Marketing in 2021

My friends at Zeta Global (a USV portfolio company) put together this report on marketing in 2021. It clocks in a 26 pages so here are some highlights:

Those ways that artists made money in 2020 to make up for a lack of touring revenue—intimate livestreams, catalog licensing and syncs and expanded merch offerings—will continue after the touring industry returns to normal.

Desiree Perez — CEO of Roc Nation

After nearly a year of isolation, the floodgates of social life, dating, festivals, and travel will open into a social revolution once vaccines reach the minimum threshold. Jokes about the new roaring 20’s will abound on social media, and the moniker will feel earned. Young people, most notably college students and recent graduates, will make up for lost time, checking off — and adding to — their bucket lists with abandon.

Lauren Weiniger — Co-Founder and CEO of The SAFE Group

Even with the pandemic lingering into the new year, 2021 will be a banner year for the sports industry. Fan engagement and the business of sports have never been stronger, which is NOT the story you’ll hear if you simply listen to people talk about decreased TV ratings. That would be the same as evaluating the retail industry by just looking at brick & mortar store sales.

Michael Rubin — Founder and Executive Chairman, Fanatics | Partner, Philadelphia 76ers

Social Impact and ESG focus and efforts by large companies will increasingly be measured and become reporting metrics for large institutional investors. All public companies will be required to diversify their boards and executive officers.

Thomas Davidson — CEO of Everfi

We will see the rise of live shopping in the U.S. in 2021.

Imran Khan, Co-Founder & CEO, Verishop

While the COVID pandemic has wreaked unprecedented devastation in our communities, in the health care arena it has ushered in an era of rapid advancement and deployment of technology, ranging from telemedicine to at-home disease diagnostics to wearable oxygen sensors.

Cat Oyler — Vice President and Integration Leader of Momenta Pharmaceuticals

There are many more good predictions in there and lots of sound advice on how to evolve a marketing program for the new world we are operating in. You can read the entire thing here.