Jolomi Awala, creative director of Ogilvy Nigeria, has stated that Brands that can infuse Humanovation in 2024 will be a big hit with consumers.

Awala, who was one of the panelists at the recently concluded MARKETING EDGE Q4 2023 Virtual Summit themed ‘Integrated Marketing Communications: Trends to Watch Out for in 2024’, gave a robust presentation on the ‘Key trends that will shape Marketing insights in 2024’.

Speaking from a creative marketer’s standpoint, Awala said, “In 2024, Humanovation, that is human-centric innovation, will become important. There will be a lot more human-centric messages, not only in story telling but also in story doings. Brands that can do this will be a major hit with consumers.

“Messages will no longer be just generic. Storytelling and ‘story doing’ will be anchored on kindness. Brands that are able to personalize not just their storytelling but also their story doing will be a hit in 2024. Our messages need to be more personalized. Brands need to recognize that we are human beings before human doing.”

The brand expert further stated that brand messages must live and breathe across all multidimensional touch points at the same time. He encouraged brands to approach the media with an omnichannel mindset. “There will be enhanced measurement, hyper-personalization and an omnichannel approach as brands adapt to the decline of third party cookies.”

Commenting on the future of artificial intelligence in 2024, Awala strongly emphasized that AI is not a threat and cannot take the job of marketers. In his words, “AI is not a threat in 2024. AI cannot take your Job but people who are able to master AI might take your job. So it is important for brands and marketers to jump on the train as soon as possible by ensuring that they are able to master AI.

“One key aspect where there will be an uprising in 2024, especially in AI, is creative testing. There will be a rise in AI-based creative testing in 2024 because of the uniqueness AI brings in terms of complementing human led testing. AI-testing allows for multiple variations of the same ad. And as you’re testing, you’re making alterations until you’re able to arrive at the conclusion that the work you’re putting out is Just right. In 2024, there will be more AI based creative testing, which is the way for brands to win.”

According to him, another trend that brands, marketers and creatives should watch out for in the coming year is the increase in loyalty programmes for ethical and legitimate data collection. Brands, he stated, must clearly demonstrate the value exchange of data for rewards and also offer price deals to expand their loyalty databases to support customer retention.

He further stated that in 2024, brands will see an increase in investing in micro influencers rather than mega influencers to create a ripple effect that will allow influencers buy as micro influencers command great influence in their chosen fields. He encouraged brands to put together a concerted effort to create a pool of micro influencers in 2024 to succeed.

In his presentation, the Lead Speaker of the summit, strategy and marketing consultant for Stragmar, Baba Awopetu, stated that, “IMC trends in 2024 gives us clues and directions on what is to come. Understanding trends and changes, adapting and evolving is critical for the brand to be able to perform and reach it’s full potential.

“In the healthcare market alone, some changes have been observed. For example, in health marketing, trends like virtual reality, augmented reality, trackers, sensors have changed the nature of health care which means that a lot of solutions provided by these trends can be accessed directly by the consumers. It is very glaring that we are at a time where the pace of change is at the fastest it has ever been.”

Over the years, MARKETING EDGE through the Quarterly Virtual Summit has continued to engage the industry on topical and thought-provoking talking points. The aim is to keep the entire industry well-informed and to equip professionals with the latest insights and strategies for navigating the dynamics and rapidly evolving landscape of the marketing industry.