Advertising Trends 2020

As we enter a new decade, the change for 2020 is synonymous with a cultural tone of voice, which demands more, is savvier and won’t settle for less. Don’t Panic dives into the cultural advertising trends of the forthcoming year, including our love-hate relationship with social media, sustainable thinking as more than a fashion fad, and an increase in demand for charity-led advertising solutions.

Trend 1: People are limiting time on social media

It’s hard to imagine a world without social media; the growth of apps such as TikTok seems to be a trend that will continue into the next decade. But people are increasingly aware of the negative and individualistic impact social media can have, such as depression and anxiety. This is prompting an ongoing conversation about limiting consumption and mistrust of social media, but is it translating into reality? With the rise in usage-limiting apps and on-demand reports showing in-detail results on screen time, 2019 saw 39% of social media users in the UK & US moderate their social media time, with 16-24 years olds making the most changes to their usage habits.

So what does this mean for advertising and marketing? People are beginning to seesocial media platforms current form as shallow and image-driven, and are increasingly cautious of what they share. In 2020 it’s more important than ever that there’s a clear value exchange involved in any branded social content. What’s more, as users start to share less of their personal lives and use social media to support causes and voice their opinions, non-profits have a prime opportunity to tap into and build purpose-driven communities online.

Trend 2: Greenwashing increases and consumers become wiser

2019 saw a global climate change movement on a huge scale; it was the year that Extinction Rebellion really made its mark, and the younger generation, or ‘Generation Greta’, rose up through school climate strikes. With this global movement, the pressure is on for brands to ‘go green’, or at least be seen to. While ethics and purpose are particularly marketable, does it all add up? The answer is no -it has led to some of the most finely crafted bullshit around. If 2019 was the year of greenwashing, 2020 is the year of calling it what it is. Social purpose is difficult to get right, and very easy to get wrong. One way people are responding to this is through a cancel culture: the practice of no longer supporting people, especially celebrities, or products that are regarded as problematic. For example, H&M have been called out for greenwashing on a number of occasions, as they continue to add to their string of promises related to the use of sustainable fabrics and recycling plans. H&M have been known to miss the mark on their promises and people believe that the highstreets brands “sustainable” techniques are just a box ticking tactic to stay relevant. We anticipate the 2020 advertising trend will see a growing number of favoured brands and celebrities no longer put on a pedestal, with the consumer becoming wiser in sniffing out the fakes and empty promises.A rule of thumb we go by at Don’t Panic is that a business’s social purpose shouldn’t be determined by the marketing, the purpose should foretell the marketing.Only those promises which are a long-term commitment to positive social impact succeed, rather than ‘testing the waters’.

Trend 3: Society turns to charities to represent them

In light of political upheaval associated with Brexit, Trump and other issues around the world, 2020 is likely to see a continued distrust in respective governments and people looking to other non-governmental organisations for solutions. Society will turn to charities to represent their view in areas such as inequality, climate change, poverty and education. Charities are now, more than ever more trusted than governments with a mean trust rate of 5.5 compared to MP’s at 3.6, with rates expected to rise.

Non-profits must be well equipped to offer these new audiences alternative ways to support either by advertising or marketing means. From a fundraising perspective, one-off donations which have a tangible end goal are often more successful than getting people to subscribe to regular giving if they are new to the organisation. Our campaign for Sumatran Orangutan Society, is a prime example; a clear target of buying back meant people understood where their money was going, and we were able to raise the full £870,000. Alternatively, support might exist in building communities and leveraging individual voices; giving your audience a sense of agency that their small action is laddering up to societal change will be crucial in retaining them through the user journey.

2020 Summary

Whether it be social media platforms, greenwashing from brands, or mistrust in governments, 2020 appears to be a year driven by skepticism. As the consumer seeks more meaningful connections, both brands and charities need to understand how to connect with new audiences and build trust through marketing and advertising.

Our Advertising Agency

See more of our work here, or if you’re after an attention-grabbing campaign of your own, click here. If you'd like to talk to the team, email us at newbusiness@dontpaniclondon.com.