Advertising, marketing and PR: Future trends

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Social changes

Government initiatives to tackle social problems such as obesity, binge drinking and climate change are having a knock-on effect on the sector. For example, in 2004, the Government introduced its Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy, in which strict alcohol advertising codes were put in place. A recent study by the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) (ISBA) reveals that the new advertising codes are working.

Companies’ social marketing principles are viewed as being important to around three-quarters (74%) of the organisations recently surveyed in the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)'s Marketing Trends Survey. The general opinion from organisations surveyed is that a company’s sustainability practices increasingly affect the customers buying decisions.

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Globalisation and legislation

The global marketplace is continually reducing in size, with more business now conducted via the internet. This means that, more than ever before, advertisers, marketers and PR professionals need to have knowledge of legislation in the other countries to which they may market.

New technology

We now are increasingly using more media communications in our daily lives and there is huge potential for businesses to make the most of this. As well as the traditional forms of communication, such as television, radio, the media, direct mail, door drops and inserts there is also electronic media, such as email, the Internet, Multimedia Message Services (MMS) and Short Message Services (SMS). The use of digital communications, including viral marketing, mobile marketing, product seeding, corporate blogs and podcasts are increasingly becoming more widespread. Mobile audio-visual devices as genuine media channels have also emerged.

The rise of new technologies means that the way audiences receive media and the messages within are more rapidly changing than ever before. This presents exciting opportunities for this sector, as digital technology and interactivity open potential for more targeted, one-to-one, interactive and, ultimately, more effective marketing communications.

However, it also presents a challenge, as with the digital growth, there continues to be a corresponding rise in spam mail and services, and consumer mistrust in this type of media and the industry. This may call for further regulation and legislative control, with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 and preference services further affecting the industry.

Due to the advancement in technology, the sector is continually evolving, resulting in an increasingly competitive and exciting market for organisations in which to operate.