Top Market Trends to Watch in 2024

Below are some of the top business market trends expected to influence marketing and consumer behavior in 2024, as modern marketing will run like never before in the next-gen cyber-business space that we are yet to see emerging god knows how fast! From the rise of social media creators to the move toward self-service ad platforms and the growth of retail media, these trends are redefining how businesses reach and interact with their consumers. Here at Apex Guider, we deeply dive into those trends to keep you ahead of the game.

1. The Dominance of Social Media Influencers in 2024

Social Media Influencers Continue to Drive ROI

Emore is social media influencers will still lead the charts of business market trends, particularly in the year 2024. A 2024 HubSpot report confirmed influencer marketing is a tactic that brings ROI to the table. In 2023, over half of the marketers surveyed said that they have partnered with a content creator or influencer in the past year, and almost 16 percent hope to invest in this strategy for the first time.

Megan Conahan, EVP at Direct Agents, points out that social media platforms will only become more important as traditional media sees slower growth. Brands are anticipated to step away from the plastic influencer model and toward more genuine partnerships with creators. Examples like this highlight the importance for brands to find creators that closely reflect their target audience.

2. Rise of Self-Service Ad Platforms

Empowering Brands with Self-Service Advertising

The rise of self-service ad platforms is another important trend in the business market trends 2024. As we see real concerns about data privacy and less reliance on the big boys in tech, self-service platforms are becoming essential. Onto a third category, the latest generation of media buying platforms that give brands more levers with which to do their advertising.

Key players in this space include:

• The Trade Desk: One of the largest and most transparent DSPs.
• Adform: Offers a full set of tools for planning and managing campaigns across different media.
• MediaMath: Emphasizes real-time bidding and 1st-party data-based customization.

The best of these platforms do so across the lifecycle of an advertiser’s campaigns, incorporating predictive AI to optimize performance. (And yes, those are all my names for different parts of my ad operations stack.) Self-service is becoming the norm because it provides a lower-cost solution and allows marketers to be more targeted with their messaging, especially as more regulations are introduced around privacy.

3. First-Party Data and Privacy Compliance

Navigating Data Privacy and First-Party Data Strategies

But what will we find in 2024 trends of the business market? Aside from growing privacy concerns, many of the trends we expect to see among businesses in 30 are linked to first-party data and regulatory compliance. A 2017 survey by the Pew Research Center found that people are concerned about the use of their data both by private companies and governments.

In the face of third-party cookies disappearing and privacy infrastructure strengthening, this has seen marketers pivot their focus to more ethical and reliable means of consumer data in the form of first-party and zero-party data. This direction will result in more investments toward fostering one-to-one connections with consumers, from loyalty programs and personalized narratives to data transparency.

Malorie Benjamin (Dixon Schwabl + combined) More solutions and vendors are starting to enter the market to help combat a cookie-less space. That means marketers will need to walk a tightrope between obtaining detailed customer data that respects privacy concerns while positioning themselves as respectful and trustworthy of their audience. This is one of the most interesting business market trends in 2024: the expansion of commerce and retail media. Retail media is when ads are placed directly on retail websites and platforms, making marketing a part of the shopping experience. The dominant parties include Amazon and Walmart.

4. Expansion of Commerce and Retail Media

Integrating Advertising into the Retail Experience

Another major trend in the business market trends 2024 is the rise of e-commerce and retail media. Retail media is where ads are placed on retail websites and platforms, seamlessly woven into the shopper journey. This is thanks to major players like Amazon and Walmart.

• Amazon DSP: This gives you the brand’s ability to manage advertising across Amazon and beyond.
• Walmart Connect: Walmart Connect provides targeted advertising placement on Walmart’s digital properties to increase visibility and product discovery.

Retail media weaves marketing into the shopping process, enabling relevant ads that are part of a coherent experience rather than an interruption. This strategy is built to enable a data-driven approach towards conversions and brand visibility.