2021 Global Marketing Trends

Throughout history, moments of crisis and uncertainty have galvanized new innovations and shifted views on what matters most to people. The 1918 pandemic popularized the use of the telephone so much that the people-powered switch operators couldn’t keep up. In the Cold War era, the rise of televisions in households directly influenced how people perceived conflict at a time when the Vietnam War became the world’s “First Televised War.” And, more recently, as issues of climate change and gender equality took center stage, people began to demand more from businesses.

Now, we are confronted with an amalgamation of uncertainty-and the world is collectively looking for answers. With an omnipresent pandemic, we had to find new ways to socialize in a world where social distancing quickly became the norm; work had to be redesigned so people could do their jobs safely and productively; grocery shopping, dining out, education, and medical treatment fundamentally changed.

How do you uncover and discuss the implications of global marketing trends at a time when the world has seemingly turned on its axis and still continues to change in unpredictable ways?

To seek an answer to this question, we set out on an all-encompassing journey to better understand how people and brands responded to the pandemic-and, most importantly, why some brands were able to flourish even during these turbulent times. In our second annual report, we combine subject matter expertise, voices from the field, and two overarching surveys-one consumer-based and the other targeted toward executives

When analysing the findings in tandem, we see a very clear message: In these wild times of uncertainty, people are looking to brands for help- and rewarding those that can meet their most pressing needs in the moment.

In this spirit, we developed seven trends to help executives break through this wall of uncertainty and take action:

• Purpose
• Agility
• Human Experience
• Trust
• Participation
• Fusion
• Talent

These trends can enable leaders to respond to customer needs as they unfold, pivot business models to better align to evolving needs, and foster the human connection we all crave. Explore our 2021 Global Marketing Trends to learn more.