Marketers hoping the pandemic haze would clear in 2021 are likely ending the year disappointed. The 12-month period — and a crunched fourth quarter marred by supply chain pressures and a new COVID-19 variant — has felt as chaotic as any, making it easy to forget what happened when. But it was indeed a busy year, with major account moves, platform rebrands and policy changes that have upended the very fundamentals of digital marketing.
While tying a bow on any year is difficult, Marketing Dive here has assembled the biggest news items from a particularly tumultuous and transitional moment for the industry. The reverberations of these developments will continue to be felt in 2022 as marketers steel themselves for further disruptions related to the metaverse, ad targeting and CMO expectations.
As always, thanks for reading.
Peter Adams
Reporter, Marketing Dive
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In a deal the partners call "unprecedented" in scope, WPP will execute Coke's new integrated agency model while Dentsu and others will provide complementary work.
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With more than 11 years at Nintendo of America, the executive has deep industry knowledge that reflects the growing importance of gaming and digital to consumer-facing brands.
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While digital's strengths have been apparent, three new forecasts express surprise at just how strong spending has been — a promising sign for 2022.
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AB InBev's flagship went without a big game spot for the first time in 37 years, opting instead for vaccine awareness efforts that included a digital short film.
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Also previewed at the company's WWDC event was a FaceTime upgrade to help it compete in a videoconferencing market accelerated by the pandemic.
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Deep Dive
Google kicked the can down the road with its latest privacy decision, but brands, agencies and the ad tech industry can't rest on their laurels.
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Martin Sorrell's S4 Capital adds a buzzy creative agency as diversity and purpose become higher priorities in the U.S. and globally.
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After cutting 11 brands from its economy portfolio, the beverage giant is focusing its marketing on relevant moments to drive its more premium products.
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Johnson & Johnson, CVS and BMW are among the clients IPG tapped as it looks to direct more media-buying investments to Black-owned businesses.
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The decision to rebrand reflects the company's current weaknesses, including in its ad business, and signals broader changes across the tech world.
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