From temporary adjustment to permanent transformation: the 2022 challenge for marketers

As brands shift their marketing strategies from pandemic-induced temporary adjustment to permanent transformation, WARC’s Marketer’s Toolkit 2022: Global Trends Report, the first in a series of Toolkit reports, aims at helping brands identify, adapt and successfully meet the challenges of the year ahead and turn them into opportunities for growth. 

Key findings from the WARC Marketer’s Toolkit 2022 include:

• Changes in consumer behaviour will impact 2022 marketing strategies
  Fully 97% of marketers responding to a survey for the WARC Marketer’s Toolkit 2022 said they believe changes to consumer behaviour seen during the pandemic will impact strategies in 2022

• The ‘double bottom line’ – valuing profit and the planet – is now a reality
  Forty-six percent of survey respondents said they afford the environment and financial growth equal importance. 

• Market penetration/customer gain is the most important barometer of marketing effectiveness
  More than half (54%) of respondents now view market penetration/customer gain as the most important barometer of marketing effectiveness, up from 44% last year.

• Spending on social commerce will increase
  Three quarters of brands in the WARC survey plan to increase spending, leveraging the power of creators to sell via livestreams and shoppable media.

• Spending on e-commerce will also grow
  Just over three quarters (78%) of respondents expect to spend more on e-commerce and 25% are adopting an integrated approach by merging e-commerce and digital branding teams.

A complimentary copy of the global report, including full trend analysis, CMO commentary, case studies and proprietary survey data, is available to read here. WARC subscribers can see exclusive content here.