As the summer holidays draw to a close, the Marketing Academy’s class of 2014 share their visions of the future of marketing. Even at the top of their profession senior marketers can’t afford to stop learning. For many, the most fruitful source of future insights is the young marketers in their ranks, who are likely to be tomorrow’s chief marketing officers and chief executives.They have had a career development very different from their bosses, thanks to rise of digital technology, and they see no let-up in the relentless and radical changes it has brought.Scholars at the Marketing Academy, which is supported by Marketing Week, have given us their predictions for the future trends to watch in the industry. The scholars consist of marketing managers from brands including L’Oreal, Danone, British Gas and Aviva. Their responses do not always tally with the predictions of more senior marketers[1], collected by Marketing Week at the end of last year, which tipped 3D printing and native advertising as influential innovations. While the scholars emphasise the need to keep ahead of technological developments, they also express caution about wearable technology.However, the trends they identify signal their belief that the marketer’s role is changing as brands adapt to evolving consumer habits. Even today, research identifying different types of marketers conducted by SAS and Marketing Week shows that 9 per cent fall into a group which focuses on tried and tested digital channels of website, search, email and online ads; while SoLoMo (social, local, mobile) marketers, who focus on the latest media channels, make up 19 per cent.A report by Accenture, based on a survey of more than 580 senior marketers globally, finds that more than a third believe that digital will account for 75 per cent of their marketing budgets[2] by 2019, while 35 per cent…

Facebook and OKCupid have come under fire for attempting to manipulate people’s emotions but behavioural techniques can be useful for brands. How can marketers gain an insight into consumers’ minds while avoiding controversy? 3 things you need to know 1. Marketers are experimenting with small triggers that can lead to big changes in consumer behaviour. However, the recent backlash against experiments run by Facebook and OKCupid shows that brands must tread carefully.2. Neuroscience is also playing an increasingly important role in brand strategy and design. This requires marketers to tap into their subconscious, ‘System 1 brain’ and think more intuitively about consumer responses.3. Brands are spending significantly more of their market research budgets on neuroscience than two years ago. Advancements in technology and pressure on marketers to understand consumer decision making at a deeper level are driving this growth.In June Facebook was heavily criticised for revealing it had run an experiment on its network[1] that intentionally manipulated the emotions of certain users without telling them. Dating website OKCupid followed suit last month by announcing it has also run tests on users without their knowledge.Despite the concern about these experiments (see Ethics of Behavioural Experiments, below[2]), brands are increasingly turning to disciplines such as neuroscience to better understand consumer behaviour and to find new ways of engaging with people at a deeper and more intuitive level. Value of neuro research American FMCG giant Kimberly-Clark uses methods such as facial coding and implicit reaction times to tap into the System 1 brainThis week market research agency Ipsos MORI predicted that its neuro research business will generate more than five times as much income this year as it did just two years ago. The company puts this rapid growth down to advances in technology and scientific understanding, and to a rising awareness of…

International businesses are flocking to London as part of European expansion plans but what can UK brands learn from their new neighbours? More businesses than ever are choosing London as their launch pad into Europe, with the likes of fashion retailer American Eagle, Zara sister company Stradivarius and outsourcing site TaskRabbit coming to the UK this year. These businesses are contributing to a 16 per cent increase in international companies launching in the city since 2012/2013.The UK’s capital is attractive for its talent, multiculturalism and forward-thinking consumers. Figures from promotional body London & Partners reveal that 260 international companies established their businesses in the capital in the 2013/14 financial year, with a particular focus on companies arriving from the US and China. From the US, 54 companies set up operations in London, with more US tech firms (32) arriving than before. From China, 24 companies launched, including firms from business services, creative industries and tech sectors.These new entrants are bringing with them a wealth of fresh ideas and strategies to establish themselves and then grow in the UK, so what can established companies learn from their new neighbours?Use word of mouth and partnerships to stretch your budgetWhen US cloud telecoms company Twilio launched in the UK in 2011, it focused on start-up hubs, while social dashboard Hootsuite used a ‘freemium’ model before developing paid for pro-versions. In other words, they started niche and grew from there.Twilio, which provides telecoms software to businesses that takes away the need to partner with the bigger telecoms providers, moved from the US to the UK because of demand from its customers who were wanting to move across the Atlantic. These include taxi app Uber[1] and room rental website Airbnb[2].Twilio’s approach in the US has been to partner with the likes of Google and that…