Do you believe that, “The more things change, the more they stay the same?”
Or do you believe that we are undergoing a seismic shift in, among other things, how business gets done?
Here are a few points of view from several colleagues as to what they think could happen next.
What do you think?
Trend 1: Social media, taken seriously.
Social media was to 2009 what websites were to 1999… everyone raced to be part of the trend, but not everyone fully understood what they were getting into. We used to ask companies, “Do you have a website?” In today’s digital ecosystem, the question has become, “Is your company doing social media?”
As more companies join the social media party, they’ll realize that they can’t just show up to garner its benefits. In other words, social media can’t function as a stand-alone element. Rather, its full potential relies on cohesive integration with the rest of a company’s brand and marketing goals. Finding a partner who understands that is key to success in this realm.
Trend 2: People need people.
Notice I used the word “people,” not “consumers.” That’s because individual people are constantly interacting with and engaging with the brands they care about – as well as the brands they can’t stand. Just go on Twitter or Facebook to see the raving praises or seething frustrations.
The companies that open their ears; or rather—their laptops—and pay attention to this dialogue, interact with it, respond to it; these are the companies that will soon outdistance their competitors. Authentic, responsive, human engagement will be the element that shines brightest and solidifies brand loyalty in the hearts of people everywhere.
Submitted by Kim Opitz, Principal Rribbitz www.rribbtiz.com
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Mobile, baby, mobile…laptop sales will remain high and though small screen netbook sales will hold steady at first they will begin to decline as the adoption of mobile platforms such as Android proliferate. The mobile industry will see growth and opportunity in devising new ways of charging for services that are internet data driven not voice driven. Mobile providers may very well wake up and make it easier to switch devices, though I’m not sure how they will be able to address the subsidizing of handsets without a “minimum contract period”. The bottom line is that portable is where it’s at and consumers will be more open to accepting the screen size of a mobile device rather than purchasing a small netbook.
Twitter use by the masses will decline…though much of it wasn’t there to begin with. The amount of activity on accounts by non-social media enthusiasts, online professionals and junkies will fall even more dramatically as other services like Facebook, and mobile applications offer similar advantages. This is not to say that Twitter is over. It isn’t. Twitters core users, audience, and niche will become more defined. Twitter as an aggregation and sharing tool will continue to grow…perhaps endangering the future of services such as Digg and Delicio.us.
Marketers will begin to understand the difference between selling via social media and communicating with customers…Okay, maybe that won’t kick in completely in 2010 (marketers tend to be bit slow in understanding intangibles), but we will see progress. Ads are less effective than content that provides value. Those that provide value also gain trust and that confidence, both of which can be monetized if done effectively. In addition, the future of more and more services (Foursquare, GoWalla, etc) is based on the need to deliver real value…not just ads…quickly to users. It’s too easy to drop a service, block an application, or ignore a campaign for marketers not understand value to consumer. (Note: The heavy use of GPS and revealing one’s current location to the world will give mainstream users the heebie jeebies and hamper some adoption of this part of the service.) One more thing on this topic…Social Media and Social Media Marketing/Advertising are not the same thing.
Submitted by Phil Wilson, Principal of RemainComm • www.remaincomm.com
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Employment trends:
Large companies continue to downsize as they lose government contracts and/ or ship jobs overseas.
Infrastructure jobs will increase: Road construction, Bridge Inspection, dam repair, etc.
More people who are unemployed will not be able o afford health insurance. Any changes to Healthcare reform will take years to implement. More need for counseling and therapy and no money to pay therapists.
The upside:
Increase in volunteerism to help the needy.
The end of managed care as it exists today.
White collar professionals will start up consulting or contract business and will make some money to put back into the economy.
Consumer products companies will make more practical goods to help people maintain their lives rather than useless luxury goods. US small and medium manufacturers will begin to rebound.
Submitted by Rob Riskin, Principal of Professional Life Resources www.professionalliferesources.com
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As the economic recovery takes hold during 2010, we’ll see a surge of U.S. consumers adding data services to their mobile experiences.
Mobile devices will continue to evolve and replace some time that U.S. consumers previously spent with other digital devices. One example is the group of mobile phone projectors that can become “instant entertainment centers” for small group viewing of short video content.
Consumer time spent with mobile devices will continue to grow. This means marketing dollars will continue to migrate toward mobile channels and Google’s purchase of Admob for ad management services will yield large long-term returns
Submitted by Frank Powell, Principal of Vis-Solutions www.vissolutions.com
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On the heels of a tough 2009, one of the key trends emerging is that customers are on a relentless hunt for maximum value from every dollar spent. Budgets seem to be loosening up a bit, but only when the customer sees strong evidence that a measurable increase in sales or cost savings will result. This makes evidence-based marketing even more important than in past years because it decreases the investment risk for your customer.
Evidence-based marketing means you provide strong case studies or financial models that show how your product or service adds to your customers’ bottom line. To put these together, you must have a firm understanding of their businesses and how they extract value from their unique business models. Tools that can help you gain this insight include benchmarking, customer satisfaction studies, 360 degree feedback and ongoing voice-of-customer programs. Once you know what your customers need and value, you can develop sales and marketing tools that provide the evidence they need to make you the favored supplier.
Submitted by Becky Aistrup, Principal Aistrup Consulting www.aistrupconsulting.com
Here are two 2010 trends for chiropractic/health
The general public is moving toward natural health care! They are starting to realize not all health care problems can be solved by a pill. Health takes hard work, eating right, exercise, managing stress and getting adjusted are ways to promote health not just manage sickness. We need to take health care into our own hands and live better! This is the wave of 2010 and the future.
We all know there is a health reform in the works. With costs of deductibles, co-pays and premiums on the rise annually, my desire and projection for 2010 would be the general public stops paying for benefits they are not using and budget for health care accordingly. One creative option is a high deductable plan and a health savings account! Health savings accounts allow you to use your money for any items related to health…chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, dental, medical, vitamins and gym memberships are just a few items were health savings accounts come in handy! They are also tax deductable. This helps to manage both your health and your bank accounts!
Submitted by Heather Worthington D.O.C. www.worthingtonwellness.com