Awareness Networks released insights and prognosis from 34 business and marketing leaders as part of its 2012 Social Marketing and New Media Predictions report. It’s written for marketing strategists, brand marketers and consults and those working in agencies. I think you’ll find it interesting to say the least and perhaps even prescriptive.
Here are a few of my thoughts…
On the evolution of social business:
Companies of all sizes will need to transform their business and existing infrastructure, and reverse engineer the impact of business objectives and metrics. Businesses will have to embrace all of the disruptive elements, such as mobile and social technology, in a new, cohesive organization that is focused outward and inward.
On the subject of Big Data:
No organization, no matter how large or small, is ready for big data from a process, collaboration and innovation perspective. Business Intelligence (BI) is still siloed. In marketing, insights usually are still driven by community managers. Companies will need to centralize BI to feed every aspect of the business – marketing, product, innovation and customer service. Only then will BI help companies transform themselves into true social businesses.
On the migration from monitoring to intelligence:
Capturing information and transforming that information into actionable, measurable insight… This type of insight will not be marketing-driven but market- driven.
On the importance of mobile marketing:
Businesses need to understand if and how their customers use mobile devices, then provide a holistic experience that does not change for users as they navigate websites and mobile applications.
On the challenges facing marketers in 2012:
Recognizing that they are part of the problem. Today, much of what we see is still traditional marketing disguised as social media. It’s still 1-to-many. And, by default, they have created a marketing silo in their organizations. Marketers need to connect the entire organization and put everyone to work for marketing. We need to move to an era of 1-to-1-to-many.
The report also features predictions and observations by some of the industry’s most progressive thinkers and doers:
Errol Apostolopoulos (@errol33), Jay Baer (@jaybaer), David Berkowitz (@dberkowitz), c.c. chapman (@cc_chapman), Robert Collins (@RobertCollins), Stacy Debroff (@MomCentral), Jason Falls (@JasonFalls), Laura Fitton (@Pistachio), Paul Gillin (@PGillin), Neil Glassman (@neilglassman), Matthew T. Grant (@MattTGrant), Doug Haslam (@DougH), Tim Hayden (@TheTimHayden), Bill Ives (@BillIves), Taulbee Jackson (@taulbee), Pamela Johnston (@PamJohnston), Debi Kleiman (@drkleiman), Lora Kratchounova (@ScratchMM), Mark Lazen (@marklazen), Mike Lewis (@bostonmike), Marc Meyer (@Marc_Meyer), Steve Murphy (@SBCMarketing), Jonas Klit Nielsen (@Klit_Nielsen), Michael Pace (@mpace101), Andrew Patterson, Dave Peck (@davepeck), Erik Qualman (@equalman), Steve Rubel (@steverubel), David Meerman Scott (@dmscott), Samuel J. Scott (@samueljscott), Jim Storer (@jimstorer), Michael Troiano (@miketrap), Ekaterina Walter (@Ekaterina)
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Thanks for the predictions Brian!
I’m definitely excited about Mobile Marketing to finally catch hold and take off. Looking at countries like Japan and Korea and where they are at with Mobile Marketing shows the tremendous potential but I think the current mobile technology + lack of education/awareness regarding MM in the US is still restricting MM growth. (i.e. downloading QR reader, improper uses of QR, spammy texts, etc).
A nice, thoughtful article that I will be referring back to as 2012 develops 🙂
Particularly agree with your last point about traditional media disguised as social!! I’m a fan of the marketers who tune in and listen and genuinely care. (Just started reading your book Brian ~ count on your wisdom! Thank you so much for all that you do!)
In terms of the evolution of social business, the lines between professional and personal networking are getting blurrier by the month. I think 2012 will herald individual expression by employees in companies as an asset to businesses rather than hiding behind social media policies. Companies will more than ever look more like the sum of it’s parts than faceless behemoths.
30 pages, yikes!
From skimming and your comment above, Brian, the continual challenge of finding relevant BI won’t decrease which represents opportunity for who can simultaneously move fast to implement and test BI solutions, and stay with it for the long haul to establish market presence. I think I just gave myself some business advice there…
Cool look forward report…lots of moving pieces and opinions.
Not mentioned. When and if CEOs begin to honestly pay attention to consumer/employee communities not shareholders, the board and Wall Street – Social media will take root.
Consumer’s b.s. spidy sense will always be ahead of the campaigns. Trust attributes are evolving as well.
Who was it who wrote – “The revolution will not be televised” ? answer: Gil Scott-Heron. Today the revolution will be mobilized. The revolution will be live!
Nice piece!
“Businesses need to understand if and how their customers use mobile devices, then provide a holistic experience that does not change for users as they navigate websites and mobile applications” – I think this is particularly important. Facebook implements this holistic experience well. Everyone else, not so much.
very interesting reading
Wha tools do you use for SMM?
Yeah, Just like rafael montilla, I would like to know what tools ur using for SMM