The 2017 Consumer Trends and Technology Advances that Should Change Your Marketing

CoreBanner_2017TechAdvances.pngOne of the most exciting aspects of our jobs as marketers is that the best practices and the opportunities available to us are continually changing. As new technologies emerge and the “consumer era” dawns upon us, 2017 is already shaping up to be a year that will keep us on our toes. Now more than ever, brands and marketers are focusing on truly getting to know their audiences to offer unique experiences that also generate ROI for their brands. Here’s a breakdown of a few of the emerging 2017 consumer trends and technology advances that we believe offer opportunities to fresh produce marketers in the coming year.

Virtual Reality

Believe it or not, virtual reality is here! We experienced this ourselves during PMA Fresh Summit this past October through the “virtual farms” provided by Triple H. As we toured their farms without even leaving the booth, we couldn’t help but imagine the possibilities to use this technology to market to consumers as well. Picture it: A consumer sets out on their usual trip to the grocery store, and in the produce department they are able to virtually discover and walk through your fields before buying your product. It’s a pretty cool thought, and it’s not far off from being a reality. In fact, some ecommerce companies are already using virtual reality to create shopping experiences. While offering virtual field tours at trade events is the lower-hanging fruit right now for marketers, keep consumer reach in mind as this technology develops.

Geo-fencing and Location-Based Offers

Geo-fencing and location targeting are not new to digital advertising, but in 2017 you will continue to see marketers use these filters to refine their audience and create location-based offers for their audiences. According to Cisco, 46% of consumers surveyed are interested in having personalized offers delivered to their mobile devices. Many brick & mortar retailers are using this technology now to delivery offers to nearby and in-store customers. Soon, apps with “beacon technology” will allow companies to serve up consumers in certain locations with coupons and discounts. So just think: fresh produce growers who know their products are currently available at Publix stores in Florida could deliver coupons to people’s mobile devices who come within close proximity to a retail location.

More Video

Video is taking over the internet; it will account for 80% of global internet traffic by 2019. Marketers are increasing their budgets for video production in 2017 in response to this growing trend. The statistics on this topic speak for themselves: fresh produce brands that are able to focus on video content production in 2017 will be able to outpace their competition and connect with consumers on a deeper level.

Content Personalization & Automation

Personalization has long been important for companies engaged in e-commerce, but now consumers are increasingly becoming accustomed to this and expect it from all the brands they engage with online. Consumers have grown tired of receiving irrelevant, mass-produced content that isn’t tailored to their specific interests. Personalization is one way brands are getting to know their audiences and marketing automation technology allows them to deliver content that addresses their unique needs and interests at every touchpoint. So how do fresh produce brands do it? To start, you have to invest in tools that will provide you with data to make you and your website smarter.

Native Advertising

Native advertising is another example of a concept that isn’t new to marketing, but that most marketers are still struggling to harness to its full potential. Native advertising is similar to advertorials and has evolved over the past few years through digital content hubs like Buzzfeed who offer sponsored and branded post opportunities. These pieces of content involve a subtle product placement within the post itself, which is either created by the publication or the brand to entertain their audience. You can read more about native advertising here to see whether or not it is worth exploring for your brand.

Purpose-Driven Brands and Campaigns

During the 2016 State of the Industry presentation at PMA Fresh Summit, we learned that 80 percent of millennials rank purpose and meaning in their day-to-day work as one of the most important factors to their career decisions. On top of this, a Deloitte study shows that 91 percent of millennials will switch to a brand associated with a cause. It’s clear that younger generations expect to see more from the brands they connect with in terms of helping the community and creating a sustainable business. Not only should fresh produce companies seek to better tell their sustainability stories to the consumer in the years ahead, but they should also consider getting more heavily involved in not-for-profit campaigns, donations and causes.

Subscription Services

More and more convenience-driven subscription services for various products are becoming widely available, and this includes food! Services like Blue Apron, Farm to People and Graze are bringing fresh food to doorsteps everywhere. Fresh produce marketers should have a close eye on these companies and should even forge relationships with them in order to create opportunities to include your branded products in their offerings in the future.

This is only a small glimpse at the technology changes that are on the rise in 2017, but the fresh produce marketers that are able to be the first to master them will rise ahead of their competitors. Don’t play it too safe and wait for other fresh produce companies to give these a try before you dive in. Start researching, learning and understanding the marketing landscape as much as you can now so that you can be seen as an innovative and cutting-edge brand in the years to come.