68  Emerging Trends in Marketing

68.1 The Shifting Marketing Landscape

Marketing has evolved through Kotler’s Marketing X.0 lens:

TipKotler’s Marketing 1.0 → 5.0
  • Marketing 1.0 — Product-centric (1900s-1960s).
  • Marketing 2.0 — Customer-centric (1970s-2000s).
  • Marketing 3.0 (2010) — Values-driven, human-centric.
  • Marketing 4.0 (2017) — Digital-traditional fusion.
  • Marketing 5.0 (2021) — Technology for humanity (AI, big data).

68.2 Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing = the use of digital channels, devices and platforms to market products and services and to engage customers. Dave Chaffey (Smart Insights) and Philip Kotler are key scholars.

TipDigital marketing channels
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM) — Google Ads.
  • Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
  • Social Media Marketing (SMM) — Meta, X, LinkedIn, YouTube.
  • Display advertising.
  • Email marketing.
  • Mobile marketing — apps, SMS, WhatsApp.
  • Content marketing — blogs, podcasts, video.
  • Influencer marketing.
  • Programmatic advertising.
  • Affiliate marketing.
  • Video marketing — YouTube, Reels, Shorts, TikTok.
  • OTT advertising.

68.3 SEO and SEM

TipSEO components
  • On-page — content, keywords, meta tags.
  • Off-page — backlinks, domain authority.
  • Technical — site speed, mobile, schema.
  • Local — Google Business Profile.
  • E-A-T — Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness (Google).

68.4 Social Media Marketing

TipMajor social platforms
  • Facebook / Instagram (Meta) — broad reach.
  • YouTube — video.
  • LinkedIn — B2B.
  • X (Twitter) — news.
  • TikTok / Reels — short video.
  • Pinterest — discovery.
  • Snapchat — youth.
  • WhatsApp — messaging, business.

68.5 Influencer Marketing

TipInfluencer types by follower count
  • Mega / Celebrity — 1M+ followers.
  • Macro — 100K-1M.
  • Micro — 10K-100K.
  • Nano — 1K-10K.
  • KOL (Key Opinion Leaders) — niche experts.

Indian market — ~₹3,500 cr (2024); Nykaa, Mamaearth, boAt are influencer-built brands.

68.6 Content Marketing — Joe Pulizzi

Joe Pulizzi (Content Marketing Institute) — Content Inc. (2015). Owned-media strategies; pull marketing.

68.7 Inbound Marketing — HubSpot

Brian Halligan & Dharmesh Shah (HubSpot, 2006) — earn attention through valuable content rather than interrupt.

Inbound flywheel: Attract → Engage → Delight.

68.8 Marketing Automation

Platforms: HubSpot · Marketo · Salesforce Marketing Cloud · Adobe Marketo · ActiveCampaign · Mailchimp.

68.9 Big Data and AI in Marketing

TipAI/Big Data applications
  • Predictive analytics — churn, propensity.
  • Personalisation — Netflix recommendations.
  • Chatbots and conversational AI — ChatGPT, Claude.
  • Programmatic ads.
  • Sentiment analysis.
  • Image and video recognition.
  • Voice search optimisation.
  • Generative AI for ad creative.

68.10 Mobile Marketing

TipMobile marketing
  • App-based marketing — push notifications, in-app ads.
  • SMS / WhatsApp Business.
  • Mobile wallets — Paytm, GPay, PhonePe ads.
  • Location-based marketing.
  • Mobile commerce (m-commerce).
  • Augmented Reality (AR) shopping.

68.11 Experiential Marketing

Pine & Gilmore (1998) — Experience Economy. Experiential marketing engages customers through immersive experiences. Examples: Red Bull events, Apple stores, IKEA showrooms.

68.12 Sensory Marketing

Aradhna Krishna (Michigan) — engages all 5 senses to influence perception and behaviour. Singapore Airlines scent · Apple unboxing experience · Starbucks sound and aroma.

68.13 Neuromarketing

Ale Smidts (2002) — coined “neuromarketing”. Uses fMRI, EEG, eye-tracking to study consumer brain responses.

68.14 Green / Sustainable Marketing

Topic 36 (GHRM) extended to marketing: eco-products, sustainable packaging, carbon labels, ESG-aligned brands. Patagonia, IKEA, The Body Shop are pioneers.

68.15 Cause-Related Marketing

Carol Cone (1980s) — link brand with social cause. Examples: P&G’s Shiksha, Tata Tea’s Jaago Re, Aviva’s Great Wall of Education.

68.16 Viral and Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Jonah Berger — Contagious (2013) — STEPPS framework: Social currency · Triggers · Emotion · Public · Practical value · Stories.

68.17 Guerrilla Marketing

Jay Conrad Levinson (1984) — unconventional, low-cost, high-impact tactics. Pop-ups, stunts, ambient ads.

68.18 D2C Marketing

Direct-to-Consumer brands bypass traditional retail. Indian: boAt, Mamaearth, Lenskart, SUGAR, Wakefit. Global: Warby Parker, Dollar Shave Club, Casper.

68.19 Web3 / Metaverse / Crypto Marketing

TipEmerging Web3 trends
  • NFTs as brand collectibles.
  • Metaverse showrooms — Nike’s Nikeland (Roblox), Gucci.
  • Token-gated communities.
  • DAOs — decentralised brand governance.
  • Phygital experiences.

68.20 Privacy and Data Protection

TipPrivacy regimes
  • GDPR (EU, 2018).
  • CCPA (California 2018, CPRA 2020).
  • India DPDP Act 2023.
  • Cookieless future — Apple ITP, Google Privacy Sandbox.

68.21 Indian Emerging Marketing

TipIndia-specific emerging marketing
  • Bharat / Rural marketing.
  • Vernacular content — Hindi, regional languages.
  • WhatsApp marketing dominant — 500 mn+ users.
  • UPI + ONDC + Digital India.
  • D2C ecosystem boom (Nykaa, Mamaearth IPOs).
  • OTT / streaming ads — Hotstar, JioCinema.
  • Quick commerce ads.
  • PMJDY-driven inclusion marketing.

68.22 Practice Questions

Q 01Marketing 5Medium

Kotler's Marketing 5.0 (2021) focuses on:

  • AProduct-centric
  • BCustomer-centric
  • CValues-driven
  • DTechnology for humanity
View solution
Correct Option: D
Kotler 5.0 (2021) — AI, big data, IoT for human benefit.
Q 02InboundMedium

"Inbound Marketing" was popularised by:

  • AHubSpot (Halligan & Shah)
  • BKotler
  • CPulizzi
  • DGodin
View solution
Correct Option: A
Brian Halligan & Dharmesh Shah at HubSpot (2006).
Q 03ContentMedium

"Content Inc." (2015) is by:

  • AJoe Pulizzi
  • BSeth Godin
  • CHalligan
  • DBerger
View solution
Correct Option: A
Joe Pulizzi.
Q 04STEPPSHard

STEPPS framework for viral marketing is by:

  • AJonah Berger
  • BLevinson
  • CCone
  • DPulizzi
View solution
Correct Option: A
Jonah Berger, *Contagious* (2013).
Q 05GuerrillaMedium

Guerrilla marketing (1984) was coined by:

  • AJay Conrad Levinson
  • BSeth Godin
  • CKotler
  • DPulizzi
View solution
Correct Option: A
Jay Conrad Levinson.
Q 06NeuromarketingHard

"Neuromarketing" was coined in 2002 by:

  • AAle Smidts
  • BKrishna
  • CPine & Gilmore
  • DLevinson
View solution
Correct Option: A
Ale Smidts (2002, Erasmus).
Q 07Pine-GilmoreMedium

"Experience Economy" (1998) is by:

  • APine & Gilmore
  • BKotler
  • CVargo & Lusch
  • DPrahalad
View solution
Correct Option: A
B. Joseph Pine II & James Gilmore (1998).
Q 08E-A-THard

E-A-T in SEO stands for:

  • AExpertise · Authoritativeness · Trustworthiness
  • BEngagement · Audience · Targeting
  • CEmail · Affiliate · Targeting
  • DEarnings · Acquisition · Traffic
View solution
Correct Option: A
Google quality signals.
Q 09PermissionMedium

"Permission Marketing" (1999) is by:

  • ASeth Godin
  • BJoe Pulizzi
  • CHalligan
  • DBerger
View solution
Correct Option: A
Seth Godin (1999).
Q 10NanoMedium

A nano-influencer has approximately:

  • A1K-10K followers
  • B10K-100K
  • C100K-1M
  • D1M+
View solution
Correct Option: A
Nano 1-10K · Micro 10-100K · Macro 100K-1M · Mega 1M+.
Q 11GDPRMedium

EU GDPR became enforceable in:

  • A2016
  • B2018
  • C2020
  • D2022
View solution
Correct Option: B
May 2018.
Q 12SensoryHard

"Sensory Marketing" is associated with:

  • AAradhna Krishna
  • BPine & Gilmore
  • CSmidts
  • DLevinson
View solution
Correct Option: A
Aradhna Krishna, Michigan.
Q 13DPDPMedium

India's DPDP Act came in:

  • A2019
  • B2021
  • C2023
  • D2024
View solution
Correct Option: C
DPDP Act 2023.
Q 14CauseMedium

Tata Tea's "Jaago Re" exemplifies:

  • ACause-related marketing
  • BGuerrilla
  • CDirect
  • DPermission
View solution
Correct Option: A
Brand + social cause.
Q 15MatchHard

Match:

(i) STEPPS (a) Pine-Gilmore
(ii) Experience Economy (b) Halligan-Shah
(iii) Inbound Marketing (c) Berger
(iv) Permission Marketing (d) Godin
  • A(i)-(c), (ii)-(a), (iii)-(b), (iv)-(d)
  • B(i)-(a), (ii)-(b), (iii)-(c), (iv)-(d)
  • C(i)-(d), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(a), (iv)-(b)
  • D(i)-(b), (ii)-(d), (iii)-(c), (iv)-(a)
View solution
Correct Option: A
STEPPS — Berger; Experience — Pine-Gilmore; Inbound — Halligan-Shah; Permission — Godin.

68.22.1 Advanced Format Questions

AR 1Assertion-ReasonHard

A: Marketing 5.0 (Kotler) integrates technology and human-centricity.
R: Marketing 4.0 emphasised online/offline integration.

  • ABoth true; R explains A
  • BBoth true; R does not explain A
  • CA true, R false
  • DA false, R true
View solution
Correct Option: B
S 1Statement-basedMedium

Digital marketing tools: (i) SEO. (ii) SEM. (iii) Social media. (iv) Influencer.

  • AAll four
  • B(i) and (ii) only
  • C(iii) and (iv) only
  • D(i), (ii), (iii) only
View solution
Correct Option: A
S 2Statement-basedHard

Kotler Marketing eras: (i) 1.0 product-centric. (ii) 2.0 customer-centric. (iii) 3.0 human-centric. (iv) 4.0 digital. (v) 5.0 technology-for-humanity.

  • AAll five
  • B(i), (ii), (iii) only
  • C(iv) and (v) only
  • D(i) only
View solution
Correct Option: A

68.23 Quick Recall

ImportantQuick recall
  • Kotler Marketing 1.0-5.0: Product → Customer → Values → Digital-traditional → Tech for Humanity.
  • Digital channels: SEM · SEO · SMM · Display · Email · Mobile · Content · Influencer · Programmatic · Affiliate · Video · OTT.
  • SEO: On-page · Off-page · Technical · Local · E-A-T.
  • Influencer tiers: Nano (1-10K) · Micro (10-100K) · Macro (100K-1M) · Mega (1M+) · KOL.
  • Content Marketing — Pulizzi (2015).
  • Inbound — Halligan-Shah HubSpot (2006).
  • Marketing Automation: HubSpot · Marketo · Salesforce.
  • AI/Big Data: predictive · personalisation · chatbots · programmatic · sentiment · gen AI.
  • Experiential — Pine-Gilmore (1998).
  • Sensory — Krishna.
  • Neuromarketing — Smidts (2002).
  • Green / Cause / Viral / Guerrilla marketing.
  • STEPPS — Berger (2013).
  • Guerrilla — Levinson (1984).
  • D2C: boAt, Mamaearth, Nykaa, Lenskart, Casper, Warby Parker.
  • Web3 / Metaverse: NFTs · token-gated communities · DAOs · phygital.
  • Privacy: GDPR 2018 · CCPA · DPDP 2023 · cookieless future.
  • India: vernacular · Bharat · WhatsApp · OTT ads · D2C boom · ONDC · UPI.