In an environment where even Google Glass couldn’t thrive, what tech trends could dominate this year? Andrew Hennigan investigates

After ten years, social media’s evolution is relentless. Major social sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are unlikely to be replaced by new challengers in 2016, but there are certain to be some surprises, as Meerkat and Periscope proved last year, and SnapChat the year before that. What is more likely in 2016 is that marketers will get better at aligning how their content is delivered across different platforms. Let’s take a look at some emerging trends.

1. Seamless content and the power of the personal

In the past there were distinct alternatives for web sites viewed on laptops and the apps used on mobile phones, tablets and watches, but in 2016 the norm will be to eliminate these boundaries.

“Companies that offer relevant content seamlessly across devices will be seen as leading the market,” says Sara Dunham, British Airways head of marketing, retail and direct.

Instead of differentiating by device, marketers will differentiate the service by person, so each individual sees content aimed at them.

 “Personalisation will continue to be a real trend for 2016,” says Dunham. “Customers expect to receive communications and offers that are relevant to them and reflect their travel patterns and interests.”

Companies that offer relevant content seamlessly across devices will be seen as leading the market

 Sara Dunham, head of marketing, retail and direct, British Airways

2. A new wave in wearables

Developments in mobile phones are likely to be incremental, but in the field of wearables expect a new wave of devices like smartglasses and wrist-mounted activity trackers. But the difference this year is that many will aim at professional use and provide new interactions with other equipment.

On this score, more news can be expected on the Internet of Things (IoT), where more devices than ever will be controllable through a phone or watch app from anywhere. In stores, we are already seeing IoT products like light bulbs that change colour on demand. Expect in 2016 to see IoT capability being added to many more products, both for control and for monitoring. Bear in mind though, that while this brings convenience it also creates new vulnerabilities. Lighting that can be controlled by employees using an app, can also be manipulated by outsiders, creating new opportunities for mischief and more business for security companies.

3. App development, APIs and the bleeding edge

Mobile phones, tablets and smartwatch users will all benefit from continued development in apps. In the past year, the widespread availability of white-label apps has already allowed even smaller businesses to have their own app, and many startups offered new apps to provide single interfaces for intermodal travel booking. In 2016, expect more blurring of the lines, as we see apps connecting more to the rest of the ecosystem.

“Apps are going to start bleeding content into other apps,” says Ryan Matzner, director at the app developer Fueled in New York.

Uber price estimates and a ‘call button’ are already present in Google Maps search results, but you will also start seeing that kind of thing in other places. Providers like Uber and OpenTable are focusing on their core value proposition and making it available to other app developer through APIs. The value is in the service and the data, less so in the core apps user interface.”

Apps are going to start bleeding content into other apps

Ryan Matzner, director at the app developer Fueled in New York

Thanks to this trend, apps will integrate more tightly so that it will become possible, for example, to:

• Buy products directly from social media posts

• Reserve a table in a restaurant from the map app

• Book a hotel room directly from a review site

For marketers this means that it will no longer be enough to build a company website, app and social pages. The digital marketer of 2016 will be working in a much more complex ecosystem where customer interactions can come from anywhere.

4. Passivity and push notifications

Matzner also sees a shift towards apps that work in the background without direct inputs from the user.

“In a world awash with apps it’s not a great strategy to expect your users to come on a regular basis,” he says. “Instead apps will have to figure out how to be useful to users in a more passive way. For example, sending push notifications based on activity in other apps or a user’s location.”

So, for most marketers 2016 will be mostly about aligning the user experience across platforms, integrating apps with other services and starting to exploit the special capabilities of wearables and IoT-enabled equipment. But for a select few this is also the year to start exploring the advanced features of new generation electric vehicles, which promise greater interaction with digital marketing channels, and increasingly capable robotic devices.