Searching for answers

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The search was on as people looked to Google for answers during this year of unknowns. According to Google, some of the top trending searches in 2020 included “how to cut men’s hair at home” or “how to make a mask without sewing.” Each search reveals the needs and the uncertainties of consumers. As marketers, this search data is a treasure of value. Search not only shows sentiment but also indicates areas where consumers’ needs aren’t being met (hello market opportunities!) You can be sure to see plenty of men’s self-styling products this year.

Honest and relatable social media content

Don’t go chasing algorithms— remember your story. In this year of social distancing and stay-at-home quarantine, the need to connect to others was fulfilled online through social media, which provided a voice for many to communicate with the outside world. One of the biggest platforms for new voices this year was TikTok, which emerged as the most downloaded app of the year for users between 18 and 24. However, no matter the channel, the message was the same — honesty and transparency. “We’re in this together” may as well have been the tagline of the year, signifying the connection that we all craved while staying apart.

People buy from people

In fact, a recent study by Allison+Partners found that 58% of marketers believe that humanizing a brand will lead to higher sales. For many businesses, physical doors were closed, giving social media and thailand phone number list YouTube the perfect platform to communicate with their audience. The voices of brands showed up for their customers with behind the scenes looks at their struggles and stories in a humanistic way. This honesty often led to stronger customer trust and sales. It showed that businesses were still there for their communities — near and far.

The Rise of the Influencer

Many businesses also looked to their audiences to give honest feedback on their products or services through influencer marketing campaigns. In our own backyard, Dunkin Donuts used Nano Influencers (accounts with only 1,000 to 10,000 followers) to reach a more authentic audience. The influencers’ goal — to produce high engagement rates by focusing on being realistic and relatable to the audience to promote Dunkin Donuts. The results proved strong, with 21,975 likes and a 5.2% engagement rate. This user-generated content gave an honest look at how users truly feel about brands. Meanwhile, Maine’s iconic L.L.Bean took to the outdoors, featuring brand ambassadors as influencers by specifically hiring #LLBeanstudents that showcased their L.L.Bean adventures on social media throughout the year. While the results of this campaign have not been finalized, we anticipate similar success to the Dunkin Donuts campaign.

Though the marketing landscape may have changed in 2020, the future looks bright in 2021 for businesses and audiences. The benefit of these trends to businesses is the convenience to pivot alongside audience behaviors. Both digital advertising and paid social media offer a relatively inexpensive spend with a high ROI, that can be changed almost instantly. For audiences, these platforms offer a way to connect and share their experiences. We’ll keep pivoting into 2021, listening to consumers, continuing to connect them to businesses, and find the answers to what’s to come in 2021.