At Google's flagship event for marketers, Think Performance: the future is now, Matt Brittin keynoted and shared his observations on the key trends to embrace today.
It’s not just people getting connected, but also things.
By now we’re well aware of the fact that people are connecting to multiple devices to accomplish different tasks using various screens throughout the day. What’s next? Connected devices are using the computing power of the internet to process patterns of data so we can do things better and more efficiently. Examples include Nest and the driverless car.
Humans like technology that lets us take charge.
People love to be in control. The ability to download and watch an entire season of House of Cards is a case in point – we want to consume content without the constraints of an arbitrary broadcasting schedule. YouTube, which sees 100 hours of video uploaded every minute, is another example of an offering successfully catering to our yearning to curate, create and share. Audience expectations are rapidly changing as users are demanding infinite choice and customisation options.
Expertise in the pocket hastens the rate of change.
With access to the entire internet in our pockets, we’re all becoming “pocket experts.” Again, we’re benefiting from technology that can make sense of huge volumes of data and patterns of behaviour to facilitate better, more informed decisions. And as more people get connected and more information is exchanged, new developments are occurring more rapidly.
Companies that are fast are beating those that are big.
But companies that are both fast and big can really cut through. This often happens not as a result of intention, but when a company is faced with constraints. Take Old Spice for example: after Procter & Gamble considered abandoning the 75-year-old brand, Old Spice quickly unleashed viral marketing that revitalised its sales.
We’re benefiting from technology that can make sense of huge volumes of data and patterns of behaviour to facilitate better, more informed decisions.
Follow the heart or the head? Go with both.
Conventional educational systems tend to separate the scientists (those who operate according to the head) from artists (who tend to follow the heart). There’s so much data available now that the challenge to make sense of it is growing all the time. Companies that succeed will use data to inspire creativity, in essence bringing the heart and the head together.
