 If 2020 has shown anything, it's that planning ahead can be a fool's errand. COVID-19 upturned the marketing industry on a dime in March, leaving both transformation and ruin in its wake. Just as people grew accustomed to life under a pandemic, mass protests for racial justice took over the conversation, leading many brands to reckon with practices internal and external.
Around this confluence of events, key marketing trends emerged — changes to consumer habits and business strategy pivots that at once responded to crises particular to the moment and also carried long-term implications. Marketing Dive below has gathered some of the most significant developments from a period marked by historic volatility, including deep dives into the contention around TikTok and whether brands can meet consumers' growing expectations on issues from worker's rights to racial equity.
We'll be back in your inbox with our regular coverage on Monday, Jan. 4. In the meantime, share this link with colleagues to help them stay informed in the new year: https://www.marketingdive.com/signup/insiders/?signup_referred_by=5f93078d7aa51972095c9316.
Thank you for reading, and have a safe and happy holiday break.
 Peter Adams
Reporter, Marketing Dive
Twitter | Email Deep Dive Rocked by disruption, marketers were pressed to address both a pandemic and racial injustice amid slashed budgets. Some efforts stood out with fresh creative, a hopeful tone or tangible action. |
Four months after George Floyd's death, the ongoing need for brands and agencies to ensure diversity in their organizations and campaigns was addressed by several panels during Advertising Week. |
Deep Dive Historically risk-averse marketers embraced causes from immigration to environmentalism under President Donald Trump. Lingering division means the industry shift will be less radical this go-around. |
Deep Dive In a quest to get closer to customers through data, brands are asserting their independence from walled gardens by recentering on owned experiences. |
Deep Dive As the TikTok shakeup continues, competitors are wooing influencers and becoming more accessible with new video tools while content evolves to be more frank. |
Deep Dive From consumer campaigns to product design, the adoption of less narrow, binary definitions of gender could be critical to growth and winning over audiences like Gen Z. |
Deep Dive Social distancing mandates upended in-person activations, leading brands like Chipotle to get creative with cultivating connections online. But can they sustain momentum once the pandemic subsides? |
UPDATED A deluge of deals this year, including Omnicom inking an unprecedented $20 million ad pact with Spotify, signal the medium's ascendance will continue as consumers favor mobile-first content. |
Deep Dive Marketers are more deeply integrating rappers into campaigns to target wider audiences, providing a way forward after the current pandemic subsides. |
Deep Dive Consumers are putting more value on brands that treat their employees well during the pandemic, but the crisis has sharply amplified labor tensions. | | |
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