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The Hottest Marketing Trends for 2008

Increase sales by capitalizing on the top trends in the coming year

By Kim T. Gordon

Marketers nationwide are setting their plans in motion for 2008. Big-name brands will embrace new technologies and adjust their budgets in some surprising ways. And as an entrepreneur you can follow these important clues to the smartest tactics for reaching your own audiences in the coming year.

In 2008, you can expect major marketing trends to include:

A Shift from Traditional to “Alternative” Media

Advertising in newspapers, magazines, on radio and television will continue to be marketing staples, but spending in new media will show the biggest growth as advertisers move money into online, mobile, and alternative out-of-home advertising. Many marketers are finding alternative media the best way to reach audiences effectively and to yield a measurable ROI. A communications industry forecast published this past summer by Veronis Suhler Stevenson predicts alternative advertising spending will increase more than 23% from 2006 through 2011, for example, while traditional advertising will have a compound annual growth rate of just over 1%.

A Growth Spurt for Interactive Marketing

Interactive marketing spending will more than triple over the next five years, reaching $61 billion by 2012, according to Forrester Research. To put this into context, interactive marketing, which right now is just 8% of all ad spending, will increase to 18% of marketers’ total advertising budgets in five years.

Interactive encompasses such new marketing channels as e-mail and search marketing, online video ads, and social media. Mobile marketing, considered a form of interactive, is hot and getting hotter as consumers become increasingly comfortable using personal computing handsets. Other emerging channels, including game marketing, podcasts and RSS, will claim increasingly larger shares of marketers’ budgets.

More Off-Line Support for Online Campaigns

Here’s where the value of advertising synergy hits home. In 2008 and beyond, the trend toward using off-line media to drive customers to the Web will continue and pick up speed as traditional media are increasingly relied on to support new interactive campaigns. Display advertising, in particular, will be the workhorse that Forrester Research predicts will reach $14 billion by 2012.

Television is another traditional advertising medium that will increasingly be used to pique consumer interest and point prospects to a website where they can find more in-depth information. Once there, entertaining online video ads may be used to tell a longer, more involving story. Consumer adoption of online video is growing, and most age groups are expected to step up its use in 2008.

How to Take Advantage of the Trends

In 2008, the major marketers who set the trends will help consumers adopt new media consumption methods. And they’ll pave the way for small business owners to follow suit without the risk or heavy financial outlay of being first.

Here are four ways to increase sales and your advertising ROI by capitalizing on the hottest trends for 2008.

1. Engage the Customer

The move toward alternative advertising versus some of the more traditional methods coincides with the emergence of technologies that enable a one-on-one dialogue with customers. For example, you can follow the trend toward the adoption of social media by posting your products on sites that encourage customer or peer reviews. Social media add an element of impartiality and are increasingly looked to as reliable sources of information.

2. Integrate Your Off-Line and Online Campaigns

Look for ways to use off-line media to drive traffic to a website with specialized landing pages that tell a deeper story. Use print and television ads to start the customer education process and direct potential buyers online to learn more and take the next steps in the purchase process. And direct an e-mail campaign to your current customer database to offset the cost of direct mail. Simply alternate e-mail and postal mail for a cost-effective one-two punch.

3. Move Some Off-Line Dollars Online

Online advertising now offers a strong alternative to some traditional media, such as print yellow pages. Consider moving some of your traditional directory advertising dollars into online directories and search engines. The vast majority of Americans research their products online before making purchases either online or in brick-and-mortar stores, so a paid search campaign is an ideal way to make sure you turn up at the top of search results.

4. Follow Your Customer

New alternative out-of-home advertising opportunities let you place your message wherever your customers go. You can put your name and company logo on the umbrellas used by urban street vendors, or name hiking trails in wilderness areas. The key to using these new opportunities effectively is to place your message where it will appear in the proper context and reach your potential customers when they are in the right frame of mind.

The new year comes chock full of high-return marketing opportunities. And by closely watching the hottest trends you can make smart choices that let you step ahead of your slower-moving competitors.

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