The Future of Marketing?
I believe technology is starting to creep into all areas of our life! I have been making a conscious effort over the last three months to be aware of how everyone I come into contact with is using and interacting with technology.
We are living in an era where we are “talking” to people more often, but increasingly we aren’t verbally talking. Texting and posting on Facebook multiple times a days gives us instant gratification when things go wrong or when we want to share good news. We expect instant responses back and the demand on our time with these communication channels is increasing. We know so much more about each other, sometimes too much, than was ever possible in the past.
With all of this online communication, there is so much depth to our ‘character’ that can be constructed and perceived by reading / filtering the information we produce and share online. The other day I heard a discussion on breakfast radio about how more people break up with their partners over the Christmas period than at any other time of the year, a statistic that has been substantiated by Facebook! We have to realise that all of the information we are writing online is being used for marketing and in particular for gaining an understanding of specific target markets.
I see from my own personal experience, my need to know a lot of information before I will take action. To gain this information is easy – just search online. From researching products to buy, where to eat, and what others are saying about a particular brand I am wanting to buy – the information is at my finger tips and available in minutes and then becomes data that is used to understand us.
We are also living in a time where we are seeing robots being designed to look after some of the monotonous tasks in manufacturing and being sought as companions in nursing homes (these robots can sounds the alarm if there is a medical emergencies as they are always ‘on’). Robots of the future will be looking after our kids, as a trust worthy baby sitter that knows the games the child likes to play, what a nutritious meal is and will know first aid for added piece of mind for parents.
I have noticed a considerable shift from asking friends and family for advice on personal issues, to these questions being asked of computers / robots with the perception that these technology lead devices will have the better answer, as they have the combined knowledge of the world that is current, unlike that of our family and friends. Have you noticed this too?
With all of this going on in my head, I came across this YouTube video (actually it sent to me by Simon Phillips from DejanSeo, who like me has the same growing interest in examining and understanding how technology is shaping our communication). This video was originally put together for a marketing conference to spark discussion with the delegates about what the future of marketing could be, based on the current trends in the communication landscape. Now, since being posted on YouTube, it has had over 205,000 views and has sparked alot of discussion, mostly negative.
Have a look at the video and let me know what you think.
Yours in the future of marketing,
Belinda.
