Top Digital Marketing Trends and Predictions for 2024

With predictions that economic uncertainty will continue, growth will be one of the main issues that brands will focus on in 2024.

Despite the uncertainty, we will have ample opportunity to adapt, experiment, and ultimately achieve profitable growth. One of the important issues at this point is confidentiality. Strong privacy foundations not only ensure accurate measurement, but also enable you to gain users' trust.
Since only 3% of consumers feel they have control over their data online, trust is critical to driving customer loyalty and growth. In this regard, 43% of the participants state that they will switch to their second choice brand instead of their preferred brand if it offers a good privacy experience.
Besides privacy, there are many other important areas to explore, from the responsible use of artificial intelligence to the new perception of value. To dive into these areas, I asked Google leaders for their top predictions for digital marketing. Forecasts can help you achieve growth in 2024.

Micro changes in an environment where the perception of normal is constantly changing

We feel that we are in a period where the perception of normal is constantly changing due to successive crises for years and transformation, fluctuation and instability dominate. In this environment, marketers need to maintain or acquire the ability to adapt quickly. This means marketers must adapt more quickly to any situation such as changing economic context, new consumer needs and fluctuations in budgets.
While agility and change may already be part of your company culture, today's pace requires greater focus on adaptability. Instead of a 5-year plan, adopt a flexible approach where constant micro changes are made. Be sure to consider your long-term vision, but remember that you will need to make changes to achieve that vision.
Since most of the time there is no time for detailed analysis, this may mean recalibrating the strategy you set one week in line with instant changes, customer feedback and common sense the next week. For example, Airbnb France quickly changed its marketing message earlier this year, highlighting its core message at a time when the cost of living is rising.
By adapting to this environment where the perception of normal is constantly changing, with agility and micro changes, you can follow the developments instantly and get ahead of your competitors in 2024.

As artificial intelligence power increases, so does responsibility

Artificial intelligence has opened up unforeseen and extraordinary potential for digital marketers. This technology makes everything faster and more widely available, but it requires much more attention.
In 2024, artificial intelligence-supported marketing activities need to be carried out effectively, collaboratively and responsibly.
The team at Google is actively working on the responsible use of AI, specifically focusing on:

• Setting a key performance indicator (KPI) as a reference: Thanks to artificial intelligence, marketing campaigns can be optimized easier and faster. Unwanted side effects that previously appeared over the years may appear much more quickly. When setting KPIs, consider the impact on both your bottom line and society more generally.
• Transparency around data use: Users expect AI tools to be used for purposes such as personalizing communications in marketing, but they are also worried about what will happen to their data. That's why we need to be transparent and clearly explain how user data informs AI tools to be more useful and improve marketing messages and site experiences.
• Complying with laws and brand guidelines: Generative AI allows marketers to prepare copy and visual assets faster, but that doesn't mean we can leave the job entirely to AI. This new era of creativity is powered by the combination of human input and technology. Marketers must stay in control, ensuring that items are available for both legal and copyright purposes and reflect the brand's tone.

The scale of sustainability efforts is increasing

Sustainability as a consumer trend has been on our agenda for a while, but 2024 will likely be the year marketers expand the scope of their efforts. Like Google, major brands and agencies around the world are committed to achieving “net zero” targets. In 2024, the focus will be on the presentation and there is a lot of work being done on this in the background.
As one of the contributor of the Net Zero Awards, I have observed how leading agencies and marketing teams are addressing the carbon emissions generated by their operations and supply chains. These efforts will intensify even more in 2024 as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Regulation imposes a new reporting obligation for companies doing business in Europe. Brands like media agency Dentsu, which already shares its climate policies and impacts, are leading other brands in this space.
In 2024, agencies and brands must consider what impact the ads they produce will have more broadly and how the power of marketing can drive positive change. The five actions suggested by Ad Net Zero, of which Google is a founding supporter, are a good starting point for marketers who want to take action and make a difference.

Beyond price and quality: The new perception of value

There is a huge shift in the way value is perceived. Consumers no longer make purchasing decisions based solely on traditional price and quality criteria.
Younger generations such as Generation Y and Z are leading this change, and value for these users is a multifaceted phenomenon. Users now also evaluate criteria like “sustainability value,” “experience value,” and even “value in terms of sharing first-party data in exchange for usefulness.”
This new approach shows that users are re-evaluating their priorities as they become more responsible and conscious consumers. Marketers also need to keep up with this change. In this period when inflation is constantly increasing, discounts and deals will definitely have an impact on consumer decision-making, but 82% of consumers now also expect the values of brands to match their own values.
To engage users in 2024, marketers must ensure the message and creative are in line with the zeitgeist. Be transparent about the well-rounded value offered to consumers and the values the business espouses. It's up to you to stay relevant and build long-term relationships with your audience.