Culture Shock – Will McInnes on Marketing in the 21st Century

We are watching war live on the Internet these days. Our cars drive themselves, we dictate shopping lists to liscening devices in our living rooms. That’s the environment we operate today… how should marketing react to this? Will McInnes, CMO Brandwatch at dpulse Zurich. Chinese curse:

May you live in interesting times

1. Visual World

We now communicate much more visually with emojis, pictures, videos. We use chat apps instead of email. According to Gartner Facebook seems on course to be the WeChat of the West.

Mary Meeker showed the chasm between time spent and media spend.

2. Robots

Alexa is the prototype of a chat bot at work. Marketeers should all get this type of devices in order to advise customers about upcoming trends. Many companies are fighting for dominance of the home OS, i.e. voice control. Amazon now owns our shopping lists. This potentially allows for even more intention insights than Google’s database.

Spotify’s «Discover Weekly» brings up new suggestions based on past listening habits. Algorithms are taking over the world. But are they ethical? Can they be tricked depending on supplier bias?

3. Speed

Today everybody and his smartphone is a sensor. Together they can create a useful picture. Products and services are all being reviewed.

4. Truth

Today the truth is based on microentries on Wikipedia, ratings & reviews, etc. Yet, are «alternative facts» true, too?

5. Meaningful Brands

In a world of Brexit and Trump, can brands stay silent? Do stock prices dive when the CEO supports Trump?

6. Closed Loops

Prof. Byron Sharp wrote a book on what matters in marketing: Reach eyeballs and what sticks in their memories. Targeting is less important than reach. Ben & Jerry ice cream is not bought impulsively but after conversations on ice cream, e.g. on social media.