Top Consumer Trends of 2023: What Marketers Should Know Now

Top insights from marketing professionals and thought leaders, sharing their opinions of forecasted consumer trends for 2023.

Time to read
Min
December 13, 2022

Introduction

An endless supply of data and digital tools has made it easier than ever for brands to understand their audiences. But with so many marketing trends, it’s challenging for marketers to know which ones are worth their time and investment.

With 2022 drawing to a close, the marketing industry is buzzing about what’s coming next. From artificial intelligence (AI) to virtual reality, hyper-personalization, metaverse, blockchain, and web3,—there are countless emerging ideas that can impact how companies market their products, services, brands and deliver experiences to their target audiences.

These top predicted Marketing Trends for 2023 will continue to reshape how marketers operate in the coming years. If you’re looking to stay ahead of the curve, read on to discover 5 of the biggest marketing trends of 2023.

AI Becomes Marketers’ New Best Friend

A person using a laptop. There are various icons surrounding this person including, documents and leaves.

AI marketing has been on the rise for several years now, but in 2023, marketers will finally master its use. AI will be integrated into most marketing activities, from content creation, audience targeting, engagement to demand generation and optimization. The technology will allow marketers to scale their efforts and increase their productivity, as well as provide personalized experiences that go beyond what can currently be delivered. AI will also give brands a single source of data, which will make it easier to stay compliant with privacy regulations. AI is already used in customer service and sales, but in the coming years, it will become marketers' go-to tool for everything. This means hiring knowledgeable people who can manage the AI platform and train it to deliver the best results possible. Understanding how AI can benefit your team and the organization as a whole will help you make the case for investing in this technology.

“Marketers should start preparing for AI today to ensure they have the skills and resources they need to make the most of this technology.”

Virtual Reality Meets Marketing

A person standing on top of a target, set of cogs, and a graph. The person is holding a rocket. To the left, in the background, is a set of graphs. To the right, in the background, are leaves and circles with an outline of people (connected y dots). In the centre, in the background, is an arrow indicating an upward trend.

For a while now, ‘VR’ has been a buzzword, but in 2023, it will break into the mainstream for marketers. Brands will use VR for everything from content creation to marketing campaigns and product launches. VR will become a central component of every marketing campaign and will help marketers create more immersive experiences for their customers. VR marketing will allow companies to bring their products to life in ways that have never been possible before, making it easier for customers to understand how they work and see how they can be used in their daily lives. VR will also make it easier for companies to train employees, with virtual reality simulations that can simulate dangerous situations and teach valuable lessons without putting lives at risk. Marketers should start planning for VR now to ensure they have the resources and skills needed to make the most of this technology. This includes hiring people who understand VR and can help bring your ideas to life, as well as creating a plan for how VR will be implemented across your marketing efforts.

Brand Awareness Goes Virtual

Two people in front of a pot-like structure. The one person is throwing a play button icon into the pot. The other person is sitting in front of the pot on top of a speech bubble with an elipeses within it. Behind the post and people are icons showing numbers of social media likes and followers. There are plants scattered around the image too.

VR will also make it easier to raise brand awareness among consumers. As the use of VR becomes more common, brands will use it to create virtual experiences that allow people to try out their products and services as if they were really there. This will make it easier for people to relate to the products and services you offer and make it easier to spread the word about your offerings. VR will give consumers a more personal experience and allow them to try out products that they wouldn’t normally have access to. This has the potential to increase sales and give your company a competitive edge. Brands will also use VR to host virtual events and create online communities where people can gather and interact. This will give people an online space where they can connect with like-minded individuals and learn about new products and services. This has the potential to help your brand build a loyal following and make it easier for consumers to find and communicate with each other.

Consumer Behaviors Turn Blockchain

Two people shaking hands, the one person is holding a briefcase in the free hand. Behind them is a clock, set of cogs, a document, a fountain pen, and plants.

As consumers become more aware of and concerned about their privacy, blockchain will become a bigger part of the marketing landscape. Blockchain will help marketers provide consumers with more control over their data by allowing them to decide who has access to it and how it can be used. This will make it easier for brands to market to audiences based on their wants and needs while still protecting their identities and preventing fraud and abuse. Blockchain will also allow marketers to create more personalized experiences that go beyond what AI can do today. Marketers should start planning for blockchain now to ensure they have the resources they need to make the most of this technology. This includes finding an AI partner with blockchain capabilities, hiring people who understand blockchain and can help bring your ideas to life, and creating a plan for how blockchain will be integrated across your marketing efforts.

Hyper-personalization Is no Longer Enough

The centre of this graphic includes an 's'-shaped pathway. In the middle of that pathway is a clock. To the left of this pathway and clock, there is a calendar with the 31st (of no specific month) listed, a set of cogs, plants, and a bar graph. To the right of of this pathway and clock, there is a man with ocuments hovering above him. His left arm is raised, as he is working on one of them.

Although Hyper Personalization has been a marketing trend for years, it will become less effective in 2023. Consumers expect brands to know everything about them and deliver a personalized experience. But as marketers strive to meet this demand, personalized experiences will become more commonplace and impersonal. Consumers will notice that no two experiences are exactly the same, but they will also expect them to be close. As marketers try to scale their personalized efforts, they will struggle to keep up with the high expectations of their customers, leading to increased frustration and brand damage. Marketers will instead turn to rationalization, which is the process of applying one approach or methodology to multiple situations. This will allow marketers to scale their personalized efforts and create consistent experiences for their customers without sacrificing personalization. Rationalization will allow marketers to go beyond hyper-personalization and create personalized experiences for each individual, which will make it easier for brands to meet their customers’ expectations and deliver truly personalized experiences.

Bottom line

A person sitting on a beanbag with a laptop in their lap. They are pointing to an arrow showing an upward, zig-zag trend. The the person and arrow are surrounded by graphs, plants, and a set of cogs.

These top marketing trends will continue to reshape how marketers operate in the coming years. Digital transformation has forever changed the way brands must communicate with their audience. Today, to stay ahead of the game, marketers must think beyond last quarter’s super-cute kitten videos and explore new ways to reach customers. To succeed in this ever-changing landscape, we believe that marketers must have a broad understanding of current and emerging trends. As a result, numerous emerging consumer trends are forcing companies of various industries to adapt their business strategies accordingly.

“The future is already different from what it used to be just five years ago. The world is changing faster than before due to technological advancements and shifting customer behaviors.”

Planning now, and being proactive, not reactive, is the key to success. Don’t be the one getting left behind, playing catch up, or merely jumping on a trend for the sake of staying relevant. Take the risk and be the trend setter rather than a trend follower.

FAQs

  1. Why is it important to understand consumer buying behavior?

Understanding consumer behavior can help in targeting your desired audience for more effective marketing efforts. It can also help with developing products to better serve and satisfy the needs and wants of the consumers, which leads to better customer service and higher brand loyalty levels.

  1. Why use AI Powered Marketing Tools?

The main reasons for using an AI Marketing tool are efficiency, predictive analytics, personalization, and content production. Using AI tools allows you to break free from tactical execution and data processing, as the AI does all that for you. Moreover, an AI tool analyzes vast amounts of information across a variety of platforms – from social media to email to the web. This combination of artificial intelligence and deep learning empowers you to make more informed strategic decisions that drive your business forward.

  1. What is VR Marketing?

VR Marketing is a marketing strategy that integrates virtual reality into a marketing campaign, not to be confused with AR marketing. VR Marketing allows you to better connect with your audience through a virtual experience, this helps build better brand engagement as consumers are no longer just reading or viewing on a screen, but actually interacting with a virtual persona, product and environment.

IVAN NEMORIN
Ivan originally studied Audio Engineering and worked in the Music and Production industry. From there, he obtained his second degree, a Bachelor of Business Science with a Double Major in Marketing and Management, from Monash University (Australia). He's been in the Marketing game ever since. Outside of work, you will find him at 5am CrossFit, cooking, spending time with his animals, and enjoying a good series or movie.