We don’t have flying cars (yet), and our hoverboards are still bound to the ground, but 2016 promises to bring some exciting changes and technology to the marketing industry. We’ve compiled a list of 3 trends our team members are looking forward to seeing in the coming year.

Virtual Reality – The immersive virtual reality experience featured in “Total Recall” is a few years away (hopefully), but affordable, compact, virtual reality devices will be hitting stores within the next couple of months. With more portable lightweight technology making its way to the mainstream (like the FitBit and Apple Watch), VR isn’t just something for gamers. Companies are looking for ways to incorporate the technology into health services, education, and tourism. Companies looking to think outside the box and be early adopters of new technology should look no further than this upcoming trend.

Delivery Services – In 2015, Amazon began showing off models for its Prime Air service, which will use delivery drones to quickly transport goods to customer’s doorsteps. While Amazon has yet to say when its air program will launch (zing!), other companies are beginning to incorporate quick deliverables into their services. UberEATS is already offering easy, one-touch food delivery through its app in select cities. Here in Jacksonville, we are looking forward to having our dinner and dry cleaning delivered, and paid for, with the tap of a button.

Content Marketing Matures – In 2015 more and more social media users began tailoring their digital experience. Many people are leaving larger social media platforms, like Facebook, for smaller more niche applications, like snapchat. They are also using applications to hide ads and tailor their overall visual experience. The result is that in 2016, content marketing will become more important. Advertisers will focus less on mass ads and more on well-curated, thoughtful content. Creating videos, blogs, reviews, and images will become one of the primary ways for B2C sales. Marketers will also have to find ways to fit into non-traditional, more niche platforms (again, like snapchat) to remain relevant. While this might sound scary to business owners, we think it is a great opportunity to get creative and think outside of the traditional boundaries of customer communication.

What trends do you predict will take off in 2016, and which ones will fall flat by February? Let us know on Twitter at @WingardCreative.