The 2020 marketing pivot and what’s to come in 2021

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2020 has been a year for embracing chaos — for marketers and businesses alike. Although we faced many challenges, there is a silver lining bringing us all closer together. As marketers, we learned to pivot along with consumers in the face of chaos, adapting to new shopping and search behaviors that came to define the year. While some trends were short-lived (like virtual cocktail hours) others have stuck and continue to make an impact. So, what’s next? While we don’t have a crystal ball, understanding 2020 gives us a good idea of where we’re headed as we plan for 2021.

A shift in TV

It’s no surprise — streaming programming continued to rise as audiences stayed home more this year. Consumers continued to cut the cord, escaping to streaming devices like Smart TVs and Rokus. According to Nielsen ratings, The Mandalorian series alone – available only on streaming devices – generated 47.6 million hours of watch time during the first three thailand phone number list weeks of its premiere! This wasn’t just a one-off, either. A March report predicted that media consumption was expected to rise 60% in 2020, and this trend was carried out throughout the year with record-breaking numbers in many markets. This was also the year that Neilsen revealed that their ratings system would now separate traditional and streaming ratings, signaling a shift in advertising away from the television-first model we’ve seen in the past. For businesses with a strong digital strategy, this increase represents a significant opportunity to connect to new audiences that would previously have been difficult to reach.

Shopping from the comfort of home

When consumers needed a break from The Mandalorian, audiences continued to scroll on their devices for retail therapy. In particular, Gen Z and Millennials, who have overtaken BabyBoomers as the largest population segment, are willing to spend. According to BCG, Millennials are expected to increase spending by 10% in the next five years, while Gen Z will increase by over 70%. In 2020, both generations flocked to technology, where e-commerce has grown to fulfill consumer needs for take-out, toilet paper, how-to videos, shopping, and more. Technology followed, with many social media channels launching new features, such as Facebook Shop Live or IG shopping for a seamless “click to buy” shopping experience.