2021: Emerging perspectives in a post pandemic world

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After the most turbulent and challenging of years, what does 2021 hold for companies and brands, for media and marketing?

At the start of the pandemic, the world in general – and the world of media and marketing in particular – was full of too many unknown unknowns. As agile, flexible working practices have seen many companies and brands through the most challenging year of their careers, there’s a renewed spirit of pragmatism and even confidence about the year ahead.

This report summarises and captures the thoughts and opinions of some of the best and most able marketers and procurement heads in the business. We’ve supplemented our clients’ outlook for the months and years ahead with perspectives from Ebiquity’s own media and marketing experts.

HIGHLIGHTS

Test-and-learn or tried-and-tested media in 2021?
The growing importance of measurement and ROI
Agency relationships and reviews

// What we want to investigate and why

Objectives

What have the marketing leaders responsible for the biggest brands learned from running operations, reframing strategies, and leading both teams and agency relationships under coronavirus and successive lockdowns? And what do they believe is required for recovery and a return to growth in 2021 and beyond?

Ebiquity’s MD for Global Partnerships & Events, Debbie Morrison, spoke to more than a dozen of our most experienced and thoughtful clients at the beginning of November 2020. They include senior marketers from leading FMCG, consumer healthcare, technology, financial services, and media businesses; from Nestlé to GSK, Huawei to DLG, TSB to Sky.

Key perspectives on 2020/21 from Ebiquity & media leaders
Key priorities for 2021
Opportunities for change

// What we've discovered and suggest

Findings

The marketing leaders we spoke to believe that the trends fast-forwarded under lockdowns in 2020 will continue apace into 2021, including: the growth of ecommerce, more streaming of subscription TV, and increased use of consumer products because more people are at home for more of the time.

CFO’s will be super-vigilant, working with CMOs to ensure that all investments are made as efficiently as possible, generating maximum returns, and driving business performance.
Brands have strengthened their agency partnerships by more frequent, agile collaboration in 2020.