The advent of the internet in the 90s changed the format of campaigns completely and marketing professionals were quick to adapt to the medium.

Previously, campaigns focused merely on selling the products but in the 90s it shifted to creating brand awareness and solving problems. However, when the mass audience started using the Internet, advertisers jumped all over the opportunity to reach consumers there. They began shifting their attention to more digital ads, starting with display advertising, with AT&T being one of the first brands experimenting with it.

Another big brand that was wholly into Digital advertising was Yahoo when it created the first keyword-based ad. Soon after, brands followed Yahoo’s footsteps with Planet Oasis launching the first version of PPC advertising, and Open Text selling paid ads. The 90s also saw the creation of SEO and its abhorrence for spam ads.

However, digital advertising changed in the 2000s. The 2000s saw the birth of social media and MySpace, both of which were major milestones for marketing. The 2000s also saw the commencement of mobile advertising and it spread widely when iPhones came into the picture meaning mobile advertising would have to shift to smartphones. As capabilities grew to include things like interactive gaming and GPS technology, mobile ads started incorporating these features for more personalized ads.

Marketing is about appealing to consumers’ wishes and preferences, as well as establishing trusting relationships. Inbound marketing is gaining traction as businesses provide useful content that savvy consumers check out. The incorporation of smartphones into daily life broadens marketing possibilities, which now include email marketing and social marketing initiatives. Tools like HubSpot assist marketing experts in staying on top of the many aspects of their interconnected marketing efforts while adhering to a small company’s typically limited marketing budget.

Post 2010, the marketing image is much more dimensional, powerful, and successful – because it is confined to the consumer and his own computers. The majority of the marketing occurs on our telephones or laptops and centres around the time and effort we press or swipe. Marketing has also become more personal and customized. It focuses more on involving their own users through User Generated Content (UGC) and holding contests for better customer engagement. Influencer marketing, content marketing, micro influencer marketing, inbound marketing, evangelism, cross-media marketing, direct marketing, multi-level marketing, guerilla marketing all have been on the rise as different forms of connecting with customers.

The marketing of its goods or services is no longer an easy tactic for a company to use. It is now a maze that must be navigated in such a way that businesses can bring the customer’s message.