My 2022 predictions

My 2022 Predictions

Going into January 2022 – I am feeling super positive about the value of promotional activity, events and exhibitions and how much it genuinely helps and connects companies and brands.

2021 proved how grateful and eager we all were to get back out there at events and exhibitions (safely) and meet and engage with our clients and customers in real life.

When the Gymshark store closed in March 2020 and tradeshows cancelled – Weezy (thank you Alec!) kept the agency busy with street marketing, sampling and offline activations. Weezy were also interestingly closely connected to the start up, vegan and wellness brand market. They promoted suppliers such as Doisy and Dam, Dash Water, Tony Chocolonely, Indie Bay Snacks, Proper Corn …. who we were distributing and engaging with through sampling activities.

I learnt a lot about this sector, their founders, their communities and what they want to achieve sustainably and their values. I really predict promotional and experiential activity is going to be super important for this market to differentiate and get the product into consumers hands.

I predict that the UK brands will start looking at European expansion and activity which is super exciting for us with our agency in France and likeminded partners in Europe who want to help brands succeed.

I learnt a lot about the instant grocery market through our work with Weezy, Jiffy and Zapp. I know what works for rapid growth companies and how to amplify QR code engagement, vouchers and convert customer engagement from offline to online.

We returned back to tradeshows and corporate activity in September – December at World Travel Market, IBTM Barcelona and the Southampton Boat Show.

The shows were way busier than we thought they would be and exhibitors were still keen to have helpers on their booths. The shows had a higher quality of visitors – people wanted to maximise their time at the events and exhibitors were thankful for the opportunity to reconnect with their customers.

So looking at the year ahead / speaking with clients I have some predictions for where we are going to busy and how we can help;

Outdoor experiential activity – summer festivals are going to be huge – it’s been a long winter and people are keen to plan events
Sustainable events – builds with re-used materials with respect and consideration for the planet and future generations
Eco-branded merchandise / re-usuable water bottles / totes and long lasting gifts for brand awareness alongside campaigns
Exhibitions – after the Jan / Feb break – March onwards is starting to look busy and if travel becomes easier – companies will be exhibiting again and needing local staff to help them
Experiential amplification of exhibitions and events to create sensory, visual and interactive experiences integrated with social media activity esp TikTok / Instagram to create another level of trackable ROI and engagement from events
Care and consideration for people and community. This comes naturally to me and everyone in the agency. Being kind is at the heart of what we do and I have always considered the safety, health and happiness of our staff. Covid safety is an ongoing concern and consideration for me and the health of the staff and my clients is always at the forefront of any booking.
People – we want to attract great people to this industry and have always paid way above the Living Wage – we hold insurance incase of injury (crazily a lot of agencies don’t) / we pay PAYE and we look after all our staff. People buy from people and we are only as good as our staff.
Diversity – we have always been a multi-cultural agency and worked worldwide – we are actively encouraging our brand partners and clients to be considerate