Each year, my good friend Bryan Kramer assembles an incredible group of experts across several sectors to share their marketing predictions for the next year. The diversity of forecasts and observations is really worth exploring. I’ll share mine with you here…
Quite honestly, we’ll see more of the same patterns we’ve seen in previous predictions…new platforms, new ways to engage, new data sources and tools to improve accuracy, metrics, frequency and reach. My prediction is more of a clarion call for marketers to take a step back and learn more about the role marketing can play in shaping the customer experience in every moment of truth.
There’s marketing as we know it (broadcasting, a lot of talking, shiny object chasing, vanity metrics, etc.) and marketing as a form of engagement and community building (listening, learning, context, culture, targeting, collaboration, co-creation, etc). Brands don’t mean what they used to mean. They’re now experiential.
Customers need to be reminded why they should care about brands throughout the journey and the lifecycle. That means more specific content that answers questions and provides answers in the ways and networks they’re relevant and needed. That means understanding people, interest graphs and behaviors/preferences. That means conversations that yield mutually beneficial results. That means social engagement and overall efforts that improve the experience and the affinity in every relationship.
What are your thoughts for 2016?
Experience is everything…
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I suspect a broader range of people will call out bad (slimey) tactics, take the time to write good and bad reviews, and spend more time research POV of others. I think people will be even more intolerant for in-store experiences that are completely seperated from online experiences and vice-versa. I also think there will be some developments in inventory and shipping as we want tactile touch and in-store browsing but we still want variety and like browsing online. Somehow our browsing should start influencing merchandising.
I hope so!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Love it. #smart 🙂
Funny but, we are reaching full circle. Since marketer destroy everything and have been working for many years to dehumanize and distance themselves form their customers, finally marketers have drove themselves to become human again, as much as it is possible for marketers.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with using the tools, but the problem is in the intent. When marketers pretend they care just because its better business rather than actually care because its the right thing to do. And people who do genuinely care find it hard to reach the audience among the hypocritical marketers who only pretend.
One thing is certain, your average customer is getting more educated, their BS radar is getting more sophisticated and they demand more attention, practice more freedom of speech and right to express satisfaction and for the first time in long time they too have audience that is listening. And all of them together are shaping the brand more than the companies that are still trying to be old school broadcasting stations, one way only.
You Brian have been talking about this for years but it just didn’t become mainstream way of thinking. Maybe finally 2016 is the year. 🙂
Cheers to you!
Thank you for sharing this Brian. Happy to be a part of this year’s annual predictions with you. Here is to an extraordinary 2016!!
Here’s to you!