Goodbye NFT’s, Hello B2B? Rory Sutherland’s 2023 Marketing Predictions

16 Nov, 2022

A bit like Amazon resurrecting Neighbours, Ogilvy Vice-chair Rory Sutherland’s 2023 marketing predictions may come as a surprise, especially if you were expecting to hear about shiny stuff like NFTs.

It’s the time of year for the industry’s stalwarts to give their marketing predictions for the year ahead. So who better to deliver a healthy dose of realism than Ogilvy Vice-chair and MAD//Masters Co-founder Rory Sutherland? 

For Sutherland, marketers get too carried away with whatever innovation or trend is being hyped (such as the metaverse and NFTs in 2022). He thinks people should focus on more established shifts to uncover where energy and investment is likely to flow. 

So what are Sutherland’s top tips for 2023? Drum roll…The renaissance of b2b marketing and a continuation of the video conferencing boom. Whilst a renewed interest in the craft of b2b and video conferencing may lack the glamour of shiny, PR-friendly NFTs, Sutherland sees them as more likely to stand the test of time. 

“We make the mistake of obsessing about things which may or may not be five to 10 years out, because you can't be proved wrong, rather than focusing on the here and now. The world has discovered how to use video conferencing, not necessarily without a certain degree of duress, but people fundamentally are now familiar with this technology. I think this is much more important over the next 3-5 years than anything in the metaverse,” said Sutherland.

“I think this is of central importance to b2b. I see a renaissance of b2b marketing over the next two or three years. Fundamentally, the way businesses interact with other businesses is going to change. What one person called distributed service sector productivity can be one of the most exciting things I think we'll see over the next 5-10 years.”

Do you agree with Rory? Email dan@madfestlondon.com to take part in our annual ‘Mince Pies + Marketing Predictions’ series.