Well, that is another year behind us. Time flies when you are having fun as the saying goes and although personally, I’m still processing the leftovers of 2020, 2023 is upon us.
A lot has happened this year so I’m taking the opportunity to have a look back and reminiscence.
Cultural Moments
One thing that gripped us from the start of the year was the phenomenon of Wordle. That game inhabited both my hobbies and work life, with nightshift lulls being cured by time spent making up our own Wordles.
With pop culture, you had trending moments like the Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon,and the TikTok viral moment of negroni sbagliato with prosecco in it. Speaking of TV and film, Marvel debuted their spin on the multiverse with Spiderman: No Way Home back in December 2021, appearing with Spiderman alumni Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire. The multiverse continued in the Doctor Strange sequel named Multiverse of Madness.
Culture took a spin into nostalgia with Kate Bushes Running Up That Hill re-entering the charts thanks to Stranger Things Season 4, and with Top Gun coming back with its sequel Maverick which quickly became a fan favourite. Also, after just over ten years, James Cameron’s Avatar came back. (As of the time of writing the film has just been released, but nonetheless, reviews boast of the visual spectacular that it presents.)
With music, came the comeback of Beyonce with her album Renaissance, which plays as a celebration of Black dance music pioneers. Taylor Swift also brought out a new album, Midnights, back in November, which soared to heights – at one point she inhabited the entire top ten music charts.
Historical Moments
Like the previous years, 2022 has not been without its major historical events. We have the war between Russia and Ukraine, which is still ongoing, and the effects it has on the wider world. People have in some respects stepped up, with families taking in Ukraine refugees and doing what they can to help.
Politics took both a frightening and silly turn with the UK changing Prime Ministers a few times this year. Boris Johnson resigned due to his habit of lying and the scandal left over from party-gate where he broke covid rules. Then came Liz Truss who brought an economic budget that sunk the pound. Now we have Rishi Sunak, and we will wait to see what his tenure brings.
The changeovers brought into conversation; the divide between rich and the poor – and therefore the divide between the north and the south of Britain – as well as the benefits of a Tory Government. It comes to something when lettuce lasts longer than a Prime Minister; it also proves that British humour is still in effect when we live stream something like that.
I’m not going to go on about my pollical leanings, but I am going to mention that voting and having an opinion, exercising your democratic right, is necessary. If you don’t personally want to vote, consider voting on the behalf of your children who will eventually have to live in an uncertain future.
2022 also meant the death of Queen Elizabeth II after 70 years of service. It rocked the nation, with many shedding a tear and standing in a queue to pay their respects.
An ongoing event, which is sure to last into 2023, is the cost-of-living crisis. With energy prices soaring, amongst other bills, stories turn to empathetic tales of mother’s going without food to let their children eat. Communities have come together, pubs offering warm spaces, people donating to food banks, and keeping an eye on one another, to help bridge the gap.
Marketing Moments
A major event was Twitter being bought by Elon Musk and the havoc that followed. With the launch of Twitter Blue, where subscribers pay for the blue tick on their profile to prove they are a verified account, came chaos with parody accounts popping up unchecked. The takeover brought into question the effectiveness of Twitter as a social platform, with businesses rescinding or decreasing their marketing efforts and ad revenue. This emphasises the need for a good communications department and a crisis management strategy, as well as the ability to adapt and manage changing climates.
Spotify Wrapped also came back in late November – personally, mine showed a diversifying music taste, with my habit of switching to instrumental music to aid in concentration and focus. Every year Spotify Wrapped tweaks their statistics, this year showing your Music Listening Personality, alongside the normal stats of top tracks, top artists, and total time spent streaming. These were shared across social media and people compared their stats with either pride or shame. This cultural movement highlights the need for data and tells of how it can inform marketing strategies.
There are also a few marketing trends that could make an impact in 2023. The power engine that is video content is still ticking, especially with platforms pushing short video content (Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts for example). Customer service over social media is also making an impact, with HubSpot finding that nearly 25% of Millennials have contacted a brand’s social media channel in the last three months. Social responsibility, ethics, and transparency also matter to the modern consumer. Customers now want companies to show how their data is being used, and to use their publicity to advocate for social issues. So, that is 2022 in a brief nutshell. I have missed some moments out – for example, the drama around the production of the film Don’t you Worry Darling, and the trend of saying Taylor Swift’s lyrics like, ‘It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me’. But that is another year been and gone. Compared to 2021, there have been some changes, even though some headlines still read like pre-apocalyptic improv sketches. 2022 may have been a wild year but now let us turn our attention to what 2023 may have in store for us.