As we enter a new year, our leadership team has compiled a list of 7 digital marketing trends that will be sure to drive performance marketing success in 2022.

7 Digital Marketing Trends to Drive Success in 2022 | Union

7 Digital Marketing Trends That Will Drive Performance Marketing Success in 2022

As we put new strategies into place, we’ve tapped into the collective brainpower of team leaders to get their predictions on the performance marketing trends that will drive success for brands in 2022. 
Here’s what they had to say.

This past year proved the importance of digital marketing, as our return to “normal” is ongoing. To stay top of mind, digital marketing channels had to level up, adding more features to give brands the opportunity to get their messages in front of their target audience. 
That also meant that the digital space became increasingly saturated, with brands competing for visibility and customers.
“We always meet the customer where they are, and that’s often social media,” said Austin Scott, Executive Creative Director at Union. “People are scrolling through their feed looking for an escape. Brands that can break through and make you laugh have created a powerful mental association. One that will pay dividends later on.” 
Union has seen the power of creative and data working together to generate results. Brands that want to stand out in 2022 need to leverage disruptive awareness in their campaigns to position their brands at the top of customers’ minds. They need to follow that with smart retargeting tactics to close the deal.

Trend 1: The return of humor in advertising

More brands are turning to the OTT/CTV/<a href="https://union.co/services/performance-media/addressable-tv">Addressable TV space</a> to reach their target audience.
“With OTT, CTV and Addressable TV, brands can now achieve massive reach with targeted audiences with Broadcast quality creative, but without the hefty price tag and wasted impressions that typically come with Linear TV campaigns,” said Matt Ashbridge, Union Media Director.
To effectively leverage these channels, brands need to plan their seasonal campaigns early throughout the year. 
“Inventory on these platforms is selling out faster than ever, and brands and agencies need to move earlier to secure the inventory that is going to help move the needle,” Ashbridge said. “Acting early will also help brands lock in better pricing compared to waiting until the last minute to start placing ads.”

Trend 2: Embracing over-the-top, connected TV and addressable TV

“Consumers continue to expect brands to navigate complicated social conversations and also to be cognizant of their impact on the environment,” said Megan Carrigan, Union Strategy Director.
As Millenials and Gen Z continue to become a more powerful buying force in the marketplace, brands need to publicly take a stance on the values that matter most to that customer base. Keep in mind that authenticity is a core value to Gen Z shoppers. Brands will need to bake their true values into their business model to avoid the greenwashing label.

“Brands will be expected to track their green bottom line along with their traditional reporting,” Carrigan said. “Consumers will have social impact as a buying consideration right next to typical value props.”

Trend 3: Balancing altruism, the planet and profit

“No one really knows what it will look like post-lockdown,” Carrigan said, “but we do know that it will not go back to the way it was before 2020.”
In 2022, she predicts that several of the consumer trends that developed during the pandemic will remain strong in shopping behaviors, including: 
<ul><li dir="ltr">Increased value and focus on the home.</li><li dir="ltr">Greater awareness of health, both physical and mental.</li><li dir="ltr">The continued rise of ecommerce, direct-to-consumer shopping, and contactless payment and delivery.</li></ul>
“If a brand is at all betting on a return to how things were in 2019 to 2020, they are already behind,” Carrigan said. “They need to lean into the new reality their consumers are living in.”

Trend 4: The continuation of the post-lockdown reality and consumer behavior trends of 2021

<a href="https://union.co/services/data-brand-strategy/advanced-attribution">Marketing attribution</a> is the process of evaluating the performance of separate marketing channels by determining which touchpoints have the most influence on a user converting into a customer or lead. 
Attribution is what allows marketers to help prove the ROI of marketing spend and allocate more conversion value to upper-funnel tactics. This, in turn, helps marketers evaluate the conversion strength of all of their marketing efforts, not just the final click before the sale.
“Top-performing companies are more than twice as likely to use artificial intelligence and machine learning for marketing in 2022,” said Richard Harris Jr., Union Data Director. Specifically, 28% percent vs. 12%. “With attribution powered by machine learning, brands can optimize marketing spend, forecast better, increase ROI and better understand the user journey.”

Trend 5: The use of attribution powered by machine learning

The end is all but here for third-party data as a result of changing government regulations, increased user intelligence and restrictions imposed by software providers. Roughly 82% of marketers <a href="https://www.marketingdive.com/news/88-of-marketers-say-collecting-first-party-data-is-a-2021-priority-study/593174/">agree</a> they need to increase their use of first-party data going into 2022. 
In preparation for this upcoming shift, Harris said, “Companies should audit their existing data sources and campaign usage as well as their current data structure. For each of these points, they should look for first-party alternatives to any third-party data sources.”

Trend 6: Relying on first-party data for marketing

As brands transition into a cookie-less and privacy-focused future in 2022, they will need to adjust their tagging and implementation practices. Enter server-side tagging. 
“Server-side tagging brings with it a powerhouse of functionality,” Harris said. Server-side tagging:
<ul><li dir="ltr">Reduces client load time</li><li dir="ltr">Keeps keys and secrets safe</li><li dir="ltr">Gives more control over what data endpoints collect</li><li dir="ltr">Allows more control over HTTP:// traffic</li><li dir="ltr">Creates a content security policy</li><li dir="ltr">Cleans and validates payloads</li><li dir="ltr">Offers full control and ownership of data collected</li><li dir="ltr">Allows brands to write directly to a cloud platform database without complicated authentication</li><li dir="ltr">Increases accuracy of data collected</li></ul>
In other words, server-side tagging will provide brands with even more flexibility and control over how they capture, store and leverage their data to improve their marketing efforts in 2022.

Trend 7: Using server-side tagging to improve campaign performance, security and data collection

What’s certain for 2022: The brands that plan for marketing success are the ones that will achieve marketing success. The consumer landscape is evolving, and the marketing strategy, <a href="https://union.co/services/performance-media">tactics and channels</a> you use to engage with your target audience in the new year need to change with it. 
So let’s get started! <a href="https://union.co/contact">Reach out to us today</a> and we’ll plan your next 2022 performance marketing campaign.

Secure Performance Marketing Success in 2022

Union is a creative &amp; performance marketing agency that creates omni-channel campaigns, unleashing creativity on a data-driven world, helping brands produce memorable, measurable and repeatable results. Obsessed with data-driven performance, we believe every marketing dollar should be viewed as an investment. Our clients expect a meaningful return and we prove the ROI of our work with quantifiable data.

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