2024 marketing and communication trends you can’t ignore

Google’s Search Generative Experience will change the SEO landscape

Google introduced Search Generative Experience (SGE) in May 2023. SGE is generative AI that can process search queries and surface personalised search results. The results consist of information that’s compiled from different sources, rather than individually surfaced snippets.

As SGE is further refined and possibly even replaces the current Google search function completely, the Search landscape may change. For instance, SGE could potentially lead to fewer searches to websites, as searchers can retrieve the information they need without clicking through to the websites Google has sourced it from. For businesses, this may mean a shift in how they approach their SEO strategies.

Meta's ad-free subscription model will impact paid media strategy

In November 2023, Meta rolled out its ad-free subscription model in Europe. The model allows anyone over the age of 18 to subscribe to ad-free versions of Instagram and Facebook for a monthly fee. With consumers increasingly concerned about online privacy, more people may also consider Meta’s monthly fee a price worth paying for an ad-free experience.

Despite the attraction for customers, for marketers, this poses the risk of shrinking the audience pool and consequently the success of paid social media campaigns. Businesses relying on Meta's ad platform will therefore need to rethink their strategies to reach their target audience, potentially exploring other avenues or platforms for outreach. In this way, an innovative organic strategy for owned social media channels becomes even more crucial.

Read more about Meta's ad-free gamble and the potential effects on advert­ising.

Building trust through communication will be key, especially for corporates

Our latest Webranking survey, which ranks Europe’s top 500 companies through their corporate websites, found that companies are failing to meet stakeholder demands for transparency. This chimes with recent research from Edelman which found that 53% of consumers aged 27-58 assume a brand is doing nothing, or hiding something if it does not communicate its actions to address societal issues.

With an expectation on businesses at an all-time high, therefore, building trust through more transparent and authentic communication is likely to be a big focus for businesses in 2024. This is especially true for corporates, whose very existence relies on the trust that’s built with employees, investors and other key audiences. Sustainability is likely to come more to the fore, as corporates aim to win trust through their ESG commitments.

Accessibility will be front of mind as businesses prepare for the European Accessibility Act 2025

The new landmark European Accessibility Act, which comes into force on 28th June 2025, is a transformative directive which requires products and services, including websites and E-commerce, to be accessible for all persons with disabilities. For enterprise-level companies with digital services, understanding the EAA will hopefully not just be about compliance, but also an opportunity to expand market reach and build a more inclusive brand.

If your business has a digital presence, your website must comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Whilst June 2025 may seem far away now, putting your house in order in anticipation of the Act can take time and is easier said than done. We’re currently helping many of our clients to get their website accessibility standards to where they will need to be and are reviewing everything from code to content to design – and we’re expecting more businesses to follow suit in the next 12 months.

Softer colour palettes and motion design will shape brand identities

Pantone’s colour of the year, 2024 is ‘Peach Fuzz’, a shade that, in the words of the judges, 'resonates with compassion and offers a tactile embrace’. As brands focus more on inclusivity, kindness and connecting with audiences in 2024, we will see a shift towards warmer and softer colour palettes which have the potential to resonate across diverse demographics. As brands experiment with the application of soft colours, many are also exploring innovative ways to maintain vibrancy and interest within a more muted palette. This may involve subtle gradients or tone variations to ensure that the overall design remains captivating.

Motion design will also play a significant role in shaping brand identities in 2024, encompassing kinetic type and logo icons to dynamically narrate brand stories. The trend includes the rise of moving type, where kinetic and variable type with ownable variable sliders emphasise authenticity and uniqueness.

Contributors:

• Coen Van der Heijden
• Cola Herrero-Driver
• Emma Widerberg
• Karen Lester
• Rowena Crowley
• Sidney Mortimer