The Times They Are a Changing: Using Technology to Reach the User

ADWEEK conducted their Interactive Marketing Virtual Conference and Trade Show this past Tuesday, and I was lucky enough to be there. There were speakers on mobile marketing, search engine marketing, and the use of social networks; all of which are used to reach consumers with information about a brand. I took this opportunity to learn about new marketing techniques, new technology, and new ideas for reaching that crucial audience. The conference I found most interesting was given by the keynote speaker, John Marcom. Marcom is the former Senior VP of International Operations for Yahoo, Inc., responsible for the expansion of the yahoo brand into a growing global market. Additionally, Marcom has an impressive resume, working for some of the top media companies over the past 10 years.

The keynote address, The Times They Are a Changing: Using Technology to Compete on a Grander Scale, opened with many accurate and well received points all addressing the fact that technology is now moving and changing extremely fast. Advertising and marketing executives, therefore, must always evaluate new technologies to make sure they are being utilized the most effective and useful ways, ensuring success for the brand. Technology has changed the way in which we receive information and marketers must change with us as a result.

The biggest thing Marcom stressed was society's move to a more "consumer in control" way of doing business. Through the internet and mobile expansion, there is a lot more room for the opinion of the group and people have much more control over the content they are exposed to. This is a challenge to the old methods of advertising, as they are now expected to revolve around the consumer's interests, habits, and views. He uses Wikipedia as an example of this; describing the information source as having no real owner, instead solely serving to benefit users. Companies, he sees, are being created without much thought to advertising, but more geared towards a focus on personalization. There is definitely a surge towards peer generated content, putting consumers behind the wheel when it comes to their media consumption. This is valuable as users who are involved develop a personal stake in the content they are generating and consuming.

Marcom gave insight into a few business opportunities he sees in the ever-changing new media world, establishing that there is still a lot of room to grow in this realm and most new ideas are still in developing stages. Marcom predicts that Google marketing has a lot more development to go, but is on track to eventually change the marketplace. Search Engine Marketing will only improve and evolve, bringing marketers even closer to consumers in matching their advertising with content. He illustrates an online world where the user is front and center, creating new forms of advertising and bringing in huge benefits for both buyers and sellers. This world is filled with more information and pathways to reaching users.

With regards to new media, Marcom predicts new innovations in uniting the various mediums people use for real-time communication, including telephone, text messaging, instant message, and email. Although there is currently no clear way to bring these instant communications services completely together, new methods are being created.

He also predicted the evolution of a unified social network, instead of separated networks users have for various aspects of their lives. For example, Marcom explains one person's use of many networks including myspace and facebook, with each site tied to the users different social groups. As one joins multiple networks, it becomes time consuming to manage each one separately and new opportunities for growth will be emerging to make it easier; finding the best way to manage these various groups together.

He also sees growth in the realm of content discovery, helping users find the information they are looking for quickly and easily. Currently, content is discovered through various random methods: perhaps finding out about a song through the newspaper, or an issue through a website. Marketers can benefit by finding a more efficient way for consumers to quickly get what they want.

Marcom stressed that an authentic voice is the most important aspect of marketing in this new media world. Because of critical consumers willing to search for the perfect solution to their needs, the brand needs to convey a real message with the user's voice front and center.

All of Marcom's advice was centered around one key idea: in this faster new media world, the user is now central to the message. It is the advertising and marketing executive's challenge to form messages around consumers, with media revolving around what users want, need, or can do. Executives must constantly move around, looking out for what users are doing and how content is being consumed.

For marketers in this world, getting new users isn't the hard part. It is what you do once you have them, how you stay in the race, that counts. If you're going to be global in this market, whatever your methods, you must satisfy the user. This was Marcom's key message, a valuable look at what marketers need to be doing to establish themselves in this new user-centered and ever changing world. Advertisers should always be looking forward; discovering what their audience is thinking, where they are going, how they are consuming, and what they will be doing next. Information is free-flowing; it is the various media used to obtain this content that is now changing, and media owners must be one step ahead to ensure that the user is in the right place and content will flow out of their specific medium.

I must say I am satisfied that we are moving into an age where the consumer is a bit more front and center when it comes to media consumption decisions. It is our choice to watch what we want to watch, listening to the voice we want to hear it in and it is the media owners' job to reach us where we want to hear them. We're consuming their information and buying their products, and I really like how it's becoming easier for us to do so.


Check out the Virtual World's Conference
Watch Marcom's keynote speech