2015 is coming to an end which makes us wonder what the new year will have in store. 

Those in the industry are focusing on trends and predictions to stay up-to-date in the ever changing world of technology.

What can you expect for 2016?

Marketing

The marketing industry has been reinvented by the digital revolution. Where we once sought after newspapers and prints, we now look at newsfeeds and eBooks. 2016 will be no different by moving the forward. 

Location Marketing

"iBeacons are small, inexpensive transmitters that use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to detect nearby devices that can be housed in retail stores, point of sale displays, and merchandising areas." Meaghan Moraes, HubSpot

We have heard the commercials on our Pandora stations, but will it become a necessary part of your marketing campaign in 2016? 

How To Use It

• Find a new way to advertise at events
  • LinkedIn even offers the ability to connect with attendees
• Facebook allows you to advertising on social media using location

Brands Will Go Native

Ad blockers were on marketers' minds by the end of 2015. How will this dilemma be solved in 2016?

"With ad blocking becoming more prominent with consumers, brands are forced to get more creative. While it is a safe bet advertisers will increase their investment in native advertising, we predict the investment will be both significant and unsurpassed in 2016." Kent Lewis, iMedia

What are some examples of native advertising?

• The New York Times published an article on women in prison to advertise for Orange Is The New Black
• Forbes and GAP International's CEO teamed up to write a sponsored piece titled, "The Six Defining Traits Of The Successful 21st Century Organization"
• Buzzfeed worked with Game Of Thrones to create an interactive quiz to advertise

Web Design

Marketing and web design go hand in hand whether one wants to believe it or not. Integration is becoming a standard in both industries which means marketers need to understand responsive programming (for email blasts) just as much as developers need to understand personas. 

Cinemagraphs 

"Cinemagraphs offer a similar visual effect, so as social media starts to flood with home-made live photos, so advertisers and content producers have started to recognize the arresting power such images can have." Creative Bloq

Basically, we will be seeing a whole lot more of the video loops on websites. 

Best Practices For Your Cinemagraph

• Don't forget your brand, of course! (Add a logo if this will be shared anywhere else)
• Be subtle
• Use HTML 5's Canvas

Uniquely Using The Grid

Those of us in the industry have heard about the grid, whether you are using Bootstrap or another method to stay within the lines. 2016 may have developers reinventing how they use it. Who says a logo always needs to be in the top left of a website? Or that everything needs to be symmetrical? 

Some websites are already breaking the boundaries of the grid. 
 

2016

Whether it is marketing or web design, we look forward to a New Year and ever growing industry.