Most would agree with me when I say that 2023 has been a roller coaster year for our industry, to say the least. From more restricted budgets that needed to stretch further, to the impact of carbon emissions, the rise of AI, and the continued push for diversity and inclusion, 2023 truly covered all grounds. Although challenging, I would argue that the year has pushed our industry even further into being more strategic, tapping into technological innovations more than ever before and even starting to care about the planet and our peers more. 

2023 was a year that laid out new emerging trends. Looking back, I am excited to envisage the next evolution of what we only scratched the surface of these past 12 months…

Greenhushing is the next worst trend in Sustainability 

Rightfully so, sustainability became a crucial theme throughout 2023. In the new year measuring one's carbon footprint should be the standard for any internal and external practices.

Carbon calculators to measure carbon emission avoidance and the impact of campaigns, thanks to technology like SeenThis, are on the rise. We were recently lucky enough to speak to Gabrielle Persson, CPO at SeenThis, for our podcast Off Record, On Point to get the low down on the current state of sustainability practices, as well as what’s coming up next (you can watch out for her episode ‘The Sustainability Balancing Act’, dropping January 11th). Educating ourselves to be armed with the knowledge necessary to work towards carbon emission avoidance is a vital goal.

Thanks to new resources from industry bodies like the World Advertising Federation, Global Alliance for Responsible Media and with support from leaders in the ESG space, like The Responsible Marketing Agency, companies that previously didn’t know where to begin their journey have a plan of action and steps they can take.

Exciting resources and advancements in tech aside, the paranoia around greenwashing was very real throughout 2023. There’s no doubt that greenwashing is wrong, but there has been a new issue arising in the industry: greenhushing. It’s something that happens when companies don’t speak up about their own great sustainability work in fear of being accused of greenwashing, and it’s a real shame. Sustainability isn’t something that can be addressed through siloed actions, which is why in 2024 I want us to see more greenshouting instead!

2023 has been educational and informative, but with 2030 sustainability targets being set by many, the next few years will demand real action. Sustainability needs to be the baseline in 2024.

There’s no Diversity without Inclusion 

In 2023 I learned a valuable lesson in diversity and inclusion. While attending the AOPs Crunch event in September, a brilliant speaker pointed out that you cannot have diversity without inclusion. Inclusion from the top down and education across the business is what allows diversity to flood in and take root. When we spoke with Brand Metrics’ Client Lead, Sumran Kaul, on the podcast he really broke it down for us: the state of DE&I in the industry has come a long way in the last five years, but it also still has a long way to go.

Thankfully the resounding feeling that we’ve gleaned is optimistic for DE&I. Thanks to organisations like MEFA, Bloom, and DICE, we have data to guide us, networks to lean on and checks on speaking sessions to ensure representation is key at any landmark event. By no means are things perfect, but the continued difficult conversations are helping to drive genuine change. We just have to keep at it.

In 2024, I predict that we’ll see more ESG alongside DE&I. The next necessary evolution when it comes to diversity is how economic and social governance reinforce a system that makes diversity more challenging. There are barriers to our industry that ESG more clearly addresses to ultimately help drive further progress. 

Measurement needs to unify 

Measurement in 2023 has been quite progressive. From attention becoming more of a mainstay metric to CTV being measured with brand lift metrics; These new measurement practices coupled with the volume of screens consumers are using, media and overall stimulation, it is still near impossible to unify measurement across channels.

If you are anything like me, you often catch yourself watching multiple screens at once. I’m not proud of it, but between all of the media that I dash around between screens to digest, it will likely be measured in completely different methodologies that could show completely different results.

My prediction, and hope, for 2024 is that we’ll see more universal measurement solutions to track effectiveness for omnichannel campaigns. If it could somehow also optimise for more sustainable practices too, that would be a wonderful bonus.

I recognise that these predictions are very clearly coming from my eternally optimistic point of view, but I believe them all to be possible regardless. In 2024, I look forward to a year that encourages innovation and kindness within our industry. I know this much we can count on.

Kasey Long is PR and Client Services Director for The Digital Voice and works with clients across all areas of Events, Content Marketing, Social, Communications and PR planning and delivery.

Prior to joining The Digital Voice, Kasey has held social media marketing and event programming roles for Velofest, Cape Resorts and Plexal.