Many investment companies, venture capitalists and PE companies invest in companies that adopt the latest digital trends in their business models. But what are the digital trends and emerging technologies that apply to 2022 that business leaders need to embrace?
Digital trends 2022
Trend 1: Cloud solutions are moving towards CX . Even more infrastructure will be in cloud solutions that are integrated with other solutions. Many of the solutions used are already in the cloud today and there are a few giant players such as Amazon, Google, IBM and Microsoft. Gartner believes that 75% of everyone between large and large organizations wants a multi-cloud or a hybrid strategy.
There is more data than anyone knows what to do with, and the more it has to be moved back and forth which costs money. Much of what may be in cloud solutions is already there and the trend is towards what is called Edge of the Cloud. Edge makes it possible to make more calculations where the data is collected. Cloud solutions are also about working smarter with cloud solutions and getting companies digitized where customer journeys and customer experiences will be a natural development.
Trend 2: Digitization, e-commerce and digital sales are gaining more focus because it is convenient and something we got used to after the pandemic. In terms of industry, all industries will continue to be digitized from digital care and distance care, but also traditional industries. Companies will have increased pressure to change, which places demands on business technology, which is located in the borderland between sales department, marketing and IT departments.
Trend 3: Investments in digital marketing are increasing. To be able to lead, you need to gain customer insights and market insights and use analytics in management and in governance issues, and to do that they need to measure relevant KPIs . Companies need to adapt their marketing to Google and see what their presence looks like with business-critical keywords but also with what is called position Zero, snippets and voice searches. Searches on the mobile phone will continue to increase in importance and in the voice search, visitors use phrases that they have in their everyday communication. In SEO, we believe that AI will play a greater role and be integrated into various solutions.
Trend 4: Several digital channels will be used in marketing. More and more companies will invest in digital channels such as YouTube and Podcasts.
Trend 5: Events are becoming more digital. Events and the experience industry are becoming more digital. VR will be a natural part of this in the long run. It will be exciting to follow what will happen with Metaverse and ABBAS concert in London which will be launched in May 2022.
Trend 6: Gaming continues its triumphant march. When we read about Google Shoping Holiday , we see that gaming will continue to increase. The top consoles are Nintendo Switch OLED, Sony Playstation 5 and Microsoft Xbox series X. The top trending games are NBA 2K22, FIFA 22 and Metroid Dread.
Trend 7: The workplace has changed through new technology and generational shifts in the workforce. The workplace of the future will be adapted to the digital transformation and build on connected hybrid experiences. The workplace has developed rapidly and employees’ expectations – which forces organizations to deliver digital and connected experiences to drive productivity and retain talent. Companies need to invest in wellbeing which gives employees a balance between work and private life which includes both physical and mental health which helps employees to thrive. During the pandemic, many have acquired a dog and want to bring the jock to work and they also want to be able to train at home. People want to continue working from home and remotely and many have started looking at coffee machines such as the Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine and the Keurig K-Mini Single Serve Coffee Maker.
Trend 8: Salaries for the best digital talent are rising. Inflation will increase and with it come wage increases. In the digital world, there is a great demand for the best digital talent. It will be difficult to retain the best employees if you do not offer better compensation and become better at being value-creating companies.
Trend 9: Companies will continue to have an increased focus on sustainability and ESG issues, and companies must change from the ground up instead of engaging in misleading greenwashing of brands. Transport and how we live have a major impact on the environment and we continue to look at alternatives to petroleum-based fuels. The magazine Economist predicts that among 22 emerging technologies we will see new technology around hydrogen, heat pumps and geo-engineering.
Trend 10: Artificial Intelligence and Automation. The big companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and Google are investing more and more in AI and there are solutions from 3rd parties that enable hyper-automation, which increases productivity, speeds up the time to reach the market and increases customer experiences and employee experiences.
Trend 11: Mobile-first. The mobile phone is still important and we will switch to the iPhone 13. Some SEO companies have chosen to mainly concentrate on how the visibility of the mobile phone goes because the speed and interface of the mobile phone is having an increasing impact.
Trend 12: The Crypto Revolution. Crypto solutions with Bitcoin continue to increase in value, but other cryptocurrencies of importance such as Ethereum, Cardano are also interesting. However, the political risk that central banks and other authorities will intervene increases. In Sweden, we have also seen that Finansinspektionen has stepped in and cranked around Bitcoin and its environmental impact!