Creative campaigns have experienced huge growth over the last few years – brands prior to the pandemic were experiencing the kind of growth that made investment possible and, during and after the pandemic, brands faced economic conditions that made investment necessary. However, as the various political and economic issues continue on for another year, brands are likely to become increasingly cautious.

As ever, when times get tough, marketing needs to deliver more for less, and this will have a direct impact on the methods and channels that brands use to reach their audience.

My predictions If 2022 taught us anything, it’s that the social media space is primed for disruption. Twitter is finding it difficult to convince advertisers to put aside brand safety concerns, Meta have struggled against regulatory issues (including a fresh privacy fine this year from the EU that could jeopardise its advertising model) and a misjudged shift to a technology that simply isn’t ready and Tik Tok – as mentioned above – could be facing regulatory problems of its own.

Whatever the question, however, the answer doesn’t appear to be Mastodon. It may be a tempting year for brands to chase the next big thing, but the better move may be to keep that budget in reserve – stick with platforms that have delivered in the past and be prepared to react to trends on those, or to be ready should a new platform establish itself as a real contender.