2022 Trends to Watch in PR and Marketing

It’s 2022, and just a few months into the year, we’re already seeing the impact of shifting marketing and PR trends. Whether you choose to follow these trends exactly or just watch for the ones that align best with your brand’s goals and priorities, there’s something here for everyone.

Below, you can find the first 5 marketing and PR trends you need to know about for 2022 – if you want to check out the rest, click on the download button in the end.

1) Living Large in the Metaverse

The metaverse is here, and it presents an uncharted new virtual world for brands and entities to take advantage of. The opportunities are endless; brands can get a head start on developing and designing metaverse spaces, prepare advertising assets for virtual billboards and ad placements, or even incorporate metaverse spaces into real-life meetings and collaboration. We’re at the earliest stages of this marketing play for now, but expect to see the space become a bit more saturated in 2022. ​

2) Cultural Branding 101

Cultural branding is all about connecting your brand to a lifestyle or cultural moment that resonates with the target audience. Brands of the past have tended to focus marketing efforts on their own industry or niche, but we’re seeing an expansion of what brands want to connect to and how they want to reach their audiences. If you’re not quite sure what culture your brand represents, 2022 is the perfect time to give it some thought.

3) Branding With Purpose

Today’s consumers are all about purpose-driven brands. It’s not enough to sell a product or service without directly causing harm. It’s becoming increasingly important for brands to align with a cause (or causes) that they care about and to devote resources for doing good, not just avoiding doing bad. Think of brands like Ben and Jerry’s, Patagonia, and Dove (among others) as examples of brands that are championing causes that fall a bit outside the scope of just selling their products.

4) Citing Consumer Insights

Consumer insights have always played a role in marketing and PR strategies, but today, they’re becoming the single most important factor in driving campaigns and making strategic decisions. And for good reason—consumer insights connect brands directly to the audience they’re hoping to reach with timely, accurate outreach customized to their needs and interests. If your own customer insights are falling short, plan to explore this avenue in 2022.

5) Omni-Channel Communication

Marketing campaigns used to prioritize a single distribution channel or platform, leaning heavily on options like email outreach, OOH billboards, or social media plays. Today, virtually every campaign is omni-channel, with elements that build on each other across multiple touchpoints and platforms. The end result typically builds greater audience association with the campaign and expands overall reach. The key? Putting serious thought into the audience journey and the best way for campaign elements to overlap and interact.

If you want to read all 12 PR & Marketing trends, please click the button below.