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In 2016, some of the trends that have dominated the world of marketing include a revolution of social media advertising, mobile taking over desktop, breaking silos and much more.

According to Freely, “76% of people feel that marketing has changed more in the past 2 years than in the previous 50” and it continues to change each and every day. Some of the trends that are expected to take over in the upcoming year include building brand awareness through influencers, anticipating the needs of customers and adding a human element. Take a look at what some industry experts predict for the world of marketing in 2017.

What Are Your 2017 Predictions for Marketing?

1. Jess Waldeck, CEO of Maven – @mavenxinc

jesswaldeckA trend in social media is “influencer marketing”. This is the marketing strategy of finding suitable influential proxies for a brand to promote to their friends, family and followers. Recently, Facebook and Instagram have updated algorithms to limit the ability for businesses and influencers to reach personal social feeds without pay.

In 2017, social marketing campaigns will focus on ‘micro-influencer’ marketing. These smaller counterparts have smaller followings, but wield more influence. They typically post to personal networks which are not affected by the updated algorithms designed to limit large reach. These smaller influencers cost dramatically less for their reach and provide a higher ROI. Marketers will be looking for tools that attract and manage these highly influential socialites. Those that can harness these influencers will find great success in 2017.


bobbentz2. Bob Bentz, President of Purplegator – @purplegator

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is a video worth? When it comes to mobile advertising, you are going to see an increased use of video in digital. They will be short 6 to 15 seconds in length and production value will not necessarily have to be of Hollywood quality.


3. Shaun Walker, Creative Director/Co-Founder of HEROfarm – @herofarm

shaun-walker-herofarmVirtual and augmented reality will become more mainstream. As 2017 gets underway, businesses will finally begin to see the great value/possibilities that virtual and augmented reality offer. During this time, individuals visiting these VR/AR worlds will finally become active participants instead of bystanders as motion capture devices transfer their actual movements/gestures in real time to the created environment. Beyond 2017, it’ll become almost unimaginable with the possibilities/uses.


4. Mitchell Reichgut, CEO of Jun Group – @JunGroup

Augmented Reality Apps

This summer, we witnessed an AR cultural phenomenon with Pokémon Go. In turn, it has excited a lot of other marketers, apps, and consumers about the future of AR. Get ready for more direct use of AR within apps, both immersive experiences and tangentially related ones. We’ve only seen one phenomenal story so far. This begs the question whether AR, in general, will go the way of the failed attempts of Google glass and 3D TV. It’s a complex technology, challenging to implement for brands, and is only now starting to be adopted by consumers en masse.


5. Pratik Shah, Director of Marketing at Grin

pratikshahInstagram Would Rock 2017:

Instagram is becoming a hub of activity for brands and people alike. The platform has even (blatantly) copied many features from Snapchat and is quickly gaining grounds among erstwhile Snapchatters as Facebook provides an entire ecosystem of connectivity and interaction via its platforms.

Facebook is soon to launch paid advertisement on Instagram. Users would be able to click on images and shop for the products that brands upload. This would take Instagram to a whole new level of activity. Brands are very excited and would end up spending even more on the platform.


6. Sean Lees, Digital Marketing Specialist at Pest Xterminators – @SeanLees1992

seanlees2017 will be a challenging year for businesses and marketers. Growth will come only to those organizations that execute well on all fronts in marketing world.

  • Booming Market for Tools. The predictions are that more marketers will start using marketing automation tools, because it will get harder to compete without having one.
  • Smartphone Marketing. You like it or not people spend most of their time on smartphones. If you want a successful marketing strategy in 2017 work on mastering this fast-evolving “smart” phone world.
  • Video. For good or worse today’s people read less. The information channels need to be fast and engaged with visuality. The forecast is that video content will play a significant role in 2017’s successful marketing strategies.
  • Agile marketing. Visual content may be a part of a good marketing strategy, but combined with more computer science majors working on marketing projects, doing tech mojo, equals to out-of-this-world strategy.

7. anthonybroadcrawfordAnthony Broad Crawford, Chief Product Officer at SpotHero

  • “With the emergence of bots, messaging platforms, and components like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, it’s never been easier to reach out to a customer exactly when and where they are. In 2017, businesses will need to adapt and provide value in this growing list of customer engagement channels.”
  • “Consumers want everything instantaneously from the latest episode of their favorite show to a delivery with Amazon Now. In the future, brands must go beyond instant and begin to anticipate what their customers need and deliver it before customers even pull their phone out of their pockets.
  • “Businesses are easily inundated with data regarding individuals’ tastes, wants, needs, and more. In the coming year, leveraging that data to deliver the right value at the right time will be the difference between a successful company, and a failing one.”

8. Fraser Sutherland, Marketing Manager at Storage Vault – @storagevault

frasersutherlandVideo, video, video. This year showed us just how powerful video marketing can be. High-quality hero vids popped up on almost all websites, really engaging shorts kept appearing on social media feeds and established platforms like Facebook and Instagram invested heavily in their video tech.

I predict that 2017 will be the year that video really takes over, pushing traditional content mediums like blogs and infographics to the side.


9. Dimira Teneva, Content Manager at the Metrilo Blog

As a marketer working with eCommerce entrepreneurs, here are my predictions for 2017:

  • Selling on social media will be gaining traction. This means there will be a dedicated space for products on FB, IG and Pinterest. The other presence on those media should be authentic, non-selling, helpful and engaging.
  • The rise of artisanal, hand-crafted and specialty products continues. They will gain more visibility through educational and inspirational content.
  • Customer retention will be a top priority as sellers have a hard time acquiring new customers in a saturated ad space. Keeping customers coming back is the hope for better profits.

10. Marcus Miller, Head of SEO & Digital Marketing at Bowler Hat – @marcusbowlerhat

marcusmillerThe big predictions for 2017 would be regarding the pay-to-play nature of digital marketing. The days or huge organic reach for businesses on social platforms like Facebook and even free organic listings for local businesses on Google and Bing are all but over.

  • Google results now shown only paid listings above the fold
  • Google local listings are now starting to move towards sponsored listings
  • Google will roll out ad products for service businesses replacing typical local listings

Organic search will continue to be important but commercial keywords and social for businesses will move ever more towards a pay to play model.


11. Alex Novkov, Marketing Expert at Kanbanize

alexnovkovIn 2017 Agile marketing will stop being something exotic. The process management framework will be embraced by a great number of teams seeking greater efficiency of their workflow. In addition, marketers will put even greater focus on winning millennial customers, as their power will continue to increase throughout the year.


12. Rodger Roeser, CEO of The Eisen Agency – @EisenHotNews

More folks in the industry will continue to telecommute or work from home entirely, as agencies continue the trend in becoming virtual. Large in-house staff is going to be downsized in favor of more individualized and specific niche expertise from outsourced experts as having in-house is simply too costly and inefficient. So, agencies will largely go more virtual, and businesses will start outsourcing again.


13. Gerard Whelan, President of Global Loyalty Solutions, Americas, Aimia gerard-whelan

  • The end of endless discounts: Particularly among retailers, Aimia is seeing an increase in finding ways to avoid the vicious (and expensive) loop of discounting, by focusing on ways to improve customer loyalty. Moreover, as retailers continue to collect personal data from shoppers, consumers now expect rewards and offers that are tailored to them. Aimia’s Loyalty Lens report reveals that 6 in 10 customers expect better experiences with companies who they know hold their data, and half of respondents get annoyed when companies don’t use what they know about them to offer better products and services.
  • Technology is changing the language of loyalty: New technology allows companies to effectively run promotions and campaigns, and communicate in real-time. Marketers are beginning to look at new platforms that allow in-time connectivity and personalization.

In 2015, fewer than one in nine smartphone owners globally said that they were very likely (score 9 or higher) to use a digital wallet. Compared to a year ago, we have seen people’s acceptance of, and indeed use of, digital wallets significantly increase. Customers are looking for more simplicity in their lives. As digital wallets become more mainstream, retailers need to be in a position to use this channel to remain relevant and close to their customers.


14. Richard Graves, CEO/Founder of BKON Connect – @bkonconnect

richardgravesThe Google-inspired Physical Web is a new dimension of the web that opens a world of location-based, consumer-initiated interactions. As the Physical Web gains traction in 2017, proximity marketing will evolve from push to pull, from outbound to inbound, from broadcast to closed-loop, from one-way to experiential, and from interruptive to inviting. With inbound proximity marketing, customers come to you. Interesting location-relevant content is the fuel that creates these opportunities for engagement.


15. Renee Spurlin, Vice President of Analytics and Digital at AR|PR – @ImAPepper

reneespurlin2017 will be a year of convergence in marketing. Communication functions including public relations, social media, content marketing, lead generation, marketing automation and even sales will increasingly be held to shared goals. While such cross-collaboration may present organizational challenges in terms of getting these teams and vendors to agree on goals and better share programs and results, this is good news overall. Each team will be better equipped with what messages are resonating best with which audience at which step in the buyers journey – ultimately helping companies to make news and drive leads.


ericzaluski16. Eric Zaluski, President of ProspectTrax – @ericzaluski

Amazon will continue to be a growing threat to the industrial/manufacturing sector, where our clients reside, resulting in increased e-commerce and marketing spend. To defend their businesses, OEM distributors will either need to partner with Amazon or collaborate with each other more and more. Industry associations are going to need to broaden their activities to assist and enable this trend. I also see marketing spending increasing 10% to 25% in the industrial sector due to infrastructure spending increases. This includes direct mail, which is making a comeback in the B2B sector.


17. Peter Schroeder, Digital Marketing/Social Media/Customer Success Manager at RendrFX

In 2017 instant message marketing is going to become the new email marketing. With texting services like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Snapchat boasting several billion active users, it is the way people are communicating. Gone are the days of email marketing, which are being replaced by the savvier instant messaging apps. 2017 will be the year brands figure out how to market on these platforms and embrace them.


18. patrickwhatmanPatrick Whatman, Head of Content at Mention – @mrwhatman

As technology keeps evolving, marketers will need to change to keep up. Audiences are already more interested in video than long blog posts or ebooks. Next year, we’re bound to see more virtual/augmented reality content (think Pokémon Go).

We’ll also see a rise in artificial intelligence products like chatbots, where the user can find answers without even having to search. They’ll just ask a question in WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, and the bot will find the answer. It may not be perfect in 2017, but creative companies who make an effort will see rewards.


19. Ankit Runwal, Senior Marketing Specialist at Social Annex – @aspirantankit07

  • Omnichannel advocate marketing will take center stage: Brands will strive to have a strong presence on multiple channels to provide customer with seamless omnichannel shopping experience, with the aim of turning a customer into a brand advocate.
  • Referral marketing will be upgraded with new omnichannel capabilities, enabling shoppers to make and redeem referrals online and in-store in a variety of ways.
  • With customers transforming into advocates, marketers can utilize the power of User Generated Content and Referrals. Therefore, resulting in increasing demand for loyalty and advocate marketing platforms.
  • UGC contribution will be easier than ever: More and more marketers will be using features like in-mail and omnichannel reviews and photo solicitation to let customer contribute user-generated content–a valuable marketing asset–from anywhere.
  • Marketers will invest more into analytical and predictive technologies and advocate marketing solutions to access and harness real-time, cross-channel data for delivering more personalized experience throughout the buyer journey.

20. Shelly Lucas, Content Marketing Director at Dun & Bradstreet – @pisarose

shellylucasSales enablement will be the next hot area for content marketing

Connecting marketing activities to revenue will continue to be a huge in 2017. Accordingly, B2B content marketers will be pulled lower in the funnel to focus on sales enablement and account-based marketing (ABM) material. The result will be freshly compelling, contextually strategic, template-busting content.

Influencer marketing will inspire B2B marketers to engage networks

Even as B2B marketers personalize content for individual personas, they will strive to engage groups, including buying committees and online communities. Eventually, this will revive organic social media programs via real-time dialogue and non-promotional engagement.


21. cyrillemaireCyril Lemaire, Managing Director of Traktek Partners – @cyrillemaire

Digital agencies and advertisers will continue to shift media spend re-targeting and intelligent targeted display based on past search and browsing behavior as they continue to generate the highest ROIs.

Tourist boards, resorts, and cruise companies will start using virtual reality to market vacation travel packages to bring their brand experiences to life.


22. ramonchenRamon Chen, Chief Marketing Officer at Reltio – @RamonChen

In 2017, we’ll see a dramatic increase in the consumerization of B2B marketing. As consumers, we’ve come to expect the targeted, personalized advertising and content provided to us as we browse websites like Amazon.com, rank and rate stores and services on Yelp, and interact with our social networks. Yet when it comes to being marketed to in a B2B context, we find ourselves continuously bombarded by content, using old techniques and methods in an attempt to engage us. In 2017, we’ll see B2B marketing make this shift, leveraging rich customer data and modern data management technologies to successfully provide relevant and timely content.


23. emilysidleyEmily Sidley, Senior Director of Publicity at Three Girls Media – @EmilySidleyPR

  • Marketing strategies will need to include experiential elements, such as events where consumers can be immersed in the brand’s story.
  • Marketers will need to form quick, memorable connections with consumers faster than ever.
  • Brands will need comprehensive strategies that provide consumers with multiple touch points while offering the same key message.

24. Mandy McEwen, Founder & CEO of Mod Girl Marketing – @mandymodgirl

mandymcewenUsing data for automated communication triggers – The best marketers are using digital marketing data solutions to flag them when customers are actively downloading premium content on their sites or browsing trial signup pages. This study revealed that the highest-performing marketing teams were 9.7x more likely to actively map the customer journey, compared to the under-performers. Mapping out the customer journey from interest to full engagement is an essential part of any functional marketing strategy. With today’s tools, it’s easier than ever.


25. Justine Beauregard, Owner & Founder of Mirelle Marketing

In 2017, I predict the following in marketing:

  • A huge jump in the use of live streaming for advertising and brand awareness campaigns
  • More video influencer marketing (especially from B2C companies)
  • A stronger focus on the combination of content marketing and sales funnels
  • A rejuvenation of event-based marketing

26. Kim Donlan, CEO of RedSwan5 – @Kim_Donlan

  • kimdonlanIt’s not ANY Customer, it’s the RIGHT Customer

2017 will bring a renewed focus among marketers on determining the best, most profitable customers based on their lifetime value.

  • More Action in the Internet of Things (IoT)

As connected devices coalesce into functional and productive ecosystems, small and mid-size businesses will find new ways to use connected data for a continuous brand experience. For example, it is easy to imagine the Kolibree toothbrush extending its brand by connecting oral hygiene data to a family’s dentist office.

  • A Smoothing Effect in the Omni-channel Journey

For those brands that have built a strong infrastructure, it’s time to fine tune the offerings, promotions and personalization to deliver stronger personal connection and accessibility.


27. Lindsay Beltzer, Manager of Marketing Communications at Tenet Partners – @LindsayBeltzer

lindsay-beltzer-horz-4a4cdcd7-1The IoT, Artificial Intelligence, and machine learning will usher in new and dynamic customer experiences. An integrated ecosystem of connected products – managed by algorithms and data will make experiences more personal, engaging, and hopefully, superior. Brands across industries will take advantage of virtual assistants to enhance customer service capabilities;messenger apps and Chabot’s will look at purchasing patterns to automate/simplify the purchasing process and IoT devices and products will empower people to personalize and customize their everyday habits and experiences,from transforming their daily workout routine with products such as the Fitbit and Apple Watch, to automating the lighting and temperature of their home, to accessing and managing their finances with sensor and voice recognition technology.


28. Tracee Sioux, Owner of Sioux Ink – @traceesioux

In 2017 we’re in a state where most of us are going to feel off-kilter in our businesses as we have just elected a complete unknown. So people are going to be more conservative in their marketing spending.

Based on what I’ve seen in the last year online courses, online marketing and online selling will go drastically down. What people are craving is in-person interaction. We’re ad blind on the Internet and socially starved for real human interaction. The best marketing is to host in-person events, classes and sales opportunities. The soft sell will also be huge. A lack of pressuring will be more effective than the current scare tactics that marketers often use. We’ll become more minimalist with our objects, time and spending.


29. Gareth Davies, Founder & CEO of Adbrain

Consolidation accelerates: VC and growth dollars will continue to flow to our industry, but focused almost entirely on SaaS or Data-as-a-service license fees, with solutions focusing more broadly on customer experience and less on the transactional side of the ad business. Only those already deeply invested in media/adnet models will continue to fund in the hopes of an IPO or better yet, a private deal (markets remain incredibly unkind with ad-tech trading at sub 1x forward earnings). Point solutions will get swallowed up. Private Equity (US & China) will take out many of the scaled (>$100m annual media billings) ad tech players, focusing on full-stacks and generating profit. Few will make it public, and if they do it successfully (TTD a great 2016 example), they’ll have to fight hard to deliver continued growth. The good news for marketers – a smaller, more comprehensive set of media and tech partners to work with, focused on longer-term roadmaps and better aligned to marketers’ needs, leading to better consumer experience (what marketing is ultimately about after all).


30. Mark Simon, Managing Director, North America at Toluna

mark-simon-headshotTime is a scarce commodity for marketers so speed is king. Consumer trends emerge and disappear quickly. There is constant pressure to make fast decisions. Collecting behavioral data is no longer a challenge for marketers with availability of transactional data, passive monitoring and more. In 2017, brands will place greater focus on asking ‘but why’ to gain deeper consumer insights that improve customer experience. Online surveys with do-it-yourself tools will grow in use as marketers look to gain speedy access to attitudinal data and insights that help them keep pace with fast-moving trends.


31. Daniel Romano, Co-Founder at MentAd

danielromanoI predict that…

  • the cost of advertising will grow in response to the high demand of online businesses. Predictive marketing/analytics will become a key differentiator to driving profitable results to advertisers. Those who do not master the use of analytics tools will see their results decline.
  • multi-channels and multi-screens advertising will be key for a 360-degree successful marketing strategy.
  • social searches will replace standard searches because it is much easier to scale demand and promote non-generic products.
  • video will dominate all other formats who will struggle in 2017 to stand out above the noise. The market is oversaturated with advertising messages across different channels/platforms, and in order to stand out advertisers will switch to videos and mixed media

32. Danyal Effendi, Digital Marketing Manager at PureVPN – @DanEffendi

danyaleffendiMy top prediction about Marketing in 2017 is that push advertising will fade away and native advertising will take place through different forms. Marketers, as well as consumers, will prefer native advertising on traditional one. Besides advertising, video will have an increased role specifically live streaming and Virtual Reality. Some more engaging social media platforms will come to rise and will be used to reach that specific demographic that will switch from existing channels. I expect a rise on email marketing too especially newsletter. The newsletter subscription rate will increase by folds and will be used for self and third-party marketing and advertising.


33. Swapnil Bhagwat, Senior Manager of Design & Digital Media at Orchestrate Technologies, LLC

swapnilbhagwatAs online marketing investment is on the rise, brands are also looking for avenues that would generate more marketing ROI. TV and radio ads may be the media choices, brands may rely on even more to generate credibility. With the spurt of the data revolution, brands would also be more data driven and would spend accordingly with a balanced mix of media expenditure. Brands are increasingly giving impetus on lifetime customer value (LCV) which is the amount a customer is prepared to spend on the product or service. Expenditure on digital marketing would also be on the rise.


34. Jessica Moreno, Social Media and Brand Account Manager at Active Web Group – @awg

jessicamorenoData-driven Marketing

With more analytics tools readily available, marketing is heading in the direction of statistics and other proven methods of success. Having large pools of data allows marketers to properly allocate their budgeting for optimal results. It also provides more insight on target audiences, allowing for more personalized messages, which brings us to our next trend.

Personalized Content

Consumers see thousands of ads every day, whether they know it or not. Exposure to personalized content increases engagement and paves the way for brand loyalty. All made possible with the right data!


35. Cheryl Black, CEO of YOU Technology

I expect the unexpected in 2017 as the dust settles from the election. People will return to frugality as they wait to see what happens with the economy and our country. Rewarding customers with relevant coupons, rewards, and offers is a highly effective tool, especially in times of economic uncertainty. Emailing shoppers with personalized offers is not only helpful, but also highly motivating to your customer. Retailers who take the time to deliver relevant digital offers to shoppers will have an enormous advantage in attracting customers with what they want because digital offers uniquely give marketers the ability to target, personalize, and measure ROI very precisely.


36. David Grow and Monika Pawelski, Digital Media Directors for Chacka Marketing

A combination of Amazon cracking down on knockoff/counterfeit goods and a more user-friendly Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) interface will see AMS take off with qualified retailers.

Google will respond to the greater interest in AMS by pushing to make Shopping ads even more robust. This will include different image sizes, using carousels, adding lifestyle imaging, and alternate shopping ad formats. Shopping will take up more space, appearing in more general search engine results pages (SERPs), and with new bells and whistles to help them stand out.


37. Paige Arnof-Fenn, Founder & CEO of Mavens & Moguls

paigearnof-fennI predict that there will be more integration between online & offline marketing breaking down marketing silos inside organizations. The brands that will grow and win in 2017 get this. Secondly, I think that people do not read anymore so there will be more video than ever before. It grabs attention and makes the point better than text when done well. Finally, I think what we saw on Cyber Monday will continue, mobile will dominate going forward. Sales in store on Black Friday paled in comparison and I believe this trend will only get stronger in the new year so make sure you have a mobile strategy to compete.


38. Nate Kristy, Vice President of Marketing at Automational – @automational

natekristyIn 2016, more small and mid-sized businesses began taking advantage of marketing technologies such as CRM and marketing automation solutions. Armed with these tools, we’ll begin seeing more sophisticated and personalized email campaigns in 2017 from a whole new set of businesses. Plus, as analytics become easier to understand and automations become easier to implement, we can expect more email nurturing series triggered by behaviors outside of simple form submissions. Businesses of all sizes will start to base communications on audiences’ interactions with website content – like blogs and product pages – social interactions, customer service inquiries and more.


39. screen-shot-2016-12-08-at-2-05-29-amKelsey Meuse, Product Marketing Manager, Dynamic Creative at Sizmek

Dynamic creative will be considered beyond cross-channel campaigns, for its effectiveness across formats from in-stream video to native execution.


40. Zach Schapira, Global Product Strategist at Sizmekscreen-shot-2016-12-08-at-2-05-53-am

  • The impression has evolved throughout its time as a means of measuring digital media, but 2017 will reveal that the impression alone is no longer enough. Next year will inaugurate the era in which we accept an effective impression defined by each buyer, across the parameters that matter most to them, like contextual relevance or attention time.
  • We will see more experimentation in the types of predictive, historical data we ad buyers use, such as the implementation of historical engagement rates, malware and browsing behavior, to make programmatic targeting decisions.

41. Sanjay Castelino, VP of Marketing at Spiceworks – @SanjayCastelino

sanjaycastelinoFirst, I expect we’ll see B2B companies take a page out of the consumer marketing playbook and focus on improving the customer experience at every touch point – including at events, on digital properties, on social networks, and through other experiences.For too long, B2B marketers have ignored the power of treating customers as potential brand advocates.

Second, we’ll see a broader understanding of account-based marketing (ABM) as a philosophy/practice that can have a dramatic impact on how we drive results for our organizations. With ABM, marketing organizations will partner more closely with their Sales function to focus on quality leads and deeper account engagements vs the quantity of leads coming in the door.. This shift will require marketers to educate and align counterparts across the company, particularly in Sales.

Finally, I believe we’ll continue to see mass consolidation in the marketing technology industry as B2B marketers work to manage more data and an increasingly complex MarTech stack. Large companies such as Salesforce, Oracle, Adobe, and Microsoft have made significant acquisitions in the last 18 months as they build out their MarTech suite. I expect we’ll continue to see innovative companies be acquired or enter the public markets.


42. Tyler Walton, Marketing Manager at Clutch

Currently, the average household is enrolled in 29 loyalty programs, but doesn’t actively participate in half of those programs. The resources that many marketers have allocated to their loyalty programs aren’t bringing in the results once promised. Instead, they offer minimal incentives and benefits to customers who use them, and give away potential profits. 2017 will show a marked shift in how marketers shape their loyalty programs. Simple ‘buy 5 get 1 free’ programs or constant mailers offering discounts are outdated and condition consumers to align their shopping behaviors to anticipate sales. What value does a brand build when they condition their customers to shop only when they pay less for quality products? Marketers must create more value, not only for their brand but for consumers as well. Personalized loyalty campaigns tailored to the individual customer’s behavior and preferences can provide benefits no discount can touch. What Dad wants to receive discounts for lipstick when he would appreciate a notice that his favorite winter driving gloves are back in stock?

Additionally, ensuring that loyalty programs are easily accessible whether a consumer shops online or in-store is vital in today’s omnichannel environment. In 2017 and beyond new in-store technologies, advanced mobile offerings, and seamless omnichannel communication will support marketers as they shift and improve their loyalty program initiatives.


43. Dan Grech, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at OfferCraft – @dgrech

dangrechMarketers Introduce Friendly Play Into their Campaigns

In November, Facebook introduced Instant Games. People can challenge friends to play classic games such as Pac-Man and Space Invaders inside Facebook Messenger. The games take seconds to load, are over within 30 seconds, and high scores are shared with friends. Enter the era of friendly play, and marketers should be quick to join in. Companies like OfferCraft, where I work, allow marketers to offer customizable bite-sized mobile gaming experiences with embedded rewards that grab the attention of busy customers on the go. Rather than bombarding prospects with offers, why not invite them to play a game and win a reward instead?


44. Ken Wincko, SVP of Marketing at Cision

kenwinkcoMarketers in 2017 will significantly enhance capabilities to monitor audience behavior across channels throughout the customer journey. New technology advancements will allow marketers to extract more meaningful insights into what specific actions customers and influencers are taking after consuming content – including relationship mapping, identify how their brand sentiment shifts compared to competitors and attribute the specific business impact their communications programs have on organizational growth.

Marketers will use predictive analytics to create increasingly interactive, real-time content that caters to more specific communities. They will continue to embrace emerging channels such as Virtual and Augmented Reality to create engaging brand experiences.


45. mark-goetze-headshotMark Goetze, Co-Founder of Motion RC

Digital marketing, including search, display and mobile ads are going to be a huge priority for 2017, more so than traditional advertising. Mobile commerce sales increased by nearly 40% (in the US) in 2015, and trends have continued to be on the incline. This makes targeting your customers on mobile key to any e-commerce retailer’s marketing strategy.


46. Lauren Fairbanks, Co-Founder and CEO of S&G

laurenfairbanksMore brands will use experiential content to target Millennial consumers. Instead of creating content around products and services, brands will start to think about how their products/services influence their customers’ lifestyles and will begin to create marketing content that helps consumers see how these brands fit into their lives.


47. davidjhlavacDavid J. Hlavac, Group Account Director at Bellmont Partners – @djhlavac

Despite persistent rumors, the “death of PR” is greatly exaggerated. In fact, public relations will continue to be a critical piece of integrated communications strategy, particularly with an ever-more-skeptical public craving trustworthy, verifiable information to guide decision-making. PR strategists will redouble their commitments to ethics and transparency, ensuring companies are communicating truthfully and positively about the value they bring to the marketplace.


What are your predictions for the future of marketing in 2017? Sound off in the comments section below!

Responses have been edited for clarity and length