Five Social and Marketing Trends for 2011

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

From NMT Images

Five Social and Marketing Trends for 2011

HotelMarketing.com went out on a limb and declared the top 10 Marketing and Social Media trends to watch in 2011.

The site acknowledges that 2010 was a year full of new business models, innovations (think iPad, LBS, Mobile device power) with great growth in, and attention paid to social media. 

Rohit Bhargava, at the prestigious Influential Marketing Blog, is responsible for identifying the top ten. But then he added five more.

He says in his post that his top 15 are based on recaps of other blogs, interviews with news-makers and his own observations based on the leading developments of 2010.

We’ve picked our top five from Bhargava’s fifteen. Please go to his site to review all of them.

Likely to dominate this years marketing and social trends?


• Likeonomics
Bhargava sees most content today as “social currency,” content that must build personal relationships, share opinions and tell stories as the only way to help brands and products become more believable.

The UK brand, Innocent Drinks, for example, is an amazingly successful product.

Why?

Look at the site. It’s fun, colorful, innocent and upbeat. It, and the drinks themselves, have a panache about them that bring a smile to anyone’s face. They’re, well, innocent...and likeable: Likeonomics

• Accessible Celebrities
Until recently, until maybe last year even, celebrities were god-like, unapproachable and somewhat mysterious.

Participation in Twitter and Facebook, for example, by celebs like MC Hammer (@mchammer) and Jack Welsh means more of us will enjoy access to those stars that once seemed so distant.

The celebrities themselves will make big bucks as they sell sponsorships to their Tweets delivered to thousands and thousands of fans.

Interestingly, however, What the Trend points out that Entertainment, a top trending category on Twitter in 2009, has been replaced by hashtag trends...with 40% of the trending pie, up from 9% in 2009.

• Instant PR and Customer Service
Remember the game when football commentator, John Gruden, referred to NY Giant receivers as JetBlue? Twitter conversations came alive in full force and JetBlue entered social media history, again, this time as a company that cares.

One of us.

The merger of instant Public Relations and Customer Service will create terrific marketing opportunties for brands and companies who have the conversation in place, nurture it daily, and don’t wait for a crisis to respond.

• Desperate Simplification
We’re all overloaded with technology so most of us cling to those that we know and that work for us, gaining mastery over the few rather than fooling around with the many.

Bhargava says, “people will seek more balance in their lives and entrepreneurs and marketers will build products and sites to help us achieve this.

”Look at the IPod Shuffle,” He says. “Doesn’t do much, but stands out for simplicity.” Tumblr, meanwhile,  helps people simplify their blogging experience and Amazon is still the best one-button shopping experience.”

• Employees as Heroes
 This trend has been growing as companies like Best Buy, Pfizer and Intel “humanize” their products and make clear how their employees make a difference in their customers’ lives.

Employees’ stories take the lead here, and as the Intel ad says, “Our Rock Stars aren’t like your Rock Stars....but we’re proud of them.”

The year is new. We’ll see what happens. But for now, you know where to look.