Top 5 Marketing Campaign Strategies In 2021

We’re living in a time when the digital marketing landscape is constantly evolving and consumer interests and behaviors are hard to predict. In order to stand out among the virtual crowd and stay ahead of the competition, brands will have to quickly adapt to the changing environment and embrace new trends to resonate with online audiences.

In this blog, we covered the top 5 marketing campaign strategies that will help your business thrive in 2021. Let’s dive into it now!

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Inclusion and Diversity

2021 is expected to see a growing number of marketing campaigns covering a variety of social matters such as race, gender, religion. According to research by Accenture, more than 40% of shoppers from ethnic minorities and the LGBT+ community are willing to switch to brands that have made a commitment towards inclusion and diversity. The same study showed that 29% of consumers can switch brands completely if they don’t showcase enough diversity.

The wave of inclusion & diversity campaigns is not limited to a one-time advertising stunt but has to be integrated into the corporate culture and even new product lines. Fenty Beauty’s all-inclusive foundation, founded by international pop star Rihanna, focused on creating formulas that work for all skin types. Her latest foundation line was released with up to 50 inclusive shades, setting the new standard for beauty and forcing her competitors to rethink their approach.

Another example is ThirdLove, a lingerie company that aims to make items for all different body types. They feature women of all ages, shapes and races rather than high-fashioned models.

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Inclusive marketing is not just about gender diversity or equality. It can be as simple as showing off your customers’ diversity. Bumble's "Find Me On Bumble" campaign is an example. The brand reached out to its users in New York, brought them together and let them share their inspiring stories. By featuring real stories with real-life users, not models or influencers, it is easier for the audiences to resonate with the video.

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The Age of Social Commerce

Social commerce comes as no surprise since consumers spend most of their time on their phones and are known to be influenced by brands on social media. In the past, brands used to redirect followers to online stores to make a purchase. However, with new features such as Facebook Shops, Instagram Shops, Buyable Pins, consumers can now shop without even leaving the app.

To set an example, global beauty brand Maybelline has turned its Instagram profile into a shopping venue with shoppable videos and images. By clicking the “view product” icon, customers can also see other related products.

Another example is Pomelo (@pomelofashion) which features influencers donning their outfits on their Instagram page, for consumers to take inspiration from these #pomelogirls and their beautiful outfits. Singaporean lifestyle influencer, @mirchelley, was recently featured in her #barbiexpomelo blazer, allowing Pomelo to tap into her follower community of 151k users on Instagram.

You can also check out our latest blog to understand how Social Commerce works and the 3 steps to create a successful social commerce strategy.

Watch & purchase

According to research from Brightcove, 85% of millennials say they’ve purchased a product or service after watching a video. Additionally, 80% of shoppers who used video for purchase inspiration say they did so at the beginning of the customer journey. These statistics display the impact of visualization and the role of video marketing in facilitating buying decisions.

Here are the biggest video marketing trends that should be included in your marketing campaign strategies:‍

1. Shoppable videos

‍Shoppable video is one of the social commerce strategies that enable users to interact with brands without stepping outside. They are also much more appealing and engaging than product photos.

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2. Soundless videos

Do you know that 85% of Facebook video is watched without sound? 

Acknowledging this, brands around the world have been creating some of the best videos on the internet which can speak volumes without the use of headphones. Curious how they did it? Let’s take a look at The creative ad from Ikea and Thanks To Frontliners from TBC Insurance! 

‍3. Live Stream Videos

‍Do you know that live videos can hook viewers 3x longer and produce 6x more interactions than other videos? While Facebook, YouTube and Instagram are thriving with their Live features, other social media platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Twitch have started to ride on this trend too!

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‍4. Videos for good

‍If you want to create an ad that makes people relate and remember your name, delivering videos that inspire is a great strategy. Nike, Dove, P&G are brands that frequently include inspiring messages in their video ads, and they nail it every time!

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UGC Campaigns 

According to Crowdtap and Ipsos, user-generated content (UGC) is more trusted than other types of media by 50% and is an important marketing strategy to help brands build trust and grow sales. Below are the 5 best types of UGC campaigns for brands to consider.

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Influencer Marketing

Coronavirus has caused a great deal of uncertainty to the business environment, but it also has accelerated the growth of influencer marketing in 2020. From a mere $1.7 billion in 2016, influencer marketing is estimated to have a market size of $9.7 billion in 2020. Now it is expected to jump to $13.8 billion in 2021. 

Here are some influencer marketing trends you can trust to keep business booming in 2021:

1. Influencer commerce

Influencers are now taking over social commerce, in a new trend called Influencer Commerce which is raking in millions of dollars a year. Brands will need to leverage both influencer marketing and social commerce if they want to increase brand visibility and drive more sales.  

2. Multi-channel campaign

Customers now don’t live on one social media channel alone. With platforms like TikTok and Clubhouse coming into play, brands have to note where there is faster growth potential and reach wider audiences with multi-channel content creators. 

3. Strategic long-term partnership

In today’s volatile world, long-term partnerships can lead to more meaningful results.

Authentic content is key and established relationships with influencers allow audiences to resonate with the content. 

4. Immersive content

The adoption of Augmented Reality (AR) technology on social media has been on the rise. As technology advances, brands can consider incorporating interactive elements and branded AR experiences to deepen audience engagement.

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For more insights and predictions about influencer marketing trends in 2021, you can check out our latest Influencer Marketing Report.