With every new year, you can look forward to a list of creative trends that will define it, or try to. Some are spot-on, and some are just ideas that never take off. But in the last calendar year, a lot in the world has changed, and our design communications have evolved with it. Jim Kelley, Director of Creative Services at Cheetah Digital, shares a few trends that are standing out in email marketing campaigns for 2021… so far.
Authenticity
As crucial conversations surfaced in 2020, brands have recognised the importance of reinforcing their values. We see email creative that celebrates community, diversity, and equality; photography and content appearing more natural and authentic.
Accessibility
Creativity in simplicity/minimalism has been trendy as brands are also looking to become ADA compliant. Emails are being designed so that their content is available to—and their functionality can be operated by—anyone, regardless of ability. Dark Mode will also impact brand design trends in 2021.
Factoid: eight per cent of men are affected by some degree of color blindness.
Device shots
As people are spending more time at home and online, brands are promoting their digital capabilities. We’re seeing more device shots, showing screen visualisations, highlighting ease-of-use. Animation is being used here too!
Subtle motion
Many brands are turning to visual delights, with animated logos, sparkle in imagery, screen transitions, and the subtle treatment of motion to accentuate and complement a message… not dominate it.
Icon attention
Iconography has commonly been used to highlight steps of a process, perks, and features. With COVID-19, emails are becoming more informative than ever, with alert banners, safety icons, and details to help content stand out.
And now here’s one idea that we’d like to see trending in email creative…
Interactivity
A small game, a carousel or a tap ‘n’ reveal hotspot can increase user activity with hip interaction and mystery fun. According to our 2019 Holiday Study, we observed a six per cent increase in transaction rates when an email included an interactive element. However, declining resources may have negatively impacted its use and exploration in 2020. If you want to stand out in 2021, it’s a tactic worth considering that could give your business an advantage.