We are preparing to bid farewell to 2021 and welcome 2022. Since the pandemic, a global crisis and state of limbo seems to have permeated the entire world. Adding to this the recent economic turmoil and local problems in our country, it can be said that we are quite far from the New Year's enthusiasm of previous years. Despite everything, life goes on, and we have many reasons to be hopeful for the future. The transformation brought about by the pandemic, despite all the negativity, has, albeit reluctantly, accelerated certain trends and technological breakthroughs, and increased the momentum of global change.

The rapid increase in technological developments and the "digitalization" process we fully entered with the pandemic have caused us to compress transformations that previously spanned decades into a very short period of two years. Amidst this ups and downs, while there are institutions, organizations, and structures that have been damaged, there are also many companies and formations that have been able to seize opportunities from this crisis. While completely new job descriptions and criteria such as flexibility, agility, well-being, remote work, and mobility have entered our lives; It's also true that classic business models are being revised or abandoned.

2021 was a year in which the effects of the pandemic were partially lessened compared to 2020, and the light at the end of the tunnel was visible thanks to the vaccine. Although it hasn't yet returned to the levels of two years ago, consumer demand is increasing in areas such as socializing, concerts/events, and travel, while working life is also partially normalizing. In short, the pursuit of digitalization and the desire to adapt to the new world continued at full speed in 2021 and seems likely to continue at an irreversible pace.

"Data" became one of the most talked-about topics in 2021 in almost every field, including digital marketing. Sensitivities regarding the protection of personal data, data interpretation, data analysis, and scandalous data leaks in corporate companies are harbingers of a new world trend and reality where both value and risk are increasing with digitalization.

Metaverse, blockchain technologies, sustainability, NFTs, the rise of gaming companies, the concept of wellness, and remote work are just a few of the things we heard most about in 2021.

According to Google's 2021 trends, globally, searches for terms like "quarantine" and "restrictions," which represented social anxiety in 2020, are being replaced by more hopeful words like "recovery" and "vaccine." According to Ipsos' global social trend research, 80% of people hoped 2021 would be a better year than 2020, while 40% hoped life wouldn't return to normal. Looking back at 2021, even if everything hasn't returned to normal, it can be said that we are slowly recovering from the social impacts of 2020.

As for expectations for 2022 and beyond, while the last two years have been marked by social trauma, some significant developments have also occurred. Globally, e-commerce spending basket values ​​increased by nearly 50% in 2020. With approximately half the world's population using social media, there has been a significant increase in mobile phone internet usage and e-commerce. This is one of the most important indicators of the global spread of internet and social media-based shopping. A new era has begun, incorporating autonomous and decentralized systems. The idea of ​​"decentralization" and blockchain technology, which possess the potential to create a transformation and change far beyond the popular concepts of "Bitcoin" and "cryptocurrency," will be among the trends of this new era. In this period, where data has become more important than at any other time in history, new concepts such as cybersecurity, cloud technologies, IoT, data analysis, Web 3.0, and 5G will also be more prominent.

Of course, as the impact of the pandemic diminishes, it can be expected that the momentum of digital transformation trends over the last two years will somewhat decrease. On the other hand, it can be expected that these developments will continue, albeit at a slower pace, over longer periods and eventually reaching a balance within themselves.

We hope that 2022 will be as good as 2021, that you will quickly adapt to changing global trends, and that you will focus on opportunities as well as crises during this chaotic transformation process. And of course, above all, we wish you a healthy year…