I RECENTLY ATTENDED A TWO-DAY IDEATION SESSION WITH SOME VERY SMART PEOPLE, AND MY MIND IS STILL BUZZING. THESE “SMART PEOPLE” ARE FUTURISTS, SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGISTS, AND MARKETING EXECS WHO STUDY AND UNDERSTAND THE TRENDS OF TECHNOLOGY.  WE WERE UPDATED ON THE LATEST INNOVATIONS OF HOW TECHNOLOGY IS SHAPING OUR ECONOMY AND OUR CULTURE.  SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS WERE SHARED:

• APPROXIMATELY 99% OF ALL COMPUTER CHIPS ARE NOT USED IN COMPUTERS.  (DEVICES)
• WE RECEIVE MORE THAN 3000 ADVERTISING MESSAGES PER DAY.
• MANY CONSIDER THESE MESSAGES AN INTERUPTION WHILE ADVERTISERS SEE IT AS “ENGAGEMENT”.
• 76% OF PEOPLE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ADVERTISING IS TRUTHFUL.
• THERE ARE NOW 100 MILLION TWEETS PER DAY WITH 20 % OF THEM DISCUSSING PRODUCTS & SERVICES.
• MORE MILLENIALS BUY OFF OF FACEBOOK THAN THE WEB NOW.
• SOME BELIEVE THAT “SOCIAL MEDIA” HAS BECOME AN NGO (Non-Governmental Organization)

…AND 75% OF WORLD’S POPULATION IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET YET!

 

SO, HOW DOES A LEADER TRY TO SORT THROUGH ALL OF THIS CHANGE IN THEIR EFFORT TO TALK WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS AND SWITCH NEW ONES?  MY SHORT ANSWER IS, “I REALLY DON’T KNOW!”

WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THIS TREND IS REAL, IT’S GROWING AND IT HAS CHANGED HOW WE DO BUSINESS FOREVER.  WE CAN EMBRACE IT OR FIGHT IT, BUT IT’S HERE.  I STILL BELIEVE THAT WHATEVER WAY YOU DECIDE TO SPEAK TO YOUR CUSTOMERS, YOU MUST BE “CONNECTING” AND NOT JUST COMMUNICATING WITH THEM.  MASS MEDIA ATTEMPTS CONTINUE TO LOSE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS AS TIVO, DVR, AND THOUSANDS OF CHANNELS ON-DEMAND BECOME THE CHOICE OF HOW CUSTOMERS VIEW CONTENT.

DEVELOPING A MARKETING PLAN TODAY HAS TO BE EVEN MORE TARGETED THAN EVEN THREE YEARS AGO BECAUSE ALL DEMOGRAPHICS ARE UTILIZING SOCIAL MEDIA EVERY DAY.   DETERMING WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR BUDGET WILL BE GEARED TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND CONTENT DELIVERY IS A REAL CHALLENGE FOR SOME OF US BOOMERS AS WE ARE STRUGGLING JUST TO KEEP UP AND STAY RELEVANT OURSELVES.

MY ADVICE IS TO CHALLENGE THE LEADERSHIP TEAM TO DETERMINE THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS TO YOUR CUSTOMERS GOING FORWARD.  YOU MUST REALLOCATE THE MARKETING BUDGET TO DELIVER ON THIS FLUID DEMOGRAPHIC.  I DON’T SAY “ADD” TO THE BUDGET BECAUSE I DON’T THINK MORE IS BETTER. IN FACT, I BELIEVE THAT LESS IS MORE. BUT YOU’D BETTER BE CONNECTING WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS WHERE THEY ARE AND KEEP IN TOUCH EVERYDAY.

EASY TO SAY TOUGH TO DO, BUT THAT IS YOUR CHALLENGE.

Kevin Dunn
September 2011