Marigold 2024 Marketing Landscape: Loyalty Surges, AI Expands, and MarTech Adapts

In a recent fireside chat, Marigold CMO, Wendy Werve, and Forrester VP and Research Director, Emily Collins, delved into predictions for relationship marketing in 2024, drawing from Forrester's Planning Guide 2024: B2C Marketing Executives. The discussion highlighted key takeaways:Loyalty and Relationship Marketing Growth: According to Forrester, 57% of marketers plan to increase spending on relationship and loyalty marketing as brands recognize the need to replace short-term transactions with long-term, authentic relationships.AI Expansion: Forrester's findings indicate that 56% of marketing leaders have utilized generative AI. In 2024 AI activity will shift from initial experimentation in creative development to implementation in emerging use cases with insights development and marketing operations enablement.MarTech Spending on the Rise: Forrester predicts increased MarTech spending in 2024, favoring specialized solutions over end-to-end options and also emphasizing the critical need for seamless integration between services. The focus is on solutions that collaborate effectively, share data, and activate in a coordinated manner.Growing Optimism Among Marketers: Despite economic uncertainties, 86% of B2C marketing decision-makers plan to boost overall marketing investment in the next 12 months — a 4% increase from the previous year.Evolution of Marketing Operations Teams: Marketers will take on broader responsibilities, evolving from content producers to essential business drivers. The marketing department, being a significant source of consumer and customer insight, plays a pivotal role in shaping the customer experience and contributing to overall business growth. To learn more about these and other predictions for the year ahead, watch Marigold’s free-to-stream webinar Analyst and CMO Insights on B2C Marketing Predictions and Priorities for 2024.