Research commissioned by DCMN sheds light on changes within the marketing landscape after a tumultuous two years: privacy headwinds and concerns over “The Great Resignation” top marketers’ challenges going into the new year
New York / Berlin, 9th December 2021: DCMN, the growth marketing partner for digital brands, today released its global Growth Guide: a new report looking at marketers’ goals, strategies and challenges going into 2022. The results point to a new period of growth for the industry: 66% of marketers surveyed expect their budgets to increase next year, with this figure rising to 68% for US marketers alone. This is also good news for marketing and advertising agencies, with 74% of US respondents planning to increase their spending on agencies in the next 12 months.
The research, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of DCMN, surveyed 600 in-house marketers in the US, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany and India. The results offer an understanding of how the marketing landscape has changed after a tumultuous few years and how optimistic brands are heading into 2022.
Key findings show that:
- While the majority of budgets are set to soar in the US, the country also has the highest proportion of marketers’ who expect their budgets to decrease, at 16% — compared to a global average of 7.3%.
- Aside from spending on agencies, budgets will go towards experimenting with new formats and advertising channels. Outside of digital advertising, the three channels marketers plan to focus on and invest in the most are mobile advertising, podcasts and CTV. In the US specifically, radio is making a comeback in a big way: 54% plan to invest in the channel in 2022.
- Globally, the research shows that 65.5% of marketers are more focused on long-term branding efforts versus 31.3% for performance-oriented goals
But the new year also comes with its own challenges. US marketers are most concerned about keeping up with privacy regulations, as policies targeting iOS and the future of cookies are set to dramatically reshape the marketing world. Hiring and retention of team members comes in second place, with the so-called Great Resignation and the rise of remote-only positions also altering the workforce dynamic — perhaps for good.
Matthias Riedl, CEO and Co-Founder at DCMN, commented: “There’s no doubt it’s been a tough couple of years for the ad world – but this research shows that the industry is bouncing back. Spending on advertising and agencies is going up, channels like CTV and podcasts offer exciting new ad formats with which to experiment, and marketers are increasingly engaging with important social and structural concerns like sustainability and inclusivity.”
For more insights and data, download the report here.
About DCMN
DCMN is the growth marketing partner for digital businesses and startups. The company’s holistic, data-driven approach combines technology with expert knowledge to grow the market leaders of tomorrow.
From its headquarters in Berlin and five international offices worldwide, DCMN equips its clients to scale efficiently in their own markets or internationally, whether they need creatives, media plans, or growth strategies. All of this is supported by technologies DCMN designs and builds — based on over a decade of experience helping digital brands grow.
Independent and owner-operated, DCMN was launched in 2010 by Andreas Dengler and Matthias Riedl. To date, the company has helped nearly 400 digital brands worldwide to scale their businesses, including Fairphone, Idealo, Ring, VanMoof, Vinted and Wooga.
