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CANADIAN INDUSTRY ONLINE - DECEMBER 2014
T
HE MARKET I S
full of trendy
terms—Big Data, the Internet of
Things, Digital Natives, Globalization,
Social Media, etc.—that attempt to
describe the complex technological
and social changes that the world is
currently experiencing. However, there
is a danger in reducing complex social
dynamics down to a few catchy buzz-
words – trendy terms can act as intel-
lectual shortcuts that fool people into
thinking they understand these ideas
when they really don’t.
Yes, everyone knows change is
coming. And everyone can see it hap-
pening around them. But in the next
20
years, so much change is going to
happen so quickly that large portions
of the populace are going to have a dif-
ficult time keeping up.
And it won’t just be individuals.
Underestimating the speed and impact
of these changes will be the downfall
of many businesses large and small in
the coming years. In a world of con-
stant disruption and uncertainty, how-
ever, marketers who truly understand
the key forces behind these changes
will be in a better position to adapt
and survive. Looking ahead, there
are several horizon-level revolutions
that everyone in marketing should be
aware of, because they are about to be
felt with a force that is difficult to over-
state.
REVOLUTION #1: THE END OF THE
INFORMATION AGE
Many people think we are still
in the Information Age, but the truth
is that we are leaving the Informa-
tion Age behind and entering a new
stage of human development fueled
by global inter-connectedness and
rapidly improving technologies of all
kinds. The exponential growth and
convergence of so many new technolo-
gies—combined with a growing popu-
lation of tech- and media-savvy con-
sumers—will usher in a revolutionary
era of social change, the likes of which
humanity has never seen before. Ever.
In the future, companies will need to
find ways to protect themselves from
the inevitable disruptions that such
changes will bring, while simultane-
ously recognizing the advantages and
opportunities.
REVOLUTION #2: THE SHIFT FROM
INSTITUTIONAL TO INDIVIDUAL
One of the biggest power shifts
of the 20th century was the shift from
institutional power to individual
power, and that isn’t going to stop.
The Internet empowered individuals
to communicate with anyone in the
world, and now populations armed
with nothing but cell phones are bring-
ing down entire governments. Further-
more, institutions in all areas of life—
education, healthcare, religion, media,
business—are being forced to change
simply because people now have more
ability than ever to organize, mobilize,
innovate, disrupt, and demand.
Brands, too, have gone from be-
ing purely institutional inventions to
personal expressions of almost any
kind. For businesses, continuing em-
powerment of individual custom-
ers means that the dynamics of the
business/customer relationship are
evolving. Customers will continue to
demand more transparency, integrity,
and responsiveness from those they
choose to do business with—and busi-
nesses will have little choice but to
comply. Smart businesses will initiate
the inevitable rather than wait to be
pushed.
REVOLUTION #3: ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE BECOMES LESS . . .
ARTIFICIAL
Creativity and imagination are
often thought of as the one realm that
computers can never conquer, because
the inner workings of the mind are
what make humans unique. But it is
already possible to control a computer
with our thoughts alone, and commer-
cials for IBM’s Watson computer are
now touting its ability to generate new
ideas—helping chefs develop original
new recipes, for instance—using data
to spark creative inspiration.
As artificial intelligence continues
to evolve and improve—powered by
the combination of Big Data, the Inter-
net of Things, and always-connected
devices tied to people’s location and
activities (e.g., the Apple Watch)—it
will begin to behave more and more
like a giant alternative brain, one that
rivals and surpasses humans in many
ways. Machines already do most jobs
that involve repetitive motion. When
machines start replacing people who
use their imagination for a living—
writers, designers, architects, engi-
neers, teachers, etc.—they won’t just
be taking better jobs, they’ll be chal-
lenging what it means to be human.
This shift will create a great deal
of psychological stress for people with
actual brains, generating a massive
need for goods and services that will
help them adjust to this strange new
reality. Brands that can help people
ride the wave of change to a brighter
future, or help people cope and adapt,
will be in high demand—as will
brands that affirm human values and
identity.
REVOLUTION #4: RISE OF THE
DIGITAL NATIVES
Much has been written about
the impact of Millennials (those born
between 1981 and 1997) on the work-
force, but the next wave of workers
and consumers entering the workforce
will be the Digital Natives (those born
MARKETING
