10 Future E-marketing Predictions
This is my last week of e-marketing class, so I thought I would culminate my thoughts into a series of prediction about the future of e-marketing and technology in general.
1. The internet is experiencing a display ad bubble and that bubble is about to pop.
The use of displays ads have continued to growth since the first banner ad was created in 1994. This medium seems to be the solution to every company’s revenue problem. Can’t make money with a subscription model? Inundate the site with banner ads. Can’t figure out how to grow and your publically traded (Twitter, Facebook)? Dump out ads on the screen.
Consumers are coping with this trend by simply ignoring areas of sites where these ads are displayed. Eventually, once every site is a littered dumping ground of blinking, loud, animated ads, consumer will demand simplicity and this trend will reverse.
2. Wearable technologies are truly the unexplored marketing frontier.
Wearable technology will continue to grow in the coming years. With the introduction of Google Glass and a rumor for an Apple smart watch, user are going to start interacting with technology in a more personal way. For marketers, this frontier is unexplored, but virtually boundless. Advertisements can be targeted to users as they interact with the world. Instead of interrupting a user’s experience, the user will be given information they can use and want, at a time when they are the most relevant
Source: Wikipedia
3. An individual’s social network will become their internet driver’s license
Access to different websites requires an ever expanding list of user codes and passwords for users to remember. For marketers, this represents a hurdle to the content that makes companies money. I predict that one site will emerge that will set the standard for how users interact with the web. For example, maybe a user’s Facebook credentials allow them to gain access to all other sites. Facebook, in a sense, becomes the identity a user employs to navigate the web.
4. Targeting ads will become more prevalent, as the internet continues to divide into tribes.
The internet has made everyone connected; however, in some way, we are more fragmented than ever. Individuals who have passions can now find like-minded individuals to share them with. Marketers will continue to refine how advertisements are targeted to these tribes of people and in turn, the value and return on these efforts will increase.
5. Blogs will continue to be a significant driving force in how companies communicate.
6. Concerns over privacy and the collection of data will grow as a major concern for online consumers.
7. Twitter will bloat, twist, feature creep, and die.
Twitter does not know where to go next. The company lacks vision on how to increase revenue for shareholders and provide additional value to consumers. I predict that the site will continue to implement more and more unrelated technology and advertisements until the minimalistic nature of the micro-blogging experience is lost to bloated, superfluous features. When you have found success in a minimalistic, how do you expand without losing your identity?
8. The concept of Microsoft’s PixelSense will be implemented successfully bridging digital and physical marketing.
PixelSense, formally known as Surface, is a table that users interact with. This technology would seem to have endless prospects for incorporating the world of e-marketing to the physical world. Sadly, Microsoft’s implementation is expensive and not widely adopted. I predict that this technology will decrease in price and eventually will be included in every workplace, store, and restaurant.
Source: http://www.everything-microsoft.com/2012/06/20/pixelsense-microsofts-surface-project/
9. Online and offline experiences will become seamless.
10. Interactive video will become more significant for marketers.
Sound off: What do you think about my predictions? Do you have predictions of your own? What did I get right and wrong?
Nick: I do not usually comment on student blogs, but this is truly outstanding work. I think you are on to something here.Well done!
ReplyDeleteNick – outstanding insight!
ReplyDeleteRegarding the display ad bubble, I think you are right. However, I do not think the ads will go away – they will just subside and return in a different form. Sites that are developed to offer the more simple view as you describe, will start that way and eventually the ads will slip in again. That is because there has to be a revenue model – or businesses will not spend the time and money to develop and maintain the sites/technology.
I like your summary of the wearable technology and the coming technology that will interact real time with the surrounding world. I saw a skit on Jimmy Fallon the other night, where an individual’s smart phone reacted to various retailer sites based on his preferences, as he walked by with his wife. The only problem was the businesses were not ones that he really wanted his wife to know were of interest to him – if you know what I mean. Pretty funny. Anyway, this interactivity via wearable technology is very cool and it will be interesting to see what happens.
Relative to your third prediction, while another site may become more sophisticated, I think Google is already trying to position the company as the Internet site gateway, opening access to email, blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn and so on – just by logging on to your Google account.
Your tribe concept is excellent – I had not thought of the segmentation of the Internet in this way.
Great blog post Nick!
I am very impressed with your blog and honestly are surprised you shared such information as some of the ideas you proposed could be million dollar ideas. I especially enjoyed the internet drivers license concept you covered. Your targeting to tribes concept is also interesting as I have experienced this with some online clubs and forums that I am apart of. This was a very good blog post and I enjoyed it.
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