Consumer intelligence and deep listening company, Talkwalker, has released their annual Social Media Trends report in partnership with customer engagement software and services provider, Khoros. It highlights ten trends to look out for in 2023 and offers insights on “how to disrupt the disruptive consumer.”
In particular, the Social Media Trends report focuses on how brands can use social listening to understand consumers and provide a better customer experience. According to Talkwalker’s CMO, David Low, “We all know the digital ecosphere has disrupted how marketers engage with consumers. In this new environment, marketers must focus on forging symbiotic relationships through a better understanding of online conversations and taking quicker action.”
The insights highlighted throughout the report, including the ones below, were identified using Talkwalker’s Consumer Intelligence Platform, and supported by global industry experts from brands including MasterCard, Volksagen and Google.
The beginning of the end of third-party cookies
One trend focuses on how the end of cookies to track users across the web will impact businesses. Whilst this won’t happen until 2024, brands still need to urgently find alternatives to continue providing personalised experiences to customers. According to Davide Arduini, Founder and Chairman of Different, “Transparency is and will be a primary element in the digital world…on the technology side we see the demise of cookies. More and more users are refusing to be tracked.”
The metaverse rush will pay off
Major tech companies, such as Meta, Microsoft and Tencent are already developing metaverse concepts, and more players are likely to get involved given the predicted value of the market ($800bn). However, the report explains that it will be consumers who determine which metaverses succeed. Duolingo’s Regional Marketing Director, Rebeca Ricoy Paramo, explains, “The biggest challenge will be finding ways to add value to this platform…not just because everyone else is doing it.”
The environment will no longer be an afterthought
The conversation around climate change has taken on a new urgency. Consumers are now unlikely to be placated by brands offering platitudes. Instead, the report highlights, companies will be under scrutiny to show they are taking genuine steps to sustainability. According to UPS’s Mexico & LatAm Marketing Director, Rosalva Rivera, “Companies’ success will depend on having a defined purpose, consistent and clear across all communication channels…It must ensure a balance between financial growth, respect for the environment, and the social well-being of the communities in which they operate.”
