2023 Brand Strategy Trends, Brand Casting, and More
Authenticity Counts: Three Top Brand Marketing Trends for 2023
Pandemic recovery continues to come with mixed feelings: no-going-back opportunities and attitudes we could hardly have imagined just a few years ago offset by labor market pressures and protracted economic uncertainty. Spikes in inflation and interest rates, anxieties about consumer spending, and ongoing demand for high-quality talent are sure to keep brand marketers feeling uneasy about how best to attack the year already underway.
Detailed 2023 trends lists in digital marketing and ad-making are surely dominating your inbox. We’re here to help compile and distill what we know, narrowing to focus on a few key areas of influence in the coming year. Rising to the top of all the lists we’re seeing are continued calls for prioritizing authenticity, building trust and connection with customers, and doubling-down on social commerce content showcasing UGC creators and influencers to create brand ambassadors out of everyone.
1: Video content continues its reign?
The growth of video content was a key 2022 trend and shows no signs of slowing. YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok short-form video formats have exploded (accounting for 80% of all mobile data traffic ) and have been cemented into expectations for brand storytelling.?
According to HubSpot , brands will continue investing heavily in and prioritizing video in their 2023 marketing strategies, relying especially on the punchy power of short-form video content to engage customers.
“Short-form videos continue to dominate social media algorithms and keep users more engaged than other content—especially when they come across as authentic rather than produced. Prioritizing efficient video creation rather than perfection will help agencies stay on top of trends and publish content that doesn't feel as if it's coming from a brand.” –Gavin Baker, Baker Marketing Laboratory (Forbes )
Whether creating viral-primed and novel branded content, live streaming Q&As and behind-the-scenes spots, or partnering with UGC creators and influencers for brand promotion, short-form videos have proven their value for companies of all sizes to reach and create meaningful connections with a wide variety of audiences. And consumers remain hungry for and persuaded by connection and authenticity.
2: Marketers continue to humanize their brands
Creating content that reflects brands values is the third most popular marketing trend right now . It ranks among the top five in best ROI and will only get more attention from brand purveyors this year.?
Consumers don’t want formality, they want empathy, humor, and relatability. They want human-centered advertisements that reflect who they are and what they care about. According to Adobe :
“As people face financial challenges, this is when brands can—and should—show that they have people’s backs … A fundamental truth is that the strongest and most enduring relationships are not typically built when things are generally going well, but when we are most in need of support. When brands show they are about something more than simply selling a product, when they rise above the transactional, it’s not just good, it’s good business. This truth should guide brands in 2023 as they navigate a year of uncertainty.” –Daryl Lee, Global CEO, McCann Worldgroup (Forbes )
Experts say consider how to leave behind the hard sell in 2023. Make the necessary changes to find a voice that makes plain your brand values and what you want to represent in the lives of your customers. Partnering with UGC creators and influencers to dramatize your human-centered message will also keep you on point.
3: UGC creators and influencers still dominate
You’ve seen it. We’ve all seen it. Content creators and influencers showing off their latest purchases and encouraging others to get their own. And it’s working better than ever.?
Social commerce has proven itself as cost-efficient and effective, and it will only continue to explode. McKinsey estimates social commerce will top $56 billion in the U.S. by the end of 2023 and reach $80 billion by 2025.?
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“Ditch your old sales playbook and tactics; social commerce fueled by content creators will soar in 2023." –GL Hendricks, Senior Partner, Integrated Communications (ICF )
“TikTok and user-generated social media videos that organically draw in an audience or create word-of-mouth are the best bang for your buck. They can be created by coordinating with real customers or influencers who are advocates for the brand.”? –Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, Hawthorne LLC (Forbes )
According to a HubSpot report on influencer marketing:?
Effective social commerce requires brands to partner with the right content creators for authentic, relatable, organic content that not only drives purchase behavior but inspires content sharing and beckons consumers into being part of the brand culture, making them natural ambassadors themselves.
Social commerce is so successful because it’s so accessible—it lets content creators be part of a brand identity in their own voice and for highly targeted audiences. Brand growth amid the economic challenges of 2023 will rely in part on adeptly using content creators and influencers to grow audiences and build brand trust and loyalty.
What Else You Should Know:
Do Your Own Brand Casting This Year
Dan Cangelosi, creative director and partner at Jersey Filmmaker, has it all figured out.
Having cast 100% of his branded content projects himself for the last five years, he was convinced of the value of being his own casting director from day one and has never looked back.
His award-winning content development and production company, specializing in sports and entertainment documentary and branded content, creates thousands of video assets a year for clients and partners like Google, DoorDash, Walmart, Red Bull, Delta, and Showtime. Company founder Anthony Seratelli started Jersey Filmmaker while playing professional baseball, combining his sports and storytelling chops to build a brand that can boast alliances with ESPN, New York Knicks, Fanatics, Madison Square Garden, Tennis Channel, and Fox Sports.
That doesn’t mean Cangelosi didn’t have to mess it up his first time out to learn his lesson.?
How Backstage Helps Branded Content Creators
Looking for a one-stop shop to find all the talent you need to crush your next branded project? With tens of thousands of talent profiles, Backstage’s vast talent marketplace has all the successful actors, models, creators, and more you’re looking for. And workflow tools enable you to easily find right-fit candidates in a fraction of the time. Find out how Backstage empowers you to create better content, faster and tell your brand story.