Ad Age’s Predictions of 2008 Marketing Trends

The 2008 predictions are starting to roll in. Advertising Age posted some good ones, including these from the Association of National Advertisers:

• DIGITAL, DIGITAL, DIGITAL (AND PORTABLE TOO): As Steve Ballmer proclaimed at the 2007 ANA Annual Conference, all media ultimately will be created and delivered digitally. Can anyone legitimately argue with that? Naahhh. And the beat goes on in 2008. Digital offers richness in information management, communication delivery, metrics — and portability. Simply look at the iPhone and similar devices to know consumers will have all forms of media at their fingertips 24/7. The challenge: Are marketers skilled enough to take advantage of this rapidly changing landscape?


• THE ‘BRAND SWARM’: Marketers will move decidedly in the direction of DDB CEO Chuck Brymer’s “swarm theory” — the notion that people and their opinions coalesce to form critical forces that massively influence marketplace ideas and concepts. “Swarm theory” will elevate social networking to new levels, confirming the immense impact that consumers have on each another. Marketers that embrace this trend can form consumer brand “advocates” and drive brand loyalty and trust to new heights — if done responsibly.


• PRIVACY, PRIVACY, PRIVACY:In 2008, marketers will become increasingly sensitive to privacy issues. With “digital-intrusion” and identity-theft issues as paramount consumer concerns, marketers must be extraordinarily careful to respect worries of access to private information. This tug of war between consumer privacy and information access will require marketers to work hard to explain and justify the lifestyle benefits of highly individualized, personalized commercial communications.

They also posted these predictions from pollsters Mark Penn and Kinney Zalesne, including:

• WORKING RETIRED: Older Americans today are the biggest, richest and most active group of seniors in the history of the world. And three out of four baby boomers say they have no intention of seeking a traditional retirement. Employers, social-security reformers, Madison Avenue … is anybody paying attention?


• SOUTHPAWS UNBOUND: Speaking of kids, more and more of them are growing up left-handed. It’s a little about genetics, but mostly it’s about liberalized parenting practices that now stress individuality instead of conformity. It used to be thought that southpaws were about 1 in 10; the truth is they may be closer to 1 in 6. Look for more lefty-aimed products and services.


• PROTESTANT HISPANICS: Thought all Latinos in America were Catholic? About 25% of them — some 10 million people — are Protestant, and more specifically Pentecostal or born again. They played a big role in re-electing George W. Bush in 2004. Watch them closely in 2008.