As the New Year approaches, we can’t help but think about the future and what 2019 may bring. At Big Cat, we’re looking forward to new recruits, a new office, working with some fantastic new clients and, of course, continuing to work with our existing clients. There is also going to be a lot of changes within the marketing communications industry which should prove to be very interesting. As ever, at Big Cat we are staying one step ahead of the game, so here are my predictions for 2019:

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will continue to be a slow burn with lots of hype and scare stories but slow adoption in most areas. Whether you see AI as a risk or as an opportunity depends on your skillset and sector. Some industries are more proactive / at risk (depending on your position). We believe that AI will be assistive in marketing communication, enabling and providing competitive advantage, will make your human resources more efficient and effective, and will help resolve customer issues – AI solves 60 million customer disputes every year.

The Mobility Revolution and Purple Pound

2019 has been predicted as a tipping point where assistive technologies will be transformative to many disabled people’s lives. There are 13.9 million disabled people in the UK with an estimated spending power of £200 billion, which is known as the purple pound. This presents a big opportunity for the retail, tourism and leisure sectors and as the UK’s ageing population increases, it will become even more prevalent. The demographic shift will create an increasingly attractive market opportunity, and thanks to advancements in technology, the barriers that disabled people face should hopefully decrease. In the coming year, businesses need to make disabled people’s experiences (online and offline) simpler, more accessible, natural, and, dare I say it; fun. And the offering is just the starting point. Inclusive and accessible marketing communications will be paramount when helping brands and businesses reach far more people.

Inclusivity in design

Data privacy, social media judgement and inequality, unconscious bias and stereotyping in society have risen into the global consciousness like never before in 2018, and as a result of this, designing for equality and accessibility benefits everyone. Inclusive design helps to create products that serve as many people as possible, creating different ways for people to participate in the experience. 75% of adverts tested by Kantar in 2018 featured women but only 6% portrayed women in authoritative roles. Next year, we predict that more businesses and brands will take responsibility for their societal impact (not just their environmental) and therefore adopting an inclusive mind-set for your design solutions will be essential.

Voice of Communication

Apple’s Siri and the launches and adoption of Google Home and Amazon Alexa will continue to grow. Voice will continue to disrupt sectors which don’t integrate voice search into their digital strategies. Embracing voice requires a paradigm shift in ways of thinking, with a recognition that sound and pronunciation are as crucial as logos and visual language. We predict that in the next few years every successful business will have a voice strategy baked into their marketing communication strategy.

New Communication Experiences

Increasingly, brands are realising the benefit of delivering an experience that makes them stand out from the crowd. According to The Drum, good brand in-hand experiences lead to an 85% intention to purchase and a 4:1 ROI. The most successful shopping centres and tourist destinations offer more innovative, interactive, touchy-feely, instagrammable experiences and in 2019 we will start to see more industries follow suit realising the power that a memorable brand experience can create. The brand creative and promise will flow offline from the virtual and into the physical delivering a customer experience that not only meets the customers’ expectations but makes them want to come back.

Every Marketers Dread: The B Word

UK businesses have not been waiting around for a decision on dare I say it…Brexit. Every year we plan for multiple scenarios to enable us to react quickly to external forces. In every economic climate there are winners and losers. The winners are generally the most nimble, with the lowest gearing, the best trained team, the strongest brand, and balls / boobs of steel. Once the media and politicians lose interest, we’ll see it as one of many important but not mission critical factors to plan for and react to.

Charitable Communications giving

Trust in charities has taken a hit in recent times. Scandals and negative column inches have given a reputational kicking to the industry. In 2019 charities will redouble efforts to restore the faith and validate spend. The sector will continue to instigate change, employing innovative ways to communicate transparency and rebuild trust.

The potential and convenience of Tap and Give contactless payments was expertly demonstrated in December 2018 by London Mayor Sadiq Khan when he launched contactless donation points across the capital to support the homeless at Christmas.

Compassionate consumerism and place-based giving are trends that are set to continue to grow in 2019 and will present opportunities for the sector to engage the always-on generation – Gen Z.

In 2017, the World Economic Forum said that the consumer industry would change more over the next ten years than it has in the last 40. All businesses, large or small need to keep on their toes and keep a close eye on their customer’s changing needs and behaviours.

Good Luck and Happy New Year!