The Insiders’ Insights: 2022 Learnings and Predictions

This year had it all—a Twitter takeover, crypto fraud, a viral marketing campaign around sinister smiling, and an Oscars slap. When we sum it up that way, the 2022 BINGO card was pretty chaotic.

However, we recently interviewed a handful of our RG thought leaders to highlight some of this year’s marketing gems and share steadfast predictions for 2023.

Below are the insights from Marisa Ricciardi, Meredith Rowley, Jennifer Ogden, and Jay DiPietro.

What to expect in 2023

Question: Do you have any predictions for marketing in 2023? What are companies carving out budgets for, what are marketers leaning into, what buying trends are taking off?

Marisa Ricciardi, Founder/CEO: I think the #1 trend that aligns super well with B2B and macro migration trends is that micro-communities will continue to grow. If dollars shift from social media spending, this could mean local media could really have a resurgence. For example, locally focused events where brand story is easier to control and the touchpoints are much higher—instead of information being lost in translation or going into the virtual ether.

Another interesting trend, that somewhat aligns with the above, is the fact that “Out of Home” (OOH) is making a comeback thanks to advancements in digital and location-based data tracking, enabling dynamic creative and more relevant real-time messaging. 

I’ve also seen, and will likely continue to see, massive investments going into removing the friction of the online/offline shopping experiences. Instagram has made buying so easy that consumers expect that experience to be replicated in all their consumption behaviors. Amazon Fresh is yet another example of how to do frictionless shopping well.

One other, and very important, dynamic is the continued “marketing versus finance” interplay. This will continue to be a challenge in 2023. As marketers know, our budgets are always the first to go; but the smart brands are continuing to spend because they realize they can gain massive market share while their competitors try to save money and essentially “go dark.” If marketers can show a solid return for the investments made in their activities, those on the financial side of the decision-making process will see marketing as a competitive advantage.

Surprises in 2022

Question: What surprised or delighted you about 2022 in terms of client marketing activities?

Meredith Rowley, Head of Accounts & Client Strategy: In terms of client strategy, we found brands are getting smarter about how they go to market. For example, Eigen Technologies is incorporating intent data into digital marketing strategy, and leveraging predictive technology to do so. This approach is particularly useful in crowded markets where the brand doesn’t have a large budget but needs to quickly and efficiently build the pipeline.

With regard to content, what I saw was a trend in using actual people in social graphics, instead of just illustrations or design elements. What this flagged for me, in a positive sense, is that screens can never replace the yearning for human connection. People want to see a brand with a human voice, a human element.

If you’re looking to be delighted by a tool or two, the best additions to our account management arsenal were Avoma and VideoAsk. We used the former for meetings conducted in person and the latter to make virtual settings more personalized and efficient. Both tools tighten the process of notetaking and insight gathering to allow the team to get right down to value-added thinking.

Best in Show

Question: What was your favorite brand advertising/marketing campaign of 2022 and why? 

Jen Ogden, Head of Brand & Communication Strategy: Although I may be biased, I fell in love with Coin Metrics’ willingness to take on the concept of truth in the world of crypto in the “Put Truth to Work” campaign. In the face of FTX, it’s almost prescient but spoke to their commitment towards building the fundamentals for a broader market.

In addition, I’d like to shout out Sherwin Williams for its bold use of technology to build an immersive world that more than ups its brand game to position itself as a “color expert” to professional architects.

Top of the Tech Stack

Question: What is one technology platform you can’t live without? How or why does it make your life easier?       

Jay DiPietro, Chief Operating Officer: I’ve been bullish on ClickUp since the very beginning and have continued to be a fan and advocate through their growth. Their product team has a deep understanding of the SaaS landspace—and the hellscape it continues to turn into as 500+ SaaS startups launch each year and usage accelerates. 

For some context: in 2022, the average small business uses more than 16 SaaS apps. When looking at Enterprises, the number jumps to over 90! Adding more and more point solutions to our daily workflows introduces friction which prevents us from doing our best work.  The more we can keep the various tools we need to function in our modern lives in one app, and have that app connect seamlessly with truly necessary point solutions, the better and more productive each of us will be. 

Word to the wise—the best technologies are the ones that get out of the way and allow us to focus on the work itself. It’s going to be a long road, but ClickUp is the one company I will continue to bet on to solve this problem.