2021 digital outlook: the future won't wait.

It's time to recalibrate. To reset. To think big. To take the leap into the digital-first economy of the future, and adapt to the needs of a demanding next generation of consumers, forever transformed by the most intense period of global change in living memory.

There's no denying 2020 has been one of the most memorable (and infamous) years of our lifetimes. Difficult and lasting lessons have been learned — but as we look the future in the eye, there's never been a more important time to rethink our approach.

It's time to rebuild different

Now is the time to rebuild — but it's time to rebuild different. The truth is that the world we knew in January 2020 is never fully coming back. Those who adapt will thrive, and despite the guaranteed uncertainty that lies ahead, there's no question that digital will sit right at the core of every recovery route.

I've summarised my thoughts on the key themes that will dominate 2021 — for a more in-depth look, you can download Hallam's free ebook, The Future of Digital Marketing (2021 edition).

The post-Covid world is permanent

The rapid rise of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns throughout the world in early 2020 compressed years of global digital transformation into just a short few weeks.

The expanding role of technology to work, play, and stay connected have shaped new and permanent digital habits that will change the world's economies forever. Now is the time to reset and think big to transform business operations to match these new digital expectations.

Websites will be everyone's shop fronts

The rapid adoption of digital-first consumer habits is putting websites in a whole new spotlight. Particularly in times of crisis, customers' first interaction with a company can trigger an immediate and lingering effect on their sense of trust and loyalty — and websites play a crucial role in that journey.

With the spectre of ongoing global lockdowns and the absence of physical interactions, websites can no longer be a peripheral component of a business strategy. They've become the first (and last, if you get it wrong) essential touch point of the new digital-first customer journey.

It's time to take your website seriously and invest in it properly and often, because we simply can't afford to get it wrong when 90% of interactions with a business happen online.

The generational tipping point and year of UX

Your youngest customers are upending traditional expectations. A recent study by Deloitte found that Millennials placed their personal values and morals as the number one factor influencing their business decisions.

With 75% of the global workforce predicted to be millennial or younger by 2025, we've reached a generational tipping point where high expectations of brand purpose and digital-first habits will converge to put on companies the highest demands on delightful and meaningful user experiences that they have ever faced.

With Google's recent moves to make UX a ranking factor in its search engine, there's never been a more urgent time to invest in user experience. And if Spotify's recent success is anything to go by, the warning signs have never been clearer.

Invest in Trust

Division, conflict, isolation and disease have left permanent scars on most of us, and people are exhausted — and the pandemic has triggered an even stronger sense of individual responsibility among younger consumers.

According to research from Deloitte, consumers will make efforts to actively support businesses through 2021— especially smaller, local sellers. But they also won’t hesitate to penalise companies whose stated and practiced values conflict with their own.

With governments set to finally lock down privacy concerns in law and Apple's recent devastating moves against data collectors, it'll become even more important connect with consumers with emotions, not just data.

What is your company’s core reason for being, and where can you have a unique, positive impact on society? Now more than ever, you need good answers to these questions.

In summary: Fortune will favour the agile.

2021 will be a year of purposeful recovery and fortune will favour the agile. Armed with the lessons of 2020 but wary of tomorrow, there's no denying the challenges that lie ahead will test even the most bullish of optimists. As the great Neil Young said, "history is a cruel judge of overconfidence."

But it's also the perfect time to recalibrate. To reset. To think big. To take a leap into the digital-first economy of the future, and adapt to the demands of a next generation of consumers, forever transformed by the most intense period of global change in living memory.

Whatever comes our way in 2021, digital will be the backbone of the economy. The changes you make to adapt might need to be gradual, but they cannot be neglected.

The future won't wait.

Download Hallam's free ebook: The Future of Digital Marketing 2021 Edition