This document encompasses just a tiny % of the full story, so call us, book an appointment and let us come and share the full picture, it could really help your brand grow – we’ll even bring cakes!

2. Trend 1
Welcome to our inaugural digital marketing predictions for 2018.
Why we predict these trends
We are a digital marketing and technology agency operating across over 40 international
territories. It’s our job to keep looking ahead for the benefit of our clients, then applying this to
their marketing strategies accordingly.
This document encompasses just a tiny % of the full story, so call us, book an appointment
and let us come and share the full picture, it could really help your brand grow – we’ll even
bring cakes!
Well hello there…
we didn’t see you come in…

3. However, high end VR devices will still remain
tethered to achieve the ultra-high resolution, but
a separate line of lower resolution
games and devices will provide a less
expensive gateway into VR for casuals.
Google, HTC & Oculus are all set to release their
tether less VR headsets in 2018, the device
being completely cable free virtual
reality.
Social media fully embraces Virtual Reality
Trend 6vr GOES Tether-LESS
Trend 1
We’ve seen a steady stream of
new VR devices and platforms
launched throughout 2017.
However, none are yet to
achieve true un-tethered VR -
the white whale of the VR
development market.
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4. Trend 3Trend 2Trend 2Social Media and Augmented Reality
converge
Trend 2
Apple, Facebook and Google are
leading us into the exciting world
of augmented reality with a whole
host of new and interesting uses
for AR streaming into the app
stores.
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With this could come a new medium of content
that can be adapted and used to brands
advantages - think current facemasks on
Snapchat or Facebook.
It’s only a matter of time before social media and
augmented reality become seamlessly connected.
Imagine it; tweets, hashtags, memos,
images and events, all captured in 3d
space and viewable through your phone
like a magic window to the digital world.
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5. Trend 3Trend 2
With more than 1/3 of people
preferring social media over a phone
call, slow social media customer
service is becoming a deal breaker
for most, which is driving a huge
demand in A.I. Chatbot development.
Trend 2A.I. Chatbots, the future of social media
customer service
Trend 3
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Don’t get us wrong though, we still think it will be
necessary to have a human overlooking and
monitoring, but A.I. could be used to
supplement and provide responses in
the times a human just isn’t around or
available to intervene.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and so it’s
our prediction that we will start to see more
and more A.I. Chatbot’s configured and
running on Facebook and Twitter
accounts, giving immediate feedback, and
informational responses to customers that need it. ”
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6. Trend 3Trend 2
With one-hit wonders like
Periscope and Meerkat, it might
be easier to dismiss live
streaming as just a fad, but as
with most new technologies, it’s
rare that Facebook invests in
anything without good reasoning
- in this case its own version of
live streaming known as
Facebook Live.
Trend 2Want reach & engagement?
Live Stream!
Trend 4
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Right now, live streaming is possibly the
most effective way of generating cost
effective reach and engagement for a
brand. What’s more, with the right content, it
drives a far deeper connection with your audience.
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7. Trend 3Trend 2
Video content isn’t new, but it is
becoming increasingly popular as
traditional content formats fall away in
the eyes of consumers. Facebook has
already revealed that it’s 1.65 billion
users consume an average of 8 billion
videos a day. To put that in an even more
staggering perspective, by 2021,
according to CISCO, a million minutes of
video will cross the global IP networks
every second!
Trend 2Bank it all on video content
Trend 5
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The popularity of gifs, the spread of advertising into YouTube, and
the extensive video content on Facebook and the rest of the
internet are all part of a growing movement that is propelling video
content further into the limelight – but only with creativity
will you win the day!
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8. Website performance dominates SEO
Trend 6
Google’s SEO algorithms have
come a long way in the past 20
years, and with more and more
content flooding the internet,
arguably its greatest challenge is
finding ever more efficient ways of
giving its consumers exactly what
they want, when they want.
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Enter website performance. Whilst Google loves good content, it now looks more carefully at the platform’s
finer details as a ranking attribute. Focus on speed, secure platforms, SSLs at the very least.
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9. VR combined with A.I. will also ultimately lead to
the teacher’s role changing dramatically, and not
necessarily in a bad way.
With more VR players entering the market, the
price of hardware and content is also
coming down, meaning a far more
chance of adoption in education. Grades
will be the ultimate test, but we’re optimistic!
Social media fully embraces Virtual Reality
Trend 6Virtual Reality
adopted Into Education
Trend 7
With a dramatic improvement
in good content availability,
educational establishments
are starting to accept that VR
formats offer far reaching,
visual opportunities for
interactive learning from a
young age.
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10. Trend 3Trend 2
3.2 billion photos are said to be
shared daily on social media
platforms.
Trend 2A.I. Image Recognition
changes the game
Trend 8
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So, the opportunity for marketers is… in a world of
visual content, how can we track user’s
movements to establish a visual content strategy?
Image recognition of course. It’s therefore likely
we’ll see image recognition software become more
mainstream and track users and establish their
interests (and so much more). This will only
enhance the social media advertising
opportunities.
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*Calorie Mama – Instant food recognition

11. Internet of Things is firmly
in control
Trend 9
Never in history have we been so
connected to the world around us.
The rise of personal assistants,
such as Amazon’s Alexa, Android’s
Cortana, apple’s Siri and Google
Home have certainly created the
emphasis and need for growth.
“
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Arguably, we are at the tipping point of adoption
where just about everything can be digitally
connected and controlled. From household heating
systems (E.g. Nest and Hive), IOT lightbulbs (e.g.
Hue lightbulbs), washing machines, to digital home
assistants.
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The full extent of marketing opportunity is yet to
be fully understood by brands, but expect a trial
of ad formats and platforms to appear at some
stage in 2018.
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12. Using similar holographic
technology, gaming that uses mixed
reality will see us become fully
immersed in alien environments.
Another likely winner is the porn
industry, where experiences will
seem as real as you need them to!
Social media fully embraces Virtual Reality
Trend 6Holograms break down
physical boundaries
Trend 10
We’ve seen holograms come and go
throughout the last 70 years, but not like
it is today, thanks in the main to Mixed
Reality of course. Content producers are
now starting to fully appreciate the
opportunities that the HoloLens (and far
cheaper competitors) bring with it, the
piece de resistance being how we can
visually connect, even though we may
be the other side of the world from each
other. Just 1 or 2 providers are putting
their flag in the sand here, and no doubt
we’ll see them snapped up at some point
in 2018.
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13. Get in touch!
Contact
Hayden Allen-Vercoe: COO
Our web address
www.orbitalmedia.com
Our number
+44 0203 411 9111 (ext. 901)