Hello 2022, and good riddance to these 6 things…

New year, new beginnings. Out with the old, in with the new. Maybe not all of the old – some of it’s great and still works like a charm, but some of it, however, needs to go. Thinking about gratitude this Christmas, I for one am grateful that we’re finally going to be seeing the back of:

1. Brands going it alone.?

Collaboration is the name of the game in 2022. While brands, particularly luxury brands, have been doing this for years, it’s certainly becoming a more mainstream practice because it just makes sense:

• It’s harder and harder to cut through the noise, and fun collaborations can do that well.
• There is a halo effect from partnering with brands whose values and outlook are aligned. After all, you are the company you keep.

2. A uniform high street.

Brands will still need to invest in an offline presence, but it will look very different than it might have done before: less ‘fixed’, more mobile, more fluid. You’ll see brands whose retail strategy is a collection of rolling pop-ups in different places, during different times of the day and different days of the week, as brands get savvier about understanding where, how and why their consumers interact and purchase with them.?You’ll also see this pop-up strategy in less metropolitan areas, to reflect the dispersion of the workforce from the city centre to the suburbs and ex-urbs.

3. Blind trust.?

As much as we see consumers preferring to shop with brands that are purpose-led, and demanding that they be sustainable, we are also seeing them lose patience with brands who say but don’t do. Last year was the year brands acknowledged the problem, and 2022 is the year that consumers will really hold them accountable. The ‘greenwash-radar’ is on high alert, and brands need to be seen to take action – it doesn’t matter how small, just as long as that demonstration of intent turns into something real.?

4.????Simple business models.?

We won’t see a simple business model ever again. Gone are the days where we create something and then simply sell it.?Today, businesses that hope to scale globally and profitably have to demonstrate a hybrid approach that considers the how (resale, rental, sale), the where (marketplaces, own site, popups, curated retailers), and the what (vintage, new, upcycled, collaboration, etc.).?

5. Conformity and traditionalism.

We will see much more product personalisation as a way to reduce returns rates, streamline inventory exposure and mitigate against supply chain disruption (provided the actual personalisation capability is closer to home).?We will also see a huge diversification in marketing channels, with video and audio gaining the share of new marketing dollars.

6. Apathetic Boards.

In 2022, we’ll see Boards trying to keep up. They will be both energised and terrified, trying to balance risk and opportunity at a faster pace than ever before.?NFTs, blockchain, the metaverse, etc, all demand that Boards understand their potential impact on their businesses, no matter what product, sector or audience.??

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What are you looking forward to in 2022? What do you hope never to see again? Will you be trying anything new? Scrapping anything old? I’m really interested to hear your ideas so let me know in the comments.

The Tech Spec

Some interesting tech I’ve seen this month that will serve you well in 2022:

• Flipboard – This has been around a while, but I have just rediscovered it (see, not everything old is bad!) It’s a social app that lets you follow people, topics, and publications.?
• Tubebuddy - To help manage, optimise, and grow your channel.
• App Annie - An easy-to-use platform for running every stage of your app business.
• The Think – To uncover the latest marketing research and digital trends with data reports, guides, infographics, and articles from Think with Google.
• Contagious Magazine - A creative and strategic intelligence service that helps ad agencies and brands deliver more creative, innovative and effective marketing.

Written by Gabrielle Hase.

CEO of?Soleberry Advisory?and digital Non-Executive Director. I want to help solve the problem of the lack of appropriate female and digital skills and perspectives at the board table.?

?Check out and subscribe to?Digital On Board?for?comments on trends and current events, useful technology highlights, and tips and tricks I’ve learned to help brands understand, engage and retain their customers. Please feel free to share.?