5 Trends That Will Impact The Creative Industry In 2017

The creative industry must consider how to speak to consumers in a culture that is experiencing historic shifts on almost every level.

For most of us, regardless of our beliefs, 2016 was a year filled with shocking revelations and unpredictable events that have changed the way many of us understand the world, the media, and our culture. This shared experience is something the creative industry must take into consideration as we think about the future and our place in it. While once we strategized how to communicate in a world that was undergoing a technological revolution, we must now consider how to speak to consumers in a culture that is experiencing historic shifts on almost every level.

And so, with that in mind, I will admit the futility of making “predictions” for 2017 and instead offer some trends, insights, and observations that will be crucial for marketers to pay attention to this year—whatever it may hold.

1. Women are organizing: Feminism and its more commercial cousin, “girl power,” have been on the rise as a social force in recent years, but in the aftermath of an election that was difficult for a lot of women, the movement is taking on a new and even more powerful shape. Online and offline, women are self-organizing in much more formal and significant ways than they have done in the recent past. This grassroots movement is sure to continue to fight for women’s rights as our new government takes office and beyond. Advertisers speaking to women need to keep top-of-mind this focus and shift in priorities as they work to connect in 2017.

2. Don’t rely on media to inspire creativity: If this past year has taught us anything, it’s that in America, one side isn’t listening to the other. Unfortunately, the media appears to be at the heart of this problem. An entire industry we used to rely on for information that often fueled our creativity can no longer be relied on because it no longer represents or sheds light on a diverse chorus of voices. The news, entertainment, and advertising industries need to do some soul searching on how to reach and represent a broader, more realistic swath of the country, and they now have the challenge of doing this work in a nation that is more divided than ever.

3. Content is both prime minister and king: As marketers become even more aware of nuances between markets, economic levels, gender, age, and groups that rally around passion points, content marketing will remain in the spotlight. Smart content marketing enables a level of personalization and hypertargeting that traditional advertising can’t match in today’s media climate. It also offers a slew of opportunity for savvy creatives looking for a challenge.

4. Passion is key: The creative process is being flipped on its head. No longer are advertisers focusing on a target audience or demographic, but rather a shared passion. This allows for much more authentic engagement and fewer limitations brought by sorting people by gender or age. By leveraging passion rather than demographic, global brands can rally huge numbers of people around brand stories and causes, while still being highly targeted and efficient in their efforts.

5. “Healthy” and “unhealthy” options are conflating: Many heavyweight CPG brands have numerous “natural,” organic, or eco-friendly alternatives to their classic products. Now, everything from cereal to soap can be found in dual form—one option that is “good” for you and another that represents the “classic” (read: less healthful) version. Consumers, however, aren’t making decisions this way anymore. They want products that are good for them, their kids, and the environment, and they are less accepting of companies that don’t make that choice easy for them or, worse, tricks them into buying the wrong option.

Marketers and their agency partners would be wise to take care when adopting these tricks in an advertising context. Ads that depict companies helping people live fuller and more healthful lives without trickier or contradictory products will win every day of the week.