The Future, Not as Scary as You Thought

Where is marketing going in the next ten years?

I am going to pass on the usual introductory blog that spends ten minutes talking about who I am and why I think you should pay extra attention to what I am saying. I am just going to jump right into the topic at hand and see where it goes.

Marketing is about reaching people. It is about getting a product or service out there in front of people who might become a consumer. It is about creating a demand and, eventually, encouraging someone to spend money. So the question really is, how will reaching people change in the next ten years? How will marketing and advertising agency's need to change in order to reach the maximum number of people?

The obvious answer is Social Media. Social Media is a change in the way people get their information. It is more than Facebook, more than Twitter, it is the various forms of user generated content and the collection of websites and applications that enables people to interact and share information online. It is a content through interaction. Think blogs, think review sites, think comment sections on a news page. This is a major shift in the way marketing works. In previous years, marketing was a one way street. You put up your billboard and boast about your product. The masses see your glaring message and react in one way or another while you hope it drives more sales. Here's the new difference; social media gives the consumer the ability to climb up to your billboard and, with a big can of spray paint, comment on your brand message. Social media allows the consumer to ask questions, give praise, and, yes, ridicule.

Marketers and advertisers have gotten very good at preaching the virtues of their products and creating new ways of saying the same old message, but how will traditional media marketers react to the consumer demands in social media. How will they answer the call when Peggy Sue of Middle America questions their product online and the voices of social media echo her sentiments?

Looking for answers? Check back soon as I get into detail on this subject and many more including:

Will every brand have a Facebook page? Who will be the voice?

How much of your marketing budget should you spend on social media?

What is guerilla marketing? Is it useful?

Justin Noland

CPG Marketing Idealist

justin@wag.com