The IPG Media Lab, a unit of IPG Mediabrands dedicated to
creating marketing solutions, has released five technology trends that will
change the way advertisers approach marketing in 2012.
1. The Seamless Interface
Though keyboards and mice have by no means disappeared,
the ability to interact directly with your device has become a standard for the
most popular consumer technologies. Research firm Displaybank estimates that
close to 900 million touch screen units of all types will ship in 2012, while
Microsoft’s Kinect, the fastest selling consumer electronics device in history,
has eliminated the need for touch altogether. Kinect for Windows is slated to
become available in early 2012.
Video is no longer the exclusive domain of the television
display or even the PC. Your smartphone can power your entire entertainment
experience while in the car, and respond to spoken commands. 2012 will bring
new meaning to the phrase hands-free.
2. De-Ownership
Consumers have embraced the streaming paradigm, whether
it’s through their PC, in their car, or in their living room via game console.
For music, it began when CDs started to fade in favor of digital downloads, and
has now progressed to customizable streaming services like Pandora and Spotify,
which eliminate the need for any type of storage.
Video has begun traveling a similar path thanks to
streaming services like Netflix and Hulu Plus, which can deliver video through
game consoles, stand-alone devices like Roku, or directly through apps installed
on connected TVs. Although we see the over-the-top phenomenon increasing in the
next few years (MAGNAGLOBAL’s estimate is 9 percent of households by 2015),
it’s still not a death knell for traditional TV. The biggest obstacle for
adoption will be the availability and pricing of appropriate bandwidth.
3. Rise of the CDO (Chief Data Officer)
The increasing volume of information captured by
enterprise, multimedia, social media, location- based platforms, and the
Internet of Things has created an ocean of data on consumer behavior. The
ability to analyze this deluge of information and turn it into actionable ideas
will become a serious competitive advantage in the marketplace. A recent
Corporate Executive Board (CEB) survey revealed that Big Data is one of the
three top issues keeping CMOs up at nigh with the danger of analysis paralysis
looming large.
If the key to big data success is to identify and
organize the information of greatest value, companies will need to increasingly
rely on the right person for that job. The Chief Data Officer, a position which
a decade ago existed at relatively few companies, now seems poised to be
indispensable to corporations in a wide variety of fields. They will not only
be tasked with staffing a team of skilled analysts, but will also help their
CMO counterparts sleep better at night.
4. Brick and Mortar Strikes Back
As brick and mortar retailers continue to feel the pain
of online competitors cutting into their profits, they will need to step up
their digital game to stay competitive. 2012 will see brick and mortar
retailers fighting back with a new set of digital weapons to enhance the
in-store experience:
Cookies For The Real World – Until recently, the digital
space has offered a host of measurement capabilities and tracking that couldn’t
exist in the physical world. However, audience measurement tools like facial
recognition, eye-tracking, and wifi sensors are helping to level the playing
field. It is now possible to track how many people are in or near the store, or
the gender and age range of customers staring at their digital signage. The
metrics gathered from these tools will help companies better understand their
consumers and make decisions that increase revenue.
Digital Shopping Assistants – While 52 percent of 2011
holiday shoppers with smartphones used their device to help with their
purchases, only 19 percent of retailers have special shopping assistance apps.
Developing great apps to enhance the in-store experience will become essential
to building customer loyalty and beating the online retailer competition.
Indoor Mapping – Google’s recent commitment to indoor
mapping indicates a growing opportunity for retailers to deliver customized
offers and loyalty rewards based on proximity in-store. Consumers can create
shopping lists at home on a retailer’s app and then easily find products and
related offers on site.
5. Toddler Tastemakers
The young children are part of the internet generation,
having never known a world without the World Wide Web. They are also becoming
well-versed in the latest consumer technologies, a survey by PBS in May of 2011
found that 70 percent of parents with iPads let their kids use them regularly,
and there are a growing number of apps designed specifically for 6-12 year
olds. More recently, Microsoft added Kinect-enabled episodes of Sesame
Street to its Xbox Live marketplace, allowing children to interact directly
with the characters onscreen.
By Telecomlead.com Team
editor@telecomlead.com
