The Defining Marketing Moments of 2024

As the Irish value retailer invests $90 million in its US expansion and plans a flagship store near Penn Station, it is taking an unconventional approach that is raising eyebrows in the retail world. In a digital era where competitors are racing to perfect their e-commerce experience, Primark is doubling down on practicality – and it’s working.

Since opening its first US store in Boston in 2015, Primark has methodically built its US presence to 29 stores, with an ambition to reach 60 by 2026. But what’s most intriguing is how this European retail powerhouse (the third largest clothing retailer in the United Kingdom) ) breaks the traditional expansion plan. Instead of rushing to launch digital sales channels, they’re investing in traditional billboards, subway ads, and yes, TikTok campaigns—all designed to draw customers into brick-and-mortar stores where, they say, the real magic happens.

With a new Manhattan flagship store on the horizon and a fresh brand campaign launching this spring, Primark is betting big that in retail, sometimes the old rules still apply to new markets.

How did one sales team achieve a 47% increase in performance without adding a single new resource?

When a team of 900 sales reps started sharing their first insights through Hive Perform, something unexpected happened. An analysis of 5,000 peer-to-peer conversations revealed 10 key themes that didn’t just improve results—they transformed the way knowledge moves through the organization.

From reducing time to new hire by 36 days to uncovering hidden product strategies, this is the story of how leveraging your team’s existing expertise can lead to extraordinary results.

As 2024 draws to a close, marketers across all industries are considering the trends, technologies and social changes that have reshaped the profession.

From economic turbulence to the continued dominance of artificial intelligence (AI), this year has been a proving ground for marketers facing new challenges and opportunities. Let’s dive into the key stories of 2024, organized by industry and overarching professional themes.

The death of third-party cookies:
In 2024, marketers began to fight with Google in progress phase-out of third-party cookies. As Chrome neared the final stages of implementation for its Privacy Sandboxbrands have struggled to establish first party data strategies and explore alternatives such as contextual targeting and data partnerships.

Greenwashing lawsuits set the tone:
At the start of the year, several global brands faced legal action over misleading sustainability claims. In Great Britain, Competition and Market Authority (CMA) intensified investigations into greening, prompting marketers to focus on verifiable claims and transparent ESG messages.

Meta ad targeting settings:
Meta started the year with updates ad targeting options, removing several detailed targeting categories that are considered sensitive (e.g. around health and social issues). This has forced marketers to improve their audience viewing strategies and rely more on lookalike audiences and interest-based targeting.

Threads are becoming increasingly popular among brands:
After launch in mid-2023. neitherMeta’s competitor on Twitter, has seen gradual adoption by brands exploring its potential. By the second quarter of 2024, marketers were taking advantage of the conversational platform, albeit with cautious budgets due to its new advertising capabilities. Its growth was fueled by constant turbulence on Twitter, now known as X.

UK strengthens consumer protection legislation:
Introduced Great Britain changes and additions according to Consumer protection from unfair trade regulationstargeting deceptive marketing practices such as fake reviews and misleading pricing. This update required marketers to review their campaigns and ad copy to ensure compliance, especially for e-commerce.

Generative artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly popular in creating campaigns:
Q2 has seen widespread use generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Jasper for copywriting, ad design and audience segmentation. However, legal and ethical issues have arisen with AI, particularly regarding intellectual property rights for AI-generated content. Some brands have implemented internal guidelines for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in marketing.

The greenwashing reaction continues:
High-profile lawsuits over allegations of “greenwashing” have prompted several companies to review their ESG campaigns. The backlash against vague environmental claims intensified as consumers demanded transparency. Marketers have turned to third-party certifications and measurable sustainability efforts to regain trust.

Extend Meta’s ad transparency features:
In July 2024, Meta presented reinforced ad transparency tools, which allow users to view detailed information about ad targeting parameters. This was part of Meta’s wider efforts to comply with global regulatory pressures. Marketers have had to adapt by ensuring their ad strategies can withstand public scrutiny and align with ethical targeting practices.

Google’s AI-powered search continues to disrupt SEO:
Google’s Generative Search Experience (SGE) expanded in the third quarter, merging AI-generated summaries with organic and paid results. This has fundamentally altered traditional SEO strategies, forcing marketers to optimize content for conversational queries and integrate more dynamic ad formats into search campaigns.

The Cannes Lions Sustainability Pledge Gains Momentum:
Marketers at Cannes Lions in August 2024 faced increasing pressure to prioritize authentic sustainability storytelling. The event highlighted brands that have demonstrated measurable ESG progress, raising the bar for sustainability-focused campaigns and signaling a move away from superficial green messaging.

Social commerce is becoming more and more popular:
Platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram have doubled down on social commerce features. TikTok Shop now tools and live streaming events have become major strategies for marketers targeting younger audiences. Meanwhile, Instagram has added improvements to in-app billing, making it easier for brands to increase conversions directly within the platform.

Consumer advocacy promotes responsible advertising:
Global consumer protection groups have stepped up their campaigns against misleading advertising, resulting in several brands facing fines or public backlash for unclear pricing or exaggerated claims. Marketers have increasingly turned to compliance consultants to navigate the growing complexity of international advertising laws.

Google expands testing of privacy protection environment:
By the fourth quarter, Google had stepped up its Privacy Sandbox testing, moving a larger percentage of Chrome users away from third-party cookies. Marketers have relied heavily on first-party data collection strategies, investing in customer data platforms (CDPs) and personalized email marketing to maintain audience engagement amid reduced tracking capabilities.

FTC tightens regulations on digital marketing practices:
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published updated guidelines targeting deceptive advertising practices, with a particular focus on dark patterns in e-commerce. Marketers were required to re-evaluate their websites and ad copy to ensure clear communication around pricing, auto-renewals and promotional offers. Brands that did not comply faced significant penalties, making transparency an essential part of campaign planning.

Growth of advertising costs on social networks:
The holiday season saw a significant increase in ad spend on platforms such as Meta and TikTok as competition for consumer attention intensified. Marketers began to experiment owned media strategies such as newsletters and branded content hubs to reduce reliance on increasingly expensive social media ads.

Generative artificial intelligence optimizes holiday campaigns:
Marketers embraced generative AI to scale personalized holiday campaigns. Tools such as ChatGPT and MidJourney have been used to create customized copy and visuals, allowing brands to create hyper-targeted messages for different audience segments. However, there are still concerns about an over-reliance on artificial intelligence, and some campaigns have come under fire for lacking human creativity and authenticity.