“For me, 2016 will be all about the rise of the Instagram influencer. The fastest growing social network now comes with its own ‘Instagram famous’ celebrities, and marketers need to be aware of that. People trust people, not brands – and the biggest brands on Instagram are people.”

“This year, companies need to carefully consider Instagram within their social strategy and as part of their marketing mix – how can they leverage the reach of the Instagrammer tribe, and how should they be working together?”

“As data gathering continues to rise, the end of generic “one size fits all” marketing is drawing closer. Consumers are seeing more and more personalised content delivered to them in every form of communication and advertising, and as this becomes standard practice users will start to tune out of traditional campaigns.”

“Brands, especially multi-location retailers, face the challenge of having to gather as much relevant data on consumers and their expectations as possible without becoming intrusive. This data will be priceless: knowing if a customer is a vegetarian, for example, can be vital for a restaurant chain when sending an email campaign about a new menu.”

“Right now, three of the biggest barriers to content quality are insufficient understanding of best practice, the wide availability of cheap, poorly executed content and a lack of planning and measurement.”

“We’re also seeing brands increase their spend on content, both written and visual, across channels. With this growing focus on online copy, we have the opportunity to demonstrate the professional rigour that’s essential to its effectiveness.”

“If brands are to cut through the noise, and convince increasingly savvy consumers, they’ll need to invest more in quality rather than quantity. That means sharper targeting through customer insight, a greater depth, richness and relevance of content, and a distinctive, consistent tone of voice. All crucial ingredients for making messages stick.”