The past decade has been one of
great changes in the marketing and media industry. Technological advancements
and the increased use of internet have changed the way how companies and brands
market their products. From a TV centric marketing approach we have evolved to
a digital centric model. Programmatic buying, Search, Online video, and Social
media are examples of some of the platforms used by marketers today that were
not used 10-15 years ago.
As the world continues evolving
what can we expect from marketing in the next couple of decades?
In the near future everything will be digital. The development of new devices and technologies will make the
boundaries between old and new marketing and media fade. Under this new
environment, the way we interact among other people and objects will dramatically
change and force marketing to evolve as well. As @jasonsilva mentions in his videos shots of Awe the next big technological revolution is the internet of things. This theory basically states that since we are now installing
intelligent sensors in almost every object around us, there will be a point in
which these objects will give us feedback. All these feedback will mainly
translate in information that will allow objects to anticipate our needs.
In this new world were our needs are anticipated marketing will transform and
get a completely new role.
Marketing for the masses will be
over and evolve to a 1 to 1 marketing. Brands will need to work, to make sure
marketing strategies are tailored specifically for each individual. In order to
tailor marketing for each individual new devices will be used. Devices
like Google glasses will be mainstream and virtual reality objects will shape
how the message is delivered. The perfect example of what’s coming is the
Gap ad featured in the movie minority report. Once you enter the store, a
device reads your retina and a personalized message is delivered to you though
virtual reality.
Finally, as with all the aforementioned
ideas about the evolving world of marketing, I believe strategies and
technology will emerge to incorporate other senses. Currently no one can deny
the need of marketing strategies, however almost all these tactics are limited
to two of the five senses. Right now, marketers are targeting their audience’s
visual and oratory senses. Whether it is a catchy song heard on the radio
or the image of a delicious cheeseburger in a magazine add, the tactics
would be increasingly effective if coupled with the sense of smell, taste, or
even touch. A laundry detergent commercial depicting clean, fluffy fabrics that
smelled like fresh linens would help to sell the product, the smell of a juicy
cheeseburger coupled with hunger-inducing images would make vegetarians
run to a restaurant. As with pass trends, it is safe to assume the marketing
industry will evolve and adapt to incorporate technological advances.
What do you expect from marketing in the future?