Courtesy Promotional Consultant Today (pctodaymail.com) & Genevieve Trainor
When Promotional Consultant Today released their list of the biggest marketing trends to watch in 2019, the first thing that we noticed was that a good chunk of them weren’t even applicable to us here at Bankers! Tech buy-ins and advances like chatbots, voice and visual searches, and AI monitoring may be taking the marketing world by storm, but what the drive toward greater automation reminds us of is that, once again, our personalized, person-to-person service will soon be a rare treat in the marketplace.
As for the rest of the trends—read on! Here, we highlight their top five, and share how, working Bankers and with your sales partner, you can leverage them to help propel your business into 2019 and beyond.
A shifting marketing funnel. Instead of creating a marketing funnel that accepts anyone, move toward niche audiences. Contacting people and businesses who are interested in your products and services saves you money and time.
Bankers has a wide array of support available to help you make decisions about how (and what!) to sell to your target audience. Your sales partner can help you dig into the best promo for various demographics.
Content rises in importance. People crave phenomenal content. In the year ahead, think about how you can create articles or videos that inspire your audience, provoke their thoughts, appeal to their emotions, or excite them. Don’t just write a post to write it; craft a piece with a goal of getting readers to share and engage with it. When you do, you open the door for two-way communication, which ultimately helps you build trust.
Bankers can’t create content for you. But we can help you with creative content delivery! With great promotional items, the medium IS the message—but more than that, your sales partner can connect you with flash drives that we can have pre-loaded with information for you, notebooks and planners that you can add your own content to, VR devices that can send your customers on a virtual tour, and more.
Consumers pay more attention to security. People want to know how businesses handle their information, so ensure that your company’s security is thorough. In an era of hacks, leaks and theft, make sure to discuss your security with customers. What are you doing to ensure the safest business experience?
Well isn’t that a coincidence? Customers are concerned with security, and you can offer them promotional products to ease their fears. From webcam covers to RFID-blocking wallets and passport holders, promo is a wonderful fit with this trend, offering a great way for you to support your security initiatives.
A greater focus on Gen Z. Members of the second-youngest generation crave authenticity and prefer socially responsible businesses. As they get older, their buying power increases. Make sure your marketing reflects what matters to this group to best connect with them in 2019.
Not to worry: The kids are alright. Rising purchasers Gen Z (the oldest have been in the job market a few years or are just getting out of grad school) are socially aware, politically active, and ready to do business with someone they trust—and that someone could be you! At Bankers, we can find the best promotional products to support you in outreach efforts with items that are all recycled, all Made in the USA, or otherwise fit your corporate values that you’d like to express to your Gen Z customers.
Influencers become more personal. While celebrities used to dominate influencer marketing, consumers now lean toward their peers to decide what to buy. Instead of celebrity marketing, many brands are turning to real people (micro-influencers) because people trust individuals like them. To win at marketing in the year ahead, don’t keep doing what you have always done. Keep an eye on emerging technologies, methods and patterns to maximize your marketing efforts.
This is the best news yet! What marketing calls “micro-influencers” we call your current customers. All it takes is more active use of what’s always been your best marketing tool: word of mouth. Promotional products are a perfect way to support that—your branded products are the perfect opening for the customers who love you to sing your praises to friends and colleagues.
Source: Deep Patel (A Paperboy’s Fable: The 11 Principles of Success); Compiled by Audrey Sellers