2019 was a year of dynamic change—in our industry, for Ketchum as a global communications consultancy and for me in my new role leading our global marketing and communications efforts. As we enter 2020, transformation and disruption have become the new normal. The ability to deliver a business impact for our clients demands an infusion of creativity grounded in analytics—the perfect blend of left brain/right brain programming.
One of our communications channels that provides an interesting snapshot of key trends is Ketchum’s blog. Experts from our global network generously share their point of view on trends in the industry, in emerging specialties, and in culture.
A collection of top-ranking 2019 blog posts highlights some themes that strongly resonated this year, and provides a view to where we’re headed in 2020.
Influencer is Here to Stay
It’s no secret that influencer marketing has driven explosive growth and remains a high priority for our clients. So it makes sense that several of our top-ranking posts covered this topic. From the rise of TikTok to the fall of Instagram likes, the players and tools keep evolving. Our influencer experts are leading innovators and interpreters of change in this specialty—here’s some of what they had to share in 2019:
- 5 Billion Reasons Why Influencer Marketing is Here to Stay
- Removing Likes and Why We Are Fine With It
A Force for Good: Diversity & Pride
Ketchum is dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive culture and to giving our people a platform to communicate from. I’m proud to see three of our top posts reflected this commitment. Two of these are personal stories posted around World Pride (which we supported through Omnicom’s Open Pride initiative and client programs), and one is a meditation on the life and work of the late hip-hop artist/activist Nipsey Hussle. Each demonstrates how communication has the power to change lives. Take a look at these, and stay tuned for more in 2020:
- What’s Your Story?
- The Marathon Continues & Tha Hussle Don’t Stop
- A Million Moments of Pride, and Gratitude
Audience Insight and Creativity Are the Power Behind Business Impact
The next three posts demonstrate that great creative work is produced at the intersection of audience insight and deep industry expertise. A recently released Ketchum study of millennial B2B purchasers shared key emotional drivers for the segment. Our UK Health lead Con Franklin pointed to key 2019 learnings in an industry-focused post from Cannes, where we won 29 Cannes Lions on behalf of 10 clients. And our CEO Barri Rafferty celebrated Ketchum being named PRWeek’s Best Agency of the Past 20 Years—an honor that wouldn’t have been possible without the creative, data-centered focus on solutions to our clients’ business needs that’s integrated deep in our DNA.
- B2B Millennials Need to Feel the Love
- Carrying the Cannes for Healthcare
- Moving the Needle: What Does 20 Years of Greatness Look Like?
Looking Ahead
Finally, I was thrilled to see that two recent posts designed to help our clients get ahead in 2020 ranked very high. Here are UX trend predictions and a sneak peek at key themes for Davos:
- 5 UX Trends for 2020 and Beyond
- Davos Insider: 6 Themes for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2020
I can’t wait to see what our people bring to our clients, our industry—and our blog—next year. Thank you for being a part of this year’s journey and keep an eye out for more 2020 trends in the month ahead.
