Introduction

The past 18 months forever redefined customer engagement strategies—and with this change has come unprecedented complexity. Consider just a few of the macro trends unfolding in the market: In a world where people continuously toggle between digital and physical channels, linear customer journeys are almost a relic of the past. Consumers expect more tailored and personalized experiences but, simultaneously, are more guarded in how their data is captured and deployed. Even the definition of convenience has changed as people expect items and services to be available at the push of a button. Beyond products and services, people are more attuned to what a brand stands for—and if it’s only maximizing profit, many will walk away before the brand can even put an offer in front of them.

These trends are creating just as much complexity within the four walls of the organization. As artificial intelligence becomes core to the entire customer experience, teams are scrambling to find the right mix of talent that elevates—and integrates—the creative and analytical. In parallel, brands are continuously looking to ensure their talent is just as representative and inclusive as the experiences they hope to deliver to market. And underscoring all of this is the reality that marketing budgets shrunk to record lows at a time when expectations are at an all-time high.¹

Given these trends, how can brands thrive in an increasingly complex world?

We believe the answer requires holistically rethinking the way brands engage with customers—and for good reason: When we surveyed over 1,000 global executives, we found the highest-growing brands (defined as those with 10% or higher annual growth) are moving beyond point solutions and comprehensively addressing the entire customer experience—encompassing everything from activating an enterprisewide purpose to overhauling entire customer data strategies.

Taking the lead from these high-growth organizations, we took a multifaceted approach to the 2022 Global Marketing Trends report. In addition to surveying executives from five countries, we polled 11,500 consumers across the globe, as well as conducted 18 in-depth interviews with executives from leading global brands (see sidebar “Research methodology” to learn more). In total, we identified seven trends that are customer-centric and take a 360-degree view of the solution set.

360-degree engagement: People, data, and experiences

To provide leaders with a road map to thriving in these unprecedented times, we organized our trends into three sections: people, data, and experiences.

However, these sections are not mutually exclusive endeavors. They comprise an interdependent system that, when integrated, forms the basis of dynamic customer experiences.

Putting people at the center

The opening trends in our report build the foundation through which everything else flows: the people the brand serves.

Purpose—A beacon for growth explores how high-growth brands are cutting through the noise of competing on price and quality alone and building a competitive advantage by committing to and communicating their impact beyond profit.

Authentically inclusive marketing focuses on how marketers—and their advertisements—are generally the face of what a brand stands for beyond profit maximization to consumers. And as populations continue to become more diverse and increasingly prioritize representation, it’s important to get the brand authentically right or risk losing your customer of today—and the future.

Building the intelligent creative engine In a fast-paced world, marketers need a talent model that moves at the speed of culture. This trend highlights how brands are unleashing creative content that better resonates with today’s world. This includes using agile cohorts of creative and analytical talent to solve customer problems and seeking new forms of external talent, for example, by turning influencers from product spokespeople to creative agents.

Building the data infrastructure

The proliferation of channels has led to myriad sources of data. However, more is not always better, and, in some cases, what’s available today won’t be here tomorrow. Our next two chapters provide guidance in navigating this increasingly complex data environment.

Meeting customers in a cookieless world discusses how marketers should be preparing for an environment where less information will be available as third-party cookies continue to disappear. Further, we note how high-growth brands are already ahead in their first-party data strategies.

Designing a human-first data experience But it’s not just about moving to a first-party data strategy; designing a human-first data experience shifts the lens to consumers to better understand the balance between people finding the use of their data helpful and, well, creepy.

Designing dynamic experiences

The customer experience is the culmination of every step along the way. In this spirit, our final two chapters highlight how brands can bring everything together to ensure their experiences match their aspirations of delivering dynamic solutions to customers.

Elevating the hybrid experience lays out how brands can build dynamic, cohesive experiences in both their digital and in-person environments through leading principles from human-centered design.

Supercharging customer service with AI considers the consumer’s perspective to show how timely offers and knowledgeable customer service can better help consumers make purchase decisions. This trend reveals how artificial intelligence can be integrated with human service to bring the best of both to the entire customer journey.

Together, these trends highlight that marketing is a powerful force for growth in designing customer experiences that foster trust and meet human needs.