People Still Count

It’s always fascinating to see what predictions the pundits have identified for the year ahead.

In Marketing circles here are three particular predictions made for 2024. The data and numbers behind them are impressive. But across every prediction, people must still count – in this case employees – to bring them about successfully.

The first prediction is increasing personalisation – the marketing strategy that uses data to target and retarget leads with a brand message that speaks directly to specific customers' interests, demographics, and buying habits. We’re all familiar with those pop-up ads which miraculously present a particular brand to us when we’ve been looking online and, in some cases, just talking about a product or service category that interests us. And behind-the-scenes algorithms that the likes of Amazon and Netflix use to enable this online are certainly impressive.

But here’s the irony. Personalisation mainly happens online with only marketing people pulling the strings. But it’s just as important that all employees follow the principles of personalisation in all forms of customer contact. This is by anticipating their needs and making their experience the best it can be so that customers feel personally valued and remain loyal. Luxury brands such as upmarket hotels are particularly good at treating their guests as individuals. But personalisation from employee to customer can still happen at the supermarket checkout or through call centres – once you get through to a real person!

The second prediction is the continuing impact of AI. Its ability to crunch data and develop copy for marketing materials, including vision and sound, both fast and cost-effectively is also impressive. But the human factor must come into play here too.

When it comes to creativity – the use of imagination to generate truly original ideas – the human brain wins over AI. And, in the spirit of it not mattering where a good idea comes from, all employees should be encouraged to think innovatively, share their ideas and to view AI as a facilitator not as a threat to their own ingenuity.

The third prediction is the continuing pursuit of sustainability within brand positionings. Whichever one of the four sustainability pillars is being pursued, this must stack up in terms of, for instance, a production process or environmental implications. The people factor is crucial here as well.

Employees need to be fully aware of and visibly support what the marketing teams are claiming.  If they don’t and, at worst, they know that any sustainability claims are an exaggeration, then the truth will out.

An extreme example of this happening is when hacks are being ruthless because they sense that there’s an overclaim. It only takes one disaffected employee to spill the beans and cause a negative news story. Amazon comes up again as a recent example of this employee activism, as have Starbucks and Disney.

On the positive side, employees can be hugely supportive when they know everything lives up to promises being made and they talk about this outside the organisation. It’s often said that if you really want to know what’s going on in a company, ask a day-to-day employee rather than an appointed spokesperson.

So, across all three 2024 predictions, it’s imperative that your people are involved to enhance them. This will be key to their success.

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