Ali Spitzer speaks on Together Digital Cleveland Chapter Event

What to Know and Follow in Digital in 2024

In a landscape where digital evolution is constant, staying ahead of the curve is paramount.  As AI keeps growing, industries keep changing, and the economy keeps shifting making knowing about the digital world is super important right now.

Ali Spitzer, Partner & COO of Hay There Social Media, recently spoke on a panel for Together Digital‘s Cleveland Chapter.   She was part of an insightful panel discussion featuring three remarkable industry leaders including herself, Jess Van Wagenen, Vice President of Media for AdCom and Anne Polkinghorn, the Senior Director of Communications & Digital Marketing, thunder::tech.

In addition to their commitment to their fields, these accomplished professionals embody a commitment to women’s empowerment and professional growth. Their diverse backgrounds include experience with multiple industries, including the automotive industry, globally recognized media, entertainment, sports brands, and top retailers.

2024 Digital Trends

The panel, emceed by Together Digital Ambassador Cathy Spicer (a Senior Public Relations Specialist at AdCom), started strong with a pointed question asking each panelist for their number one trend to watch this year. “Given your respective backgrounds, what is one major trend for 2024 in your field that you find most exciting or disruptive?” Spicer asked.

Responses & discussion points included:

• Hay There is continuing to watch the evolution of our relationship with technology as we move into web3, where 1st party data will be even more crucial for true connection and interaction. 
• Specifically, the trend of 40% Gen Z using social as search engines, and how that correlates with a “cookie-less” future. 
• Without that 3rd party data powerhouse driving our shopping carts to follow us everywhere, companies will lose roughly 30% of their revenue. 
• Meanwhile, social consumption is on the rise. 
• Hay There has been watching this evolution towards web3 for years because women need to be leaders in this space, and we train women for many reasons (job security, confidence) on the transition we are seeing from Internet 2.0 to web3.  

Another particularly exciting conversation occurred when panelists were asked, as we head towards a “cookie-less” future, how they see 2024 playing out in terms of data privacy and targeting strategies. The discussion really led to how it’s great news for social media managers.  Jess and Anne both explained that they have been preparing for it for years, so smart marketers have come up with other strategies. They did mention foreseeing some traditional marketing such as billboards making a comeback, if they can find talent that has training in traditional media.

If you weren’t aware, universities generally no longer teach marketing students how to deliver traditional marketing to clients. It was a startling reality to process, which sparked a greater curiosity about the future leaders of marketing. Chief Marketing Officers of the past generally fell into one of two categories: Data focused, or creative. Moving forward, especially with the emergence of AI,  the CMOs of the future will need to have a healthy blend of these two, and then some. 

Why Social Media Managers Have a Promising Future

As AdWeek, and many other industry journals have recently indicated, the marketing professionals with the most well rounded experience are currently Social Media Managers. They are already focused on the relationships between interaction, content, data, creatives and understanding the consumer in a very real way. It left many of the dozens of participants in the audience that currently touch social media with a new sense of empowerment.

Additionally, discussion surrounded what advice the panelists would give to young marketers entering the field about preparing for the ever-changing digital landscape. Ali said the best advice was to say yes to networking, or creating “serendipity on purpose” and don’t trust the people who present as having all of the answers, because no one does. By definition, the internet is a living breathing thing that is bigger than any one person can master, and we need to be in safe environments, like this Together Digital event, in order to reposition our vantage point.

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