Mangos are getting sweeter, the weather is hotter, and shops are busier, which means 2023 is just around the corner. The new year will bring new trends in fashion, politics, communication and engagement. Here is how Articulous predicts communication and engagement trends will change in the new year.
AI for communication
Artificial intelligence is being integrated into almost every aspect of our lives, and communication is not left out. AI can be used in marketing, engagement and communications. This makes it a no brainer to be a communication and engagement trend in 2023. The ability of chatbots to effectively respond to customers by quickly analysing speech patterns can detect emotion. AI can also be used to analyse target market data. This can be used to find the ideal marketing tactics that are personally tailored to a specific person. AI’s abilities are evolving constantly. So, there is no doubt that the limits of AI will expand in 2023 in communications and engagement.
New social media platforms
In the beginning of 2022, it was hard to imagine a new social media platform. Especially one with a brand-new concept. But BeReal quickly overtook every app on the app store with an innovative idea. Now, Spill is a new culture-first platform in the making. How will can engagement use this trend of real time, real life social media to gain insights? There is room for this change to be harnessed, and that something will emerge in the next year. In 2023, it will not be a surprise to see more companies taking advantage of social media user shifting popularity. Platforms like Twitter and Facebook continue to feel outdated among their users.
Disaster preparedness communication
After a tragic year of devastating floods there will be a heavy focus on disaster preparedness and recovery. Articulous engaged with hundreds and hundreds of people affected by floods in Qld, NSW and Victoria during 2022. We know that agencies and communities are coming up with very real and clever ways to communicate and prepare for change in how our communities are experiencing extreme weather events. This preparedness will require our cities, towns and communities to adapt in order to be resilient against more unpredictable natural disasters.
Renewable energy
The disasters of 2022 proved the necessity of acting to minimise the effects of climate change. One major way to do this is to shift towards renewable energy. The Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan will begin to kickstart this shift, with focus on delivery in regional towns. This will lead to change in much of the economy and lifestyle of these places. How this is communicated to these regions will be critical in ensuring opportunities are harnessed and a smooth shift is experienced. Another communication and engagement trend we see coming will be a boom in critical mineral exploration. Covid-19 highlighted the importance of having a robust supply chain and the disasters of recent years have highlighted the importance of those supply chain features being environmentally friendly.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion
Inclusionary practices in 2023 will bring more opportunities for everyone. Accessibility is going to be a standard for government and corporate work. Captioning, alternative text for images and contrasting text and backgrounds will be normalised. This is such a positive change, as progress is not progress until everyone is moved forward. In engagement, this will look like adopting more accessible tools and way to reach wider audiences, prioritising often-forgotten audiences and having a multi-channel approach. It also means using more inclusive language and terminology and we will all be asked to do better, for better outcomes.
A return to face-to-face engagement
As the world heals from Covid-19, there has been a desire to return for in person engagement, but not exactly in the same way as it was. Over two months in 2022 (between COVID outbreaks), Articulous ran 23 community forums and received positive feedback from participants about the return to being able to express their opinions in person. Although, these forums looked different to forums pre-Covid. We think that in 2023, technology will be integrated into forums even more for more hybrid-methods that combine online and face-to-face. We’ve seen how this can increase participation among the crowd. Especially for those who do not feel comfortable speaking up in front of a group, it is a massive benefit. It also allows many opinions to be collected quickly and in turn adds to the accessibility of the engagement.
What trends do you think we will see in 2023?
