Two trends marketers need to watch out for in 2017

The era where brands connect with consumers through direct selling and mass-market advertising is long gone. These days, no marketing strategy can adequately address the customer journey without addressing aspects such as social, mobility and multi-screen use. As we start this brand-new year, we look at two upcoming trends that savvy marketers need to watch out for. The role of data has been rising over the last few years, and no CMOs will oppose or question its relevance when it comes to marketing today. For one, wearables are set to become ubiquitous this year, if they are not already so. Elsewhere, the number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is also expected to surge with an influx of new connected cameras, sensors and other networked devices.