A summary of the critical factors and forces that will shape marketing and communications over the next year
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2021
December 2020
A summary of the critical factors and forces that will shape marketing
and communications over the next year
03 Introduction
04 Substance over noise
06 Presence-free connections
08 Social wellness
10 The trust economy
12 Activism becomes action
14 Retrospective resolution
16 The stakeholder customer
18 Preparing for 2021
INTRODUCTION
2020 will be remembered for the transformation it inspired as much as the
disruption it caused. COVID-19 has been a forcing function, driving companies
and consumers to rethink everything — from the way they behave and
communicate, to their values and priorities.
As we look at the trends shaping our industry, it’s no wonder that they all come
back to purpose. In these turbulent times, brands need to articulate and commit
to a purpose that speaks to foundational human needs, not just a product or
service’s utility.
Although the stakes have never been higher, the opportunities for brands to
make an impact. That’s why we’ve created this round up of top trends to help
you navigate 2021 and move your brand to positive action.
Ruth Allchurch
Managing Director, WE UK
TRENDING 2021 3
01 SUBSTANCE
OVER NOISE
WHAT IS IT?
Media consumption skyrocketed during lockdown. Kantar’s COVID-19
Barometeri, which surveyed over 25,000 consumers across 30 markets,
revealed that by the end of March 2020, web browsing had increased by
70%, traditional TV viewing by 63% and social media engagement by 61%
over normal usage rates. Streaming wars also escalated, with numerous new
entrants to the subscription video-on-demand space.
This insatiable appetite for content does not mean a carte blanche for brands.
As consumption grows, so does the demand for relevant, high-quality content.
As we head into 2021, expect consumers to be more selective about what they
watch and when.
Communication overload is also real. One in two consumers in a Foresight
Factory surveyii agreed that brands should share how they’re helping customers
during this time. However, we all remember the jokes and complaints by
consumers on social media about the flood of marketing messages received at
the beginning of COVID-19.
So how can brands capitalise on the new demand for content and provide
consumers with the information they need, without adding to the noise?
The answer: Communicate with purpose.
1. Prioritise content that is useful to your
audience — and not only useful to your
brand. Apply the golden rules of SEO:
Be helpful, relevant and authentic to
establish your authority.
2. Invest in on-demand and user-generated
content, as these formats drive high
engagement rates.
3. Test, learn and adapt. Try out new
content and use analytics to inform
decisions, measure results and
anticipate demand trends.
TRENDING 2021 4
01 SUBSTANCE
OVER NOISE
CASE STUDY
BRITISH GAS’S ‘HOW TO SOLVE’ CAMPAIGN
At a time when companies are struggling with how to communicate
with customers and how to simply meet their needs, British Gas
struck gold with content that does both.
In May 2020, British Gas evolved their How to Solve campaign with a
new series called Solved on Screen. The series featured instructional
videos and YouTube live sessions with real engineers to help people
fix minor issues like ‘How to re-pressurise your boiler’. Not only was
this useful to audiences, it also addressed the company’s inability to
provide in-home assistance under social distancing restrictions and
reinforced their commitment to customer service.
The campaign also delivered on the expectation that companies go
beyond business as usual during COVID-19 – they released behind-
the-scenes videos to highlight the efforts of their frontline staff,
provide transparency around new employee safety measures, and
promote their partnership with the Trussell Trust to deliver food
parcels in local areas.
This trend was based on themes identified by Kantar in their ‘2021 Media Trends and Predictions’ report and ‘COVID-19 Barometer’, and Foresight Factory’s analysis ‘Brand Comms during COVID-19’.
TRENDING 2021 5
02 PRESENCE-FREE
CONNECTIONS
WHAT IS IT?
The legacy of COVID-19 will recognize that modern life no longer requires us to be physically
present. 2020 was a year of cyber firsts as COVID-19 opened our eyes to digital alternatives to
work, life and more, removed geographical barriers, and accelerated tech adoption rates among
all age groups — particularly older ones. This year, the proportion of UK adults aged 65 and over
who make a least one video call each week shot from 22% in February to 61% by Mayiii.
This new way of living creates both new opportunities and challenges. The high dependence on
virtual platforms through the pandemic has in some ways, levelled the playing field. Brands can
now reach more audiences, opening them up to new demographics. The flipside is that online
channels require a rethink of how to communicate in a way that maintains loyalty, engagement,
and brand identity in a remote and increasingly competitive world.
And let’s not forget employees. Failing to keep employees engaged and informed, especially as
remote working becomes more prevalent, is not only an HR or internal comms misstep — it’s a
missed business opportunity. Companies with engaged employees report higher productivity
and better retention, as well as higher customer ratings and greater business success.
In 2021, proximity will continue to be at a premium. It will be more important than ever for
brands to overcome presence-free barriers to ensure that their products, messaging, and
overall purpose resonate with internal and external audiences.
1. Consider the accessibility of your communications
–are you catering to all audiences? As marketers and
communicators, you have a role to play in closing the
digital divide.
2. Invest in virtual event and engagement platforms.
These will continue to be the safest, greenest and
most convenient ways for audiences to engage with
you. These platforms shouldn’t be considered cheap
substitutes for physical encounters.
3. Explore exclusive “present” options for audiences
to engage with your brand in a safe and responsible
way, once restrictions lift.
TRENDING 2021 6
02 PRESENCE-FREE
CONNECTIONS
CASE STUDY
HSBC’S DRUMBEAT NEWSLETTER
Even before the pandemic hit, HSBC’s Commercial Banking
(CMB) division was thinking about how to better connect its
global employees. With information largely still shared at a
regional and market level, there was a gap for a sustained global
comms programme to engage and excite employees about the
transformation of the business.
Working with WE, HSBC created Drumbeat – a single, consistent
content brand that bundled all of CMB’s employee communications
together through one core channel, the bi-weekly Drumbeat
newsletter. Acting as the delivery mechanism for a number of
Drumbeat initiatives, the newsletter has included webcasts about
how diverse teams are innovating, explainer videos on new ways
of working, podcasts on breaking down career barriers, and tips
and guides about developing new skills, building resilience and
increasing wellbeing.
Drumbeat now connects teams all over the world to change
happening across the business, motivating employees to engage
with transformation and innovation in a new and refreshed way.
This trend was based on themes identified in the Foresight Factory’s trend ‘Presence-Free Living’, and insights from McKinsey & Company’s
‘European consumer sentiment during the coronavirus crisis’ survey
TRENDING 2021 7
03 SOCIAL
WELLNESS
WHAT IS IT?
COVID-19 has put a spotlight on social connections now acknowledge that the company
they keep — online and offline — is as important to their wellbeing as their careers,
environments, and health and nutrition regimens. In 2021, people will become more
selective about who they remain connected to – and the brands they follow.
Expect to see consumers, in both their professional and personal lives, rethink social
media altogether. Isolation due to COVID-19 has driven tolerance levels down and reminds
us that personal happiness requires calculated relationship management. It has even
begun to affect young consumers — the most avid users of social media. Foresight
Factory data shows that 52% of consumers aged between 12 and 19 agreed that they
“would be happier if they used social media less.”iv
This sentiment will require brands to approach social media carefully. The purpose of a
brand in a consumer’s life, newsfeed, or wellbeing — increasingly linked concepts during
COVID-19 — will be put under greater scrutiny in 2021.
1. Understand your audience: commission
audits and segment your customer base into
groups. Ask them how they want to engage
with you, or what they want to see more of.
2. Define your social and content strategies
based on these findings — this might mean
establishing new channels and groups or
retiring redundant ones. Tailor your content
and tone of voice to fit the audience of
each group.
3. Cultivate community. Use social media to
create a space online where your audience
can connect with like-minded people —
whether by posting hyper-relevant content,
encouraging conversation and user-
generated content, or simply by promoting
empathy through tone of voice.
TRENDING 2021 803 SOCIAL
WELLNESS
CASE STUDY
NETFLIX’S DEDICATED CHANNELS
While nearly everyone enjoys a good binge-watching session, we
don’t all enjoy the same content. Netflix, the undisputed leader
of streaming platforms, understood this and launched dedicated
social channels that speak to specific audience subsets online.
Channels include LGBTQ+ channel The Most, a Latinx
channel called Con Todo, a channel that’s ‘home to all things geek’
called NX, one for ‘parents who Netflix’ called Netflix Family, and
Strong Black Lead, a place to celebrate Black
films and shows.
These channels boast hundreds of thousands of followers each on
platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Twitch and Reddit. They are more
than just places to discuss Netflix content – by allowing audiences
to connect over shared identity, culture and life experiences, Netflix
has created vibrant, engaged, and authentic communities that
transcend its brand.
Social wellness’ was introduced by the Foresight Factory in their webinar ‘Which Trends and Economic Scenarios Will Be Most Critical in 2021?’
TRENDING 2021 904 THE TRUST
ECONOMY
WHAT IS IT?
The world is facing a crisis of trust, created by the perfect storm of COVID-19 disruption,
increasingly polarising politics, and the rise of digital misinformation.
Brands should prepare to offer new levels of transparency, as consumers look for new
ways to validate claims of all kinds. However, instead of seeing this as an added box to
tick, brands should embrace the opportunity. By sharing more information with the world
— from ingredients to carbon footprints to salaries — brands can differentiate themselves
and strengthen their purpose messaging.
Together with transparency is authenticity. Not only are consumers more willing to trust
when brands communicate in an authentic manner, there’s no faster way to erode trust
than to create gaps between your brand’s words and its actions.
This includes internal actions. In the words of Everlane CEO Michael Preysman,
“Transparency has really made it so that you’re accountable to every stakeholder inside
and outside.”
1. Pull back the curtain on your business for
customers and influencers. Share updates
on internal initiatives, be open about your
future goals, and ensure timely and regular
communications from your leadership team,
especially the CEO.
2. Think human. Consider the language you use
across all channels, especially social, and the
format — video can be more personal, direct,
and transparent. As part of this, consider your
spokespeople. An authentic voice can come
from anywhere, not just the C-suite.
3. Don’t always strive for perfection. Showing
up in the moment, or acknowledging
failures, is more authentic and relatable than
presenting an over-engineered or perfectly
polished front.
TRENDING 2021 1004 THE TRUST
ECONOMY
CASE STUDY
NAPOLINA’S SUSTAINABILITY STORYTELLING
Although Italian food brand Napolina has been tackling illegal
labour in tomato supply chains for years, an increase in media
and shopper attention around the issue has created a need for
added transparency.
In response, Napolina recently launched the Product Passport –
a digital experience showing consumers the journey of a product
through the supply chain, from farm to supermarket. The Product
Passport is accessed via QR codes printed on Napolina’s tomato
products, and is based on verified data collected through audits,
GPS mapping and blockchain traceability programs.
This ‘sustainability storytelling’ strategy has helped Napolina
connect with shoppers, while also providing evidence to support
their goal of becoming the most trusted FMCG supplier in Europe.
This trend was based on themes identified by Deloitte in their annual industry report ‘2021 Global Marketing Trends: Find your focus’[1], and the Foresight Factory’s ‘Mechanised Truth[1]’ trend
TRENDING 2021 1105 ACTIVISM
BECOMES ACTION
WHAT IS IT?
After the year we’ve had, consumers are rightfully concerned about
the future of their families, their communities and the planet. They
are increasingly making their opinions known and engaging in politics,
and they want the brands they support to do the same. Our “Brands in
Motion”v study released last year reported 74% of global respondents
expect brands to take a stand on important issues.
It’s clear that consumers want more than lip service or “virtue
signalling.” They demand meaningful action and will be quick to call
out inadequacies on social media.
The rise in activism has also led to purpose being on par with profit.
Consumers are voting with their wallets, patronising brands that align
with their value and boycotting those that don’t.
With so much at stake, a genuine commitment to purpose and
positive action will be critical in 2021.
1. Go beyond statements of intent:
Focus on the detail. Show what
you’ll do, how you’ll do it, when
you’ll do it and the impact it
will have.
2. Build partnerships. Collaborate
with other organisations and
change-makers.
3. Purpose needs to be more
than a marketing tool.
Ensure it is baked into the fabric
and goals of the business, and
championed from the inside out.
TRENDING 2021 1205 ACTIVISM
BECOMES ACTION
CASE STUDY
RECKITT BENCKISER’S ‘CLEAN INDIA’ INITIATIVE
In India, 750 million people live without access to basic sanitation,
with over 120,000 children under the age of five dying from
diarrhoea and respiratory infections annually.
But simply talking about the problem changes nothing. With 200
years’ experience in helping consumers lead healthier lives, Reckitt
Benckiser (RB) knew they could use their expertise to create a
real impact. In partnership with WE, they set out to instigate a
behavioural change that would ultimately build healthier and
happier communities.
This involved increasing knowledge through public engagement
initiatives, introducing a digital handwashing curriculum in schools,
working with villages to stop open defecation, and even creating
India’s first World Toilet College for sanitation workers with the
World Toilet Organization.
The campaign saw real results: it reached 4.5 million school
children, helped 52% of cities increase their access to toilets, and
resulted in 300+ villages being declared Open Defecation Free.
This trend was based on the Foresight Factory’s trend ‘Everyday Activism[1]’ and insights in Kantar’s ‘2021 Media Trends and Predictions’[1] report
TRENDING 2021 1306 RETROSPECTIVE
RESOLUTION
WHAT IS IT?
It’s no longer enough for brands to focus on today’s purpose and corporate
responsibility. Consumers are also demanding that brands translate their values
and principles retrospectively and rectify past wrongs.
Consumers expect more than words of support and no longer accept simple
apologies. The future of this trend will see brands come clean and make
reparations by committing to real changes, investing funds, or both.
There is also an ongoing expectation for brands to take the lead in creating a
more positive future after COVID-19. Although this may seem like a daunting
responsibility, it proves the impact that purpose-led brands can have. Even
before COVID-19, companies have recognised the opportunity. In our report,
“Leading with Purpose in an Age Defined by It”vi, we found that 64% of business
and communications leaders believe brands, instead of governments, are
primarily responsible for social change.
The world is asking businesses for solutions. How will your brand respond?
1. Own your past. Be honest about
where things fell short, address previous
wrongdoings head on and vow to do
better moving forwards. Prepare to
make bold moves to mark a clean break
with what’s gone on before.
2. Look for the positives. Connect your
future goals to past achievements to
show an evolution of a genuine belief.
3. Take your audience on your journey by
showing progress towards your goals.
TRENDING 2021 1406 RETROSPECTIVE
RESOLUTION
CASE STUDY
MICROSOFT’S COMMITS TO RETROSPECTIVE
CARBON CUTS
The environment is a hot topic in boardrooms everywhere, with
more and more companies pledging to go green each day. But in
January 2020, Microsoft transformed the conversation around
corporate sustainability efforts with a bold goal to be carbon
negative by 2030 and by 2050, to remove all carbon it has
emitted – either directly or by electrical consumption – since
its founding. Microsoft’s pledge resonated with governments,
industry leaders, media, and influencers alike, with many
praising the company for the scale, seriousness and tangibility
of its promise. The initiative was also cited by global leaders
at the World Economic Forum as the prime example of a large
company committing to real sustainability.
Retrospective resolution’ was introduced by the Foresight Factory in their webinar ‘Which Trends and Economic Scenarios Will Be Most Critical in 2021?’
TRENDING 2021 1507 THE STAKEHOLDER
CUSTOMER
WHAT IS IT?
The era of passive consumption is over. Empowered consumers expect to be
treated like brand ambassadors, collaborators and, ultimately, stakeholders.
In 2020, Foresight Factory found that 63% of global consumers would like it if
their favourite brand asked for their ideas for new products, and 76% expected
companies to use their feedback to improve their offerings.vii
Brands should view this trend with excitement: Consumers are actively
asking to be involved with the brands they love — for professional or personal
reasons. There is a huge potential for brands to celebrate their customers and
leverage them as key storytellers, while relationship-building through genuine
engagement and a sense of co-ownership.
Moving forward, the rise in “stakeholder capitalism” — an approach demanding
businesses be run for multiple stakeholders, including customers, clients,
employees, communities, and the natural environment — will keep brand
purpose centre stage.
1. Seek input and canvas opinion. Set up
customer panels, advisory boards and
social polls — then use these findings to
influence your marketing, communications,
and content strategies.
2. Empower them as advocates. Work with
your customers and clients to create
communications and marketing material
and consider them among your line-up of
spokespeople.
3. Measure the impact this new approach has
on loyalty, sentiment and sales; adjust the
tactics and types of collaborations based
on the results.
TRENDING 2021 1607 THE STAKEHOLDER
CUSTOMER
CASE STUDY
LEO PHARMA’S PATIENTS FIRST APPROACH
LEO Pharma has devoted decades of research and development
to advance the science of dermatology with an ethos that enables
them to always put patients first.
In the UK/IE LEO Pharma has established the Voices in Partnership
(ViP) programme. This initiative brings together people living with
skin conditions, to share their experiences helping to improve
understanding of the day-to-day impact on people’s lives.
Actively listening to the people they aim to support, is embedded
in LEO Pharma’s ethos and is central to their deep understanding
of people living with skin disease. By involving patients at the
early stages of their research and development programmes, LEO
Pharma are able to design solutions that work for the people
that need them.
This trend was introduced by the Foresight Factory and further inspired by insights in Deloitte’s ‘2021 Global Marketing Trends: Find your focus’ report
TRENDING 2021 17PREPARING FOR 2021
Communicating with the world is never an easy task, and the world in
turmoil has made it even trickier. We know it’s tempting to retreat from
purpose and focus on survival messaging, but these top trends show
that leading with purpose, committing to positive action and remaining
authentic will put brands in the best position to survive and thrive
in 2021.
As Melissa Waggener Zorkin says, “In the toughest times, when we’re
straining to keep afloat, is when relentless commitment to our purpose
is most crucial.”
i. https://www.kantar.com/campaigns/covid-19-barometer/
ii. Foresight Factory: Brand Comms during COVID-19
iii. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2020/uk-internet-use-surges
iv. https://ffonline.foresightfactory.co/content/trends-and-economic-scenarios-for-2021
v. https://www.we-worldwide.com/insights/brands-in-motion-2019
vi. https://we-worldwide-arhxo0vh6d1oh9i0c.stackpathdns.com/media/446537/leading-with-purpose-in-an-age-defined-by-it.pdf
vii. https://ffonline.foresightfactory.co/content/the-stakeholder-customer
TRENDING 2021 18If you’d like more information on these trends, or a discussion on how they apply to your brand, we’d love to hear from you. For more information please contact Louise Waller, Director lwaller@we-worldwide.com © 2020, WE Communications
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