Marketing Predictions for 2016

Nine (9+ bonus) serious and (9) funny marketing predictions for 2016:
To ring in the New Year at d.trio, expert d.trio marketing prognosticators weigh in with their serious and funny marketing predictions for 2016.

Catherine:
Serious: Location-based marketing technology will continue to trend upward, including real-time offers from local marketers.

Funny: Tinder will launch an app that includes a background check and employment verification so I can stop having to sift through the bs.

Victoria:
Serious: In the Home & Garden category there will be more blogs that look like magazines. I’ve dubbed them magablogs.

Funny: Match.com will start a new site called It’sAllAboutMe.com – for the increasing number of narcissists in the dating world who haven’t figured out why they are still single….

Wil:
Serious:
• Google will get in trouble in Europe for violating European antitrust regulations. This will embolden other cases here domestically and become a multi-year overhang for the company, resulting in changes to its business practices; limiting Google’s ability to monetize all of its searches it gets.
• Marissa Mayers ends up selling off the core of Yahoo to Bing so the company can focus on Alibaba and challenging Amazon in the e-commerce space.
• An upscale department store like Nordstrom will partner with Uber to offer shoppers free rides to their brick and mortar locations. This partnership and others like it will cause the Uber valuation to reach an all time high and an IPO will be announced in 2016 for 2017.

Funny: Target still reeling from its failed attempted at the Canadian market will try to realign itself to be seen as “more American” in 2016. In a bold attempt to chip away at the dedicated Wal-Mart consumer Target rebrands with a “more American” logo incorporating Blue in its logo. This rebranding and renewed focus on the US market will be announced on July 4th 2016.

Danette:
Serious: Companies will stop referring to the terms “traditional marketing” and “digital marketing” and just call it “marketing”.

Funny: There will be a $500 fine issued by the Lingo Police every time someone uses the tired, overused term “think outside the box”.

Beth:
Serious: True integration across digital and traditional channels will be the most important challenge to marketers.

Funny: A contact lens with a camera in it will allow people to live stream their whole lives. The most popular of these streams will result in the first baby born with a corporate sponsor.

Tim:
Serious: Political ad spend will be up 45% from the previous presidential election.

Funny: Complaining of said political ads will be up 90%.

Maureen:

Serious: In an effort to combat neck issues caused by hunching over a smart phone, Apple will introduce a new model ‘flip’ phone, raising the screen and making it more vertical for the user.

Funny: Puce will be the 2016 color.

Fred:
Serious: Virtual reality will become part of website development.

Funny: A new Facebook-like site will emerge that will only let people post about the crappy aspects of their lives. It’ll be called “In-Your-Face Book”.

Megan:
Serious: Confusion and crowding around marketing channels will continue and be further diluted by new technical and channel offerings. Having a clearly articulated brand will be more important than ever to cut through the clutter.

Funny: Delusional from watching video of himself, Donald Trump mistakenly believes he is president of the United States, declares a dictatorship and tries to force everyone to wear their hair like his, a la Kim Jong Un.