Everything we do in today’s day and age has some form of technology involved in its eventual success. From smart devices to supercomputers, engineering marvels to even art, every domain tries to integrate technology at its finest. Even in the ever-changing domain of marketing, the integration of the latest technology has become imperative to create campaigns that can break through the cluttered marketing landscape. While there are multiple trends, I would like to discuss some of the leading emerging technologies which will have the most impact on shaping marketing strategies.

Emergence of AI

One of the most interesting and exciting developments has been the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to amplify personalization in marketing. While still in its nascent stage, this is possibly one of the biggest revolutions that we have witnessed after the Internet revolution. As marketers are starting to realize its true potential, AI has already been one of the key forces behind successful marketing strategies for various brands. It has been used to reach customers through hyper-segmentation and targeting, expedite timelines, and save costs through automation and unleash a whole new type of creativity with the use of hyper-personalization at scale. A global survey of early AI adopters conducted in 2020 showed that three of the top five AI objectives were marketing-oriented. The use of AI in marketing while still in its infancy is enabling businesses to make data-driven decisions, enhance customer experiences, and streamline marketing processes, but has the potential to completely disrupt the landscape in the coming years. We at Motorola are already investing in enabling AI across our products and marketing to deliver meaningful consumer experiences. Investing ahead of the curve in this technology is prudent.

Experiential marketing driven by AR

Another emerging although underutilized technology is augmented Reality (AR). It is an extremely powerful ally for product brands that want to increase consideration and purchase intent without physical trials. AR has been extensively used by clothing brands and even makeup brands to show consumers how their products would look on them. Augmented Reality provides brands with a competitive edge by enabling experiential marketing experiences across consumer touch points. Thus, creating a more immersive experience and engaging all senses to develop stronger emotional connections. Even brands rendering services have made good use of Augmented Reality by giving their customers virtual service experiences. With the metaverse concept gaining popularity, the worldwide market size for AR, VR, and Mixed Reality is expected to jump by more than 220 billion USD between 2021 and 2028.

Voice Search

Another fast-growing technology is Voice Search. With the widespread use of smart speakers and voice-activated devices, consumer interaction has stepped into a new era of communication with brands. Consumers no longer want to waste time typing their desired search when they can easily command their devices to search it for them via voice activation. This is extremely helpful in cases where they are on the move or cannot physically access their devices or simply find it difficult or time-consuming to type in their native language. According to a study, *65% of 25 to 49-year-olds speak to their voice-enabled devices at least once daily. We believe voice search and smart assistants provide massive opportunities for brands to market themselves in new and innovative ways. Notably in India, this technology has tremendous potential with multiple regional languages and internet penetration exploding in lower-tier markets and rural areas.

Democratization of 5G

India is seeing rapid expansion and democratization of 5G which in turn is also democratizing internet access and online content consumption for millions of Indians rapidly. With roughly 50% of the population in India having internet access and around 33% accessing social media as of 2023 – the scope for growth over the next few years led by 5G is enormous, making key trends in digital marketing important for marketers to invest in.

With over 90% of Indians accessing the internet through their mobiles, mobile advertising will become extremely critical and marketers will need to adopt mobile-friendly advertising formats and communication strategies to maximise campaign impact. Social commerce and Live commerce are two prominent trends in this space. While both are still in a nascent stage in the Indian market, China's live-streaming shopping market raked in more than $170 billion in 2021, which shows the immense opportunity for the Indian market coupled with the exponential growth in internet access, social user base and mobile as a platform.
Video content will also continue to gain prominence with wider and faster internet access and the consumer preference for video – with over 75% of people preferring to watch a video over reading a guide when learning about a new product. However, short-format content will be key with rapidly decreasing consumer attention spans.

We at Motorola have predominantly been at the forefront of 5G integration and have also solidified our place as the best 5G smartphone brand. We realize the importance of integrating 5G in all aspects of business, including marketing. This is also a call to action for all the brands to increase or enhance their online presence as people are now spending more time on the internet. Digital Marketing in particular needs to be optimized to meet the needs of the customers and satisfy their evolving preferences.

In conclusion, the convergence of these technologies with traditional marketing principles is redefining how we communicate with the customer. It has now become the duty of marketers to engage with such tools and resources to craft campaigns that stand out and inspire creativity. Technology, as always, will continue to grow and evolve, maybe at a rate even faster than what we have seen recently. It falls upon us to make the best use of it and leverage it to stay ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of marketing.

*https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/library/consumer-intelligence-series/voice assistants.html