Even as ad spending trends in a positive direction and setbacks spurred by the pandemic recede into the rearview, marketers will face several challenges in 2024 while being buoyed by a raft of opportunities to engage with beleaguered consumers.

Brands seeking to make emotional appeals after focusing on performance marketing for years will have to navigate an increasingly fraught sociopolitical landscape that is likely to intensify as the 2024 presidential election gets closer.

With Google’s plan to enact the death of the cookie in effect and the hype around generative artificial intelligence showing no signs of slowing down, areas of growing marketing investment — including retail media networks, connected TV and the creator economy — could be impacted. 

Below, Marketing Dive has collected stories that key into where the industry is headed, spanning the evolving social media sphere, the changing role of agencies and beyond, as marketers map out their strategies for 2024.