There’s no way to sugarcoat it – 2020 was unlike anything the world has experienced. Businesses small and large felt the effects of an anxious nation and an economic shutdown. In a time of great need, many people looked to advertising agencies, or their internal communications departments, to help get messages of hope out to the public. Engaging with audiences took on new meanings and a lot of lessons were learned about what keeps a consumer loyal to a brand. 

As we look back at last year and try to plan ahead for what is sure to be another eventful year, there are several trends to anticipate in the advertising world. 

Decluttering social media

The blessing of social media is that it provides a window to advertise and promote to a huge group of eager consumers. The curse of social media is that it’s growing and doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. There is simply too much to keep up with, and after 2020 it’s likely your business does not have the time to be everywhere just for the sake of being everywhere. 

While social media is an incredibly valuable and necessary advertising tool, brands don’t need to be on every single platform. This may be happy news to any company struggling to keep up with the latest and greatest. Much as in advertising, there isn’t any point in investing further in a channel that isn’t responding to you. Those looking to advertise and engage on social media should stick to the platforms that are working for them. This doesn’t mean there’s a free pass to skip social media altogether, it just means that you should make informed choices with your time. 

And now for the words every small business wants to hear: no, you don’t need to keep trying to be relevant on TikTok if you don’t want to.   

Making human connections in advertising

If it wasn’t obvious before, it should be incredibly obvious now. Consumers want to interact with brands that align with their values. In both advertising campaigns and social media posts, brands will continue to be asked to open up and share the causes they care about in 2021. The current political, social, and economic climates are certainly influencing this trend. If 2020 showed us anything, it was to reevaluate our personal and professional priorities. Brands should do the same. And as the country comes out of the fog of the past year, consumers will keep asking brands to put their money where their mouths are – in advertising and messaging, yes, but also intangible actions. 

Short-term and long-term messaging

One of the biggest advertising trends in 2021 is a direct response to a need addressed in 2020: flexibility. Many industries were brought to a halt because of COVID. And the advertising plans made in Q4 of 2019 for the next year were suddenly irrelevant. Messaging during the pandemic had to be created quickly. This year, brands should continue to have flexibility within their advertising plans while still thinking of long-term growth. The advertising industry at large is also expecting this strategy to be the new normal. Brands that are up for the challenge of pivoting messaging on short notice and executing it well within their overall advertising strategy will prove to have much success for years to come.  

Located in downtown Lancaster, PA, Taylor Brand Group offers a wide range of services such as rebranding, internal branding, brand development, and brand research in addition to work dedicated to brand identity. As a branding agency, we’re dedicated to helping businesses with advertising projects with the intention of focusing on brand awareness first. If you’re searching for an agency that can help to improve your brand awareness through trusted strategies, creative design, unique messaging tactics, and informed advertising, Taylor Brand Group can help. To learn more about the services we offer and how to take your brand and advertising to the next level, contact us today.