by Ad Age Staff // January 8, 2018
Happy New Year!
It’s a week into 2018 and your first quarter is just beginning. Take a break from going about your business to take in our predictions—because in a world that’s gotten so chaotic, it’s good to know there are a few things we can definitely (maybe) count on. Even if they aren’t all good.
Auto sales dipped 1.8 percent in 2017, ending a seven-year streak of yearly gains. While newly passed federal tax cuts are expected to help boost buyer confidence in 2018, marketers must contend with rising threats from car-sharing services that offer young urban dwellers an alternative to ownership. As a result, brands and dealers will need to continue to experiment with alternative methods like subscription-based buying. Meanwhile, marketing will have to work harder to convince people why it still makes sense to buy.