Predictions for 2021, What Will Change for Now and What Will Change Forever
Go ahead and let yourself say it, 2020 is over. The longest year ever is long behind us and, with the rollout of the vaccine looking to be going according to plan, the economy looks to be reopening at an ever increasing pace. This is great news for everyone, not the least of which being DTC brands and the consumers who have increasingly relied on them through the pandemic shutdown.
This might sound surprising to some who see the end of the shutdown and reopening of retail locations as a return to the old shopping habits and a threat to online shopping in general, but dont be so quick to discount the long-term shifts that were spurred on by this pandemic and the shutdown.
This week we are discussing three predictions we have for marketers in 2021, covering both changes that will affect us in the short term as well as ones that will last forever.
Technology will make everything safer, even in-person
One of the most enduring parts of human nature is our ability to adapt to long-term threats with new behaviors. Think about how every horror movie you’ve seen triggers your fight or flight response left over from our caveman days or how your depression-era grandparents still saved money under the bed decades later. The pandemic will most likely be no exception.
Shoppers are going to be even more aware of microbes and bacteria and as a result, several new safety measures will likely become standard for all in-person retail. Touchless demonstration options are going to become more normalized, retail capacities may remain low and social distancing will likely become a matter of etiquette long after it is no longer mandated.
Likewise, virtual meetings and conferences are not going anywhere. As much as we may all be craving the long lost sensation of making eye contact with your colleagues in person, the simple fact is that large gatherings of people such as business conferences or trade shows will likely not “feel” safe, even after they are. Add to this the convenience factor and the ability to expand the reach of these events online and you’ve got a good idea why this is not going away any time soon.
Online retail is not going anywhere
It’s become conventional wisdom that ecommerce has taken over brick and mortar and that in this new digital landscape shopping occurs more on our phones and computers than in a brick and mortar store. This might not be entirely true, retail still dominates as the top way to shop by a fairly wide margin, but the numbers do show impressive growth in ecommerce. This growth has only been accelerated by the pandemic and shows no signs of stopping.
While ecom growth YoY typically sits between 10-12% growth in past years, 2020 saw a huge boost to online shopping - some experts calculate it at around 20%! That’s a massive leap for the growing DTC david going up against the retail goliath, and it’s safe to say these trends will not stop any time soon. While retail continues to change and evolve in order to accommodate people's safety and security, ecom will continue to be known as the “safe bet” - the path of least human contact to get your goods in your hands. That’s great news for online brands.
Multi-channel marketers will win in the long term
With ecom growing faster than ever, marketers will need to increasingly turn their eyes to the digital space to win new customers. This means not only will brands need to ensure that their story is told on social media or traditional marketing channels such as direct mail, the winners of the new digital landscape will be those who fire on all cylinders and effectively tell their story across several channels at once. Brands who are able to take advantage of traditional marketing channels such as Facebook and Instagram as well as adapting to new channels such as Tik Tok YouTube will find that their efforts pay off dividends in 2021.
All of this requires coordination on your marketing team as well as effective tools to map results, but FieldTest has you covered in the latter. Our newest data tools allow you to track traffic from all sources as well as from our online display banners, allowing you to see just what is working and what is not. We also have the most powerful audience targeting technology on the market to find your brand new customers wherever they browse online and ensure that you don’t miss out on a single online intender, no matter what the rest of your multichannel marketing strategy looks like.
2021 is looking bright for retail and ecom alike
With the longest year ever in the history books and the economy recovering at a steady rate, it’s a safe bet to say that 2021 is going to be a great year for SMBs and DTC brands alike. 2020 hit many businesses hard, but it only accelerated market trends towards digital distribution, connection, and marketing. If you are a brand marketer who is comfortable with the move to an increasingly digital space and you are prepared to use it to your full advantage we’re confident you and your business are going to have a fantastic 2021!