one of their largest events.

            5. Brand Discoverability

            Here’s how brands are enhancing their discoverability in the digital age — through SEO, social media, and other emerging trends — to ensure maximum visibility and engagement online.

            Social SEO: Search engine optimization (SEO) is evolving beyond efforts that focus on ranking higher in search engines like Google. Younger generations especially are shifting more toward using social media channels like TikTok and Instagram for searching over search engines. This is drawing more attention to social SEO efforts, which, like traditional SEO for search engines, help bring more visibility to your brand when users search on social media platforms.

              See it in action: This LinkedIn profile from Semrush does a great job of incorporating a detailed and descriptive overview of their company.

              Content pillars/hubs: 2024 is set to be an exciting time for SEO and content development. Some of the top types of content to develop for evolving SEO best practices is topic clusters and pillar pages. Organizing content this way demonstrates your authority on a specific topic and helps to organize content that works well for conversational-based queries that users are searching for — and that would show up using a generative AI chatbot in search.

                See it in action: Explore examples of different types of pillar pages and learn how to execute them effectively.

                Word-of-mouth marketing: With so many product options available, consumers are increasingly relying on personal recommendations to help inform their purchase decisions. This is where word-of-mouth marketing comes in. Efforts like referral programs, social media marketing, customer testimonials, events, and influencer marketing help to create that positive buzz around your brand. Many of these tactics can be executed on a budget as well. You don’t need to tap into an influencer with millions of followers. In fact, micro influencers in niche areas often have some of the most loyal and dedicated fans. You can also engage existing customers and share user-generated content (UGC) like testimonials and images.

                See it in action: This referral program from Dropbox encourages existing users to refer others — in turn both get extra storage on their accounts.

                Embracing Digital Marketing Trends

                The forecast for marketing in 2024 is clear — innovation is key. Embracing these trends in digital marketing, experience, and technology will help your business stay dynamic and competitive in the coming year. Looking for support? Connect with our experts who can help integrate these technologies, experiences, and strategies into your 2024 marketing plan.