It’s time to see how we fared on our promotional marketing predictions for 2017, and to make our 2018 predictions.

For 2017 here is what we predicted for promotional marketing:

1. Social sweepstakes and contests will become the primary method of entry over online web forms.

Results: In 2017 we did almost the same number of social sweepstakes and contests as we did traditional web-based sweepstakes and contests. In 2016 we did less than a third the amount of social versus traditional. Social contests and sweepstakes are a cost effective, fast to market alternative that companies on a budget are using more frequently.

2. Native ads will continue to evolve, and regulation will play a hand in that.

Results: While some influencers continue to ignore ad disclosure guidance, the FTC updated its endorsement guidelines and they, along with the ASRC, continue to watch for violators.

3. Facebook and Instagram will crack down on fake accounts and fraud.

Results: Facebook shut down companies and users who had set up fake “like” schemes, cracked down on fake news, and took bad ads off their network.

4. Virtual reality and location based marketing will continue to evolve and be used in more event based marketing.

Results: HTC, Sony and Facebook made strides in VR, and VR turned up at events throughout the country, but the big winner this past year was augmented reality, with Snapchat and the Google Pixel 2’s AR filters dominating the social scene.

So what’s to come in 2018? What do we predict will be the next big thing, or obstacle, for promotional marketing companies. Here are the three big predictions we are making:

1. GDPR Compliance

GDPR compliance is already the buzz at the legal and marketing conferences we go to. The compliance deadline is May of 2018, and many of our larger clients are telling us that if their marketing vendors can’t be compliant then they can’t continue to work with those vendors. MK is already certified on the EU-US Privacy Shield Framework and on track to be GDPR compliant in early spring.

2. Moderation of Content

YouTube has already recognized that they have some problems with content that people upload to their platform. We expect other brands to follow suit with taking an active role in content moderation and taking a proactive approach in the next year when it comes to content created for their brand. MK has years of experience in content moderation and judging – so contact us if your brand is looking for a moderation solution.

3. Even More Social Promotions vs Traditional Promotions

While we currently see about the same number of social as traditional promotions, we expect the number of social promotions to increase as people realize how easy a social promotion can be. We just hope brands remember that just because it’s easier, doesn’t mean they can break laws! Contact us before you run a promotion to ensure state, federal and international laws aren’t broken, and that any data you collect is handled appropriately.

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