• by Maarten Albarda , Featured Contributor, December 22, 2023

The holidays are upon us! That means it’s time for family, food, drink, friends and, of course, college football bowl games.  

Here in my North Carolina neck of the woods, we can get excited for the Duke Mayo Bowl, in which theUniversity of North Carolina will play West Virginia on Dec. 27 in Charlotte. North Caroline State can be found in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Florida on Dec. 28, while Clemson can be found in the Tax Slayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida on Dec.  29. We have already missed Appalachian State playing the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl in Orlando, Dec. 16. No, I did not make any of those sponsored names up.

Dear marketers: These investments are all a colossal waste of money. Then again you have no idea how to calculate ROI on sponsorships anyway. If you did, you would stop the named bowl nonsense.

This month we also celebrate my 10-year anniversary as a MediaPost columnist. I do it with pleasure, even though my wife might tell you about panicked last minute writing sessions on my phone at a very late hour because I forgot a deadline.

Because of this momentous 10-year milestone, and because it is the end of the year, I thought I would ask ChatGPT, Bard and Claude for their top three 2024 marketing predictions. I got three somewhat different perspectives, so to appease my editor and her wretched 600-word limit for this most excellent column, I asked Bard to summarize the three sets of predictions, and this is the result (copied verbatim):

AI-Powered Personalization: Get ready for tailored content and experiences based on your every click. AI will analyze your data to craft marketing just for you.

AR Takes Center Stage: Virtual try-ons, interactive ads, and immersive experiences - AR is about to become mainstream marketing.

Sustainability Sells: Eco-conscious consumers are on the rise, and brands will prioritize sustainability in their campaigns. It's not just a selling point, it's a core value.

AI & Automation Everywhere: Chatbots, dynamic content, and automated tasks will free up marketers for more strategic work, while delivering personalized messaging.

VR/AR Enters the Metaverse: Get ready for virtual product demos, branded metaverse spaces, and even VR ads. But remember, use it for real value, not just hype.

Privacy First, Personalization Always: Marketers will rely less on third-party data, focusing on ethical use of first-party and "zero-party" data to personalize experiences while respecting privacy.

Shop the 'Gram: Social commerce is booming, with platforms like TikTok and Instagram turning into shopping hotspots. Brands that integrate social commerce will win big.

Video Takes Over: Consumers love video, and marketers are catching on. Expect even more high-quality, engaging video content in 2024.

Mobile is King (More Than Ever): With most traffic coming from phones, mobile-first marketing is no longer optional. Optimize your websites, apps, and ads for the mobile experience.

OK, OK, I won’t be completely lazy. But rather than predictions, I will share with you my three marketing wishes for 2024. First: just like society as a whole, marketers need to take the environment far more seriously. That does not mean mentioning it in your ads, but making actual changes to how you do business. Second: take the digital advertising mess seriously. Read the ANA report and implement its recommendations. The alternative is to continue to waste anywhere between 22% to 60%-plus of each digital ad dollar. And three -- or perhaps number one: Listen, show empathy and be kind.

Happy new year!