Priorities Marketers Should Consider in 2022
As 2022 approaches, marketers are entering yet another year of great uncertainty as they try to navigate the impending elimination of third-party cookies, privacy updates, and new consumer behaviors. So, let’s dive in. What are some of the biggest areas of focus for marketers next year?
Privacy remains a top priority
Privacy regulation is and should remain a top priority. In 2021, we saw an expansion of privacy laws all over the globe, with the U.S. passing more laws on the state level and other countries like France and Germany introducing new laws.
Fines and sanctions for violating data privacy rules are becoming more commonplace, and brands will also need to consider how they will appear to consumers and other audiences if they find themselves fined or called out for a failure to comply.
Changes from the major platforms
Another top priority is following Big Tech and the changes set to take effect next year and beyond. One example — and already on the minds of many marketers — is the phasing out of third-party cookies, which is now scheduled for 2023. This change will cause major disruption to targeting, measurement, cross-platform campaigns, and attribution, and requires at least a year’s worth of planning to future-proof brands.
Google’s upcoming change is not the only major update we can expect from Big Tech. Apple, Meta, Amazon, and their peers are likely to introduce more changes in the year ahead to counteract privacy concerns. The best way for marketers to prepare is to start planning and implementing privacy-safe solutions while time is on their side, while also building first-party data and testing the best activation techniques. This will help marketers to limit exposure to changes in privacy.
The positive news here is that next year should bring more clarity from the big players.
Implementing a new martech stack
The focus on the major platforms and corresponding changes brings about another important priority, which is to examine the marketing tech stack. The biggest role for technology is to improve the customer experience. Technology can help create seamless interactions across acquisition, engagement, conversion, and retention. The improvements in customer experience can help drive market share and the bottom line.
There are many tools related to governance, risk, and compliance that marketers should consider as they look to shore up data sources, governance, activation, reporting, and business intelligence.
Evolving with persistent change
The biggest priority by far for marketers as we head into 2022 is to remain agile and thrive in an environment that is continuing to change quickly and where there are many unknowns. This environment puts added pressure on business leaders to be clear and articulate the organization’s business objectives and how they relate to marketing. A clear connection needs to exist across objectives, strategies, and budgets.
With increasing privacy regulations, big changes from big tech, a fast-evolving marketing tech stack, and new and changing consumer behaviors on the horizon, 2022 is going to be a year where agility and getting ahead of the curve define success.
Alicia Arnold is Managing Director at fifty-five.
