Another trend report?

Why 2024 is different

Marketing trends don’t change annually, but sometimes wide-reaching advances in tech or faltering market conditions mean we need to take stock and adapt. This year, we have all of this to navigate.

Engagement data is advancing search, content experiences, and content marketing strategies. Generative AI (GenAI) and Search Generative Experience (SGE) are shaping efficiencies, experiences, and convenience - continuously building results from user behavior. Personalized online experiences are becoming normalized, yet digitalization hasn’t entirely met expectations. There’s still high demand for needle-moving tech.

The 2023 Gartner Board of Directors Survey found that only 35% of directors have achieved or are on track to meet digital transformation goals, reporting the top three breakthrough techs linked to success as AI/ML, software enhancement, and data and analytics.

We’ve also hit a moment of fiscal uncertainty. While the World Bank has sour news about our post-pandemic, war-ravaged global economy, CMOs in the US and Canada are bullishly confident that budgets will remain stable or expand.

Sentiment may be positive across the globe with advertising spend predicted to grow across most regions between 2024-26, but the reality is that budgets slipped by 0.4% from 2022-23. It’s no surprise that CEOs are finding longevity hard to envisage in a climate where higher interest rates dampen investment ROI and affect market demand.

Notably, lockdowns contributed to bursting the tech bubble with mass layoffs since 2022 and more to follow this year. Whether budgets grow, decline, or flatline, marketers now have more to live up to and more to prove - likely with less.