3 Disruptive Marketing Trends in 2022

The Shifting Landscape of Growth Marketing

A widespread sense of optimism accompanied the arrival of 2021, as many believed we were past the worst of the challenges presented in 2020. Expectations were high for a return to previous conditions. However, as the year concludes, it's evident that a return to what was once considered “normal” is unlikely.

This constant state of flux is particularly relevant for professionals in growth marketing. Strategies that proved effective in the recent past may now be obsolete, and their future success is far from guaranteed.

Key Growth Trends of 2021

Let's examine three significant growth trends observed throughout 2021 and consider their implications for marketing strategies in the coming year, 2022.

• The Rise of Privacy-Focused Marketing: Consumers are increasingly concerned about data privacy.
• Content as a Core Growth Driver: High-quality, valuable content continues to be paramount.
• The Expansion of Marketing Channels: New platforms and technologies are constantly emerging.

These trends necessitate a flexible and adaptable approach to marketing. Success will depend on the ability to anticipate and respond to ongoing changes.

Understanding these shifts is crucial for any organization aiming to achieve sustainable growth in the evolving digital environment. A proactive stance, rather than a reactive one, will be essential.

A Shift Towards Privacy and the Re-emergence of Growth Hacking Strategies

In April of 2021, Apple released iOS 14.5, introducing a requirement for app permissions to monitor user activity online for the purpose of delivering tailored advertisements. As anticipated, a significant majority of users promptly chose to decline tracking. This resulted in restrictions on the user-level data that was previously fundamental to precise audience targeting and marketing attribution.

This alteration was enacted by Apple under the banner of enhanced consumer privacy, with the stated goal of establishing a secure and reliable environment for app discovery. However, the modification also redistributed influence away from social media advertising platforms like Facebook and Snap.

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These platforms experienced a transition from unrestricted access to granular user browsing and purchasing data to receiving only aggregated data, frequently limited to a 24-hour timeframe. Conversely, platforms such as Apple maintain the ability to track performance within their proprietary ecosystems.

Indeed, companies like Facebook, YouTube, Snap, and Twitter collectively experienced a decline of approximately $10 billion in advertising revenue, while Apple’s advertising division – specifically its search ads – saw its market share triple. The change significantly constrains the capabilities of advertising algorithms and the volume of data available for optimizing marketing initiatives.

Currently, these limitations are primarily affecting mobile activity, but Apple has also introduced a new feature designed to conceal your IP address from email senders. Google is mirroring this approach and will soon begin restricting device-level identifiers from advertisers.

Looking Ahead: Predictions for 2022

With diminished access to user-level data and robust platform attribution, marketers will be compelled to adopt a more hands-on approach. Successful marketers will revisit the foundational principles of marketing measurement and media mix modeling.

This involves comparing sales figures with marketing expenditures and employing regression analysis to identify correlations and assign appropriate weightings to various marketing channels. Furthermore, brands will need to prioritize experimentation, evaluating advertising efficacy through incrementality testing – for example, temporarily disabling channels or utilizing geographic holdouts with controlled ad spend.

Growth marketers will also need to foster closer collaboration with their in-house data science teams to develop customized attribution models, recognizing that a universal solution is unlikely to be effective.

The Ascendancy of Native Creative on TikTok and Beyond

TikTok has experienced remarkable growth this year, exceeding 1 billion monthly active users by September. Platforms centered around influencers are steadily capturing a greater portion of consumers’ time spent online – approximately 24 hours monthly on TikTok and 22 hours on YouTube within the U.S.

Leading content creators are increasingly establishing their own ventures directly within these platforms, showcasing and selling a diverse range of products, from pet apparel to fitness programs. Consider “Miss Excel” (Kat Norton), who is reported to generate up to six figures a day through the sale of Microsoft Excel training courses on TikTok and Instagram.

Advertisers invariably follow consumer attention, leading to increased marketing budgets allocated to influencer-driven channels like TikTok and Twitch. This year witnessed a near doubling in the percentage of individuals exposed to TikTok advertisements, rising from 19% to 37%.

Influencer-based advertising offers marketers access to a receptive and trusting audience. Companies within the Portage Ventures portfolio have observed that advertisements crafted by influencers demonstrate superior down-funnel conversion rates and return on investment when compared to conventional ads on the same platforms.

Looking Ahead to 2022

Creative content designed specifically for each platform, effectively blurring the distinction between advertising and organic content, will become the dominant strategy. Successful brands advertising on influencer platforms advise marketers to prioritize creating platform-native content over traditional advertisements: “Focus on making TikToks, not ads.”

The Boyos Brothers, known on TikTok for their crowdsourced pranks – including spending a night at a Walmart – were engaged to create a promotional stunt involving Cash App, where they purchased groceries for shoppers in supermarkets. This advertisement has already amassed over 21 million views and continues to grow.

Adopting native creative approaches will likely lead to a departure from the traditional emphasis on a consistent brand identity across all marketing channels. A consumer’s experience with a brand on TikTok may differ significantly from their perception of the same brand on television, and this shift is acceptable.

Expect to see larger corporations pursuing long-term contracts and exclusive category agreements with prominent influencers. Co-branded products and revenue-sharing arrangements will become more common as influencers gain greater recognition. Simultaneously, smaller brands will continue to explore cost-effective marketing options, concentrating on micro-influencers where cost-per-mille (CPM) rates are lower and performance strategies are still evolving.

The Surge in Resignations and the Battle for Growth Talent

September witnessed an unprecedented 3% of the American workforce voluntarily leaving their positions. While a portion of this can be linked to delayed career moves stemming from the pandemic, the primary driver is the widening range of opportunities available to skilled professionals.

The rise of remote work has fundamentally altered recruitment, enabling organizations to access talent pools beyond geographical limitations.

Concurrently, venture capital investment soared to a record high of approximately $580 billion in 2021, representing a substantial increase of nearly 50% compared to the previous year. This influx of capital has resulted in larger funding rounds and expanded marketing budgets, intensifying competition for consumer attention.

Consequently, companies are engaged in a vigorous pursuit of a finite number of growth marketers capable of effectively managing these direct-to-consumer (DTC) budgets. The most in-demand professionals possess extensive experience – typically 10+ years – and demonstrate expertise in leading growth teams, optimizing key performance channels like Facebook, Google, and TikTok, and making informed decisions even with incomplete data.

Looking Ahead to 2022

The competitive landscape for growth talent is projected to become even more challenging. A growing number of highly skilled marketers are likely to embrace fractional roles, launch independent consulting practices, or choose to work with multiple businesses concurrently rather than committing to traditional full-time employment.

Venture capital firms are also actively participating in this trend, directly hiring growth experts to provide support to the companies within their investment portfolios.

To address this evolving situation, brands must develop more effective strategies for attracting and retaining top talent. Organizations should consider identifying and cultivating growth potential within existing quantitative and cross-functional teams, such as finance and data science.

Furthermore, adopting a performance-based compensation model, similar to those commonly used in sales, could prove beneficial for growth marketers.

Each year brings a wave of resolutions and forecasts. While some predictions prove accurate, many do not. The events of the past year have definitively shown that a return to previous norms is unlikely.

Success in 2022 will favor marketers who demonstrate adaptability and a willingness to integrate historical data with ongoing experimentation to forge innovative strategies.

• Key Takeaway: The demand for growth marketers is exceeding supply.
• Strategic Shift: Companies need to rethink their talent acquisition and retention strategies.