I’ve seen a lot of reflection posts, looking back at 2023, and was surprised by a few reminders of things that happened this past year that truly feel like a lifetime ago. Like the Chinese Spy Balloon saga that gripped the United States for a solid week and how Rihanna and Fenty won the Super Bowl with their deep social media content integration. There were also huge culture-shifting moments like Beyonce and Taylor Swift single-handedly keeping the globe out of a recession with their tours, the rise of TikTok and the congressional hearings around security, and most vividly, escalating war and conflicts receiving global support as it felt like a lot of people seeing it unfold in real-time on social media. The impact cannot be denied regardless of how you viewed these events and the content you watched.

In turn, I couldn’t write a past trends report or hope for 2024 without it feeling a bit trivial. I’m committing to putting thoughts down on paper, regardless of how nervous some of them make me. 

X/Twitter becomes a conservative echo chamber, and Elon Musk sells the company for less than $2B. 

Threads actually becomes a viable platform alternative to Twitter, but daily, people complain on Threads that it’s not as useful, and advertising opportunities roll out by June 2024. 

A deeper level of accessibility support and integration is developed across all social media platforms to improve the experience for millions of people with accessibility limitations, likely aided by AI advancements and tech. 

TikTok isn’t officially banned in the United States, but it’s definitely going to be a year of regulation across all social media platforms. Shopping will see a massive spike as well, and brands quickly adapt and layer this into their marketing funnel. I anticipate we’ll see TikTok close the gap on YouTube and Instagram significantly in this space. 

TikTok will also officially reshape the music industry, where social media exposure and fame is more important than record labels telling artists what they should be doing with their music.

The Paris Olympics are the most streamed Olympics ever, with more people watching on YouTube and social platforms than traditional TV. 

Other toy companies and brands try to replicate the success of Barbie but fail spectacularly as they believe they can create the same level of awareness, love, and deep integration with a fraction of the budget. (In case you weren’t aware, Barbie’s marketing budget was $150 million, and parts of their strategy were locked in over a year in advance). 

Google officially rolls out their AI initiative, Gemini, taking AI mainstream. My theory is this launch blows up their advertising model, and they have to reverse course within a week to re-establish their revenue stream via Google Search ads. 

Speaking of AI, the race to develop more tech solutions is unlikely to slow down. But I predict only one or two other brands will finally launch a solid alternative to ChatGPT. More importantly, content will finally be polished enough for brands to feel comfortable using it on their social channels. Yes, say goodbye to seven fingers on a hand holding a wine glass. 

My take on politics - Donald Trump goes to prison but is still the Republican nominee for President, and social media fails to stop foreign countries from interfering in the election, the spread of hate and misinformation, and the election is too close to call on election night. 

Truth Social officially shuts down, as the only reason it existed was for Donald Trump to post. 

But it won’t be all doom and gloom, as I also anticipate that this will be the year that we see influencers, creators, and ambassadors do more good for the world—pushing past brand deals just for the sake of making money, with more people starting to donate unused items, being thoughtful with their brand partnerships and speaking truthfully about what matters to them.

I also think it will be the official return of the brand jingle. Whether on social, radio, TV or streaming ads, this next generation should start preparing for the songs they’ll be singing in their heads for the next 30+ years. 

Lastly, and most importantly, I anticipate a lot of brands bringing purpose into the forefront and talking about it more on social. The younger generations are looking for change-makers, people, and brands who are taking a stance on improving the world, helping with climate change and gender disparity, aiding innocent people in global conflicts, and using their market power for good. Brands that are willing to do so are going to see their awareness and market share skyrocket in 2024

I personally am ready to welcome 2024, and all the potential it has to offer!