MODERN MARKETING MONTHLY ARTICLE
I spoke earlier this month in San Diego at Qualcomm’s Uplinq conference, and I came away with a few impressions about the state of the mobile device industry and some thoughts about the implications for businesses.
The conference attracted thousands of developers—digital tweekers I like to call them. They’re crouched over, pecking away and trying to create the next really cool app.
The first thing that hits you right away is how many really smart developers there are from other countries. What does this say about the state of education in the United States? Are our days of global domination over? In the future, are Americans going to be like the humans in Planet of the Apes, timidly raking away weeds from the cornfields? It’s something to think about.
Next, it seems obvious that Qualcomm and other chipmakers want to make sure your mobile device is melded to your hand. They want it to be your ATM, even your very identity. They’re like mad scientists trying to put a chip in your vein to track your every move. I find it extremely invasive, and I want to know: what are the consequences? Communication is becoming so passive and impersonal that it seems like we’re getting away from physical conversations.
Finally, the conference attracted a lot of really smart people building really cool stuff. But has anybody asked consumers if they want it? How does some guy in India know what kind of game a kid in Kansas wants to play? You need to stop and ask consumers what they want.
So what’s the takeaway? I had boss who used to say, “The Old is Forever New.” He meant that things are replaced in an endless cycle, just like radio was “replaced” by TV, which was “replaced” by the Internet. But it’s all the same thing. The three fundamentals for every business – price, quality, and service—never change.
Look, it’s easy for businesses to get caught up in the latest thing. But here at TAOW Modern Marketing, we always preach balance. I think creating special, intimate and personal moments between brands and consumers will remain just as important as ever.
BST