As the economy begins to open up and more people feel comfortable returning to their pre-pandemic lives, marketing teams are taking the time to refocus and plan for long-term strategic growth. With ad spend estimated to grow by 6.4%, organizations are optimistic about the future of marketing. They’re taking inventory of the lessons learned and applying insights to develop marketing playbooks that are more effective and insightful than before. 

Chief Marketing Officers are shifting strategies, messages, and tactics to meet a new consumer in a post-pandemic world. As they recalibrate, companies are tapping into a growing network of highly-skilled independent professionals to help shape future long-term growth strategies. 

Companies are increasing their investment in strategic focus areas as they pivot to marketing in a post-pandemic world 

2020 was the year of marketing defense. The marketing field operated in a mostly trial-and-error position, constantly shifting strategies in a vastly different landscape with a somber consumer. Now, marketing organizations are shifting from defense to offense and looking to step into a new, different future. 

Graphite data demonstrates that spend on hiring expertise on-demand in strategic areas as “go-to-marketing” and “digital marketing/advertising” is growing significantly. The spend on hiring digital marketing and advertising experts on-demand is up by 137% in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the first quarter of 2020. Companies are assessing the learnings and applying new insights and messages to tailor a marketing strategy for future growth. 

Companies like PepsiCo learned first-hand how to evolve marketing to be more agile and understanding in message and tone. Chief marketer of PepsiCo’s foodservice division, Scott Finlow views empathy, purposeful brand-building, action, and agility as key takeaways from marketing in a pandemic year to bring into future strategic plans. As more and more companies assess the learnings and plan for the future, independent professionals will continue to play a critical role in meeting the demands of organizations.

Marketing joins the white-color gig economy as the rise of an independent workforce sees explosive growth 

Now more than ever, professionals are seeking independent, contract work that enables increased flexibility in time, location, and work experience. 43% of all white-collar workers fall into the gig category, and it’s growing faster than full-time employment. With a changing landscape and new mindset, companies are more nimble than ever and looking to hire independent professionals to meet the shifting demands. 

LinkedIn recently released its Jobs on the Rise report, which puts marketing at the top for jobs with the fastest growth. The report includes areas where organizations hire independent professionals, including content creators, digital marketing and branding. As a result, Graphite has seen explosive growth in the hiring of marketing expertise, rising by 1,046% from the fourth quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021. This trend continues to accelerate well into Q2 2021. 

While it is still 7% lower when compared to the first quarter of 2020, there’s a lot to be excited about in this field! Our data indicates that in April and May the hiring of on-demand marketing expertise was up 3,297% YoY and up 461% compared to the same period in 2019, demonstrating that even compared pre-pandemic times, the growth is staggering.

With 22% of the American workforce expecting to be remote by 2025, companies have learned that remote work is here to stay and are adapting their strategies to now include independent professionals. 

To access the latest trends in on-demand hiring, download our Q1 2021 report here.