Like any industry sector, the marketing world has rolled with the punches and moved with the times. The past decade in particular has been a period of transition and transformation for the marketing landscape and all the professionals who roam it, including consultants like me. As a result, the marketing mix that many businesses have come to know, love and profit from is now in a state of flux, with trends and technology both having their own parts to play in its evolution.

Join me as I take a closer look at the changing face of marketing over the last decade, how the role and expectations of what a marketing consultant should and can do now differ, and what’s to come for the industry as a whole.

Past

2014 seems like a lifetime ago, but my, have things moved on. It was the year that brought us the Ice Bucket Challenge, and the very beginnings of local marketing.

Despite digital marketing principles being firmly cemented into everyday practice for many brands, the power of mobile marketing was yet to fully take hold with both Facebook and Google then in the early days of their new attribution models and ad formats. Video blogging was also causing a stir, with younger consumers particularly enraptured by these new YouTube sensations.

An increasing reliance on multimedia was changing the consultancy role for good. Getting the right marketing mix meant consultants, and the brands they worked with, had to embrace a broader range of trends and tactics to find improved success in the online world.

Present

Fast forward 10 years and marketing is still fluid and fast paced. While there are different marketing trends ruling the roost, marketing consultants have to be well versed in the latest and greatest tactics to ensure they can continue to provide the valuable insights, expertise and support brands need to fulfil their own unique marketing ambitions.

Knowing your market (and audience) inside out is crucial to success, with market research the cornerstone. Strategies are data-driven using a combination of trends, technology and best practice to find the best possible results.

Future

With voice search, podcasting and other audio-only content, video, automation and AI all set to influence the way businesses market during the next decade, staying in the know with the help of a consultant remains the key to making marketing work to your advantage long into the future. But remember, you don’t have to go it alone! Whatever your objectives, I’m here to help you stay on top of the latest industry advancements.