Opinion: What’s Rocked Your World?

As this is my last opinion piece for Campaign Asia-Pacific before I hand over to the very attractive Patrick Rona, the new president of Tribal DDB Asia-Pacific, I thought I would share with you the things that rocked my world in the last five years. And the things that I believe will shake up yours in the near future.

'We’ve come a long way baby', as the song goes. From attracting attention via animated banners, email and flash websites to influencing communities on social platforms and conversing intelligently with key opinion bloggers.

There is always a shiny new thing. Augmented reality is dead, welcome the 3D experience; but what really matters is the thought leadership that changes a client's business or indeed an industry. The strategy that changes a behaviour. The inflection point. The Nirvana. These are the things that I admire and chase. Sometimes they are right there in front of you, but so streamlined with social development, that sometimes the marketer is the last to know. Let me cite some examples that have changed behaviour, changed industries and changed fortunes.

First there is e-commerce (soon to be m-commerce). No one will trust giving their credit card details online, remember being told that? Now we spend billions online or via our mobiles. PayPal is old hat. Credit is fighting with new debit structures, banks have facilitated direct transactions in real time. Gift card strategies have delivered fortunes in residue amounts. But the biggest loser has been retail. They were the last to know. They were waiting for the fuss to die down. Now they are struggling to pay their rent. The world has become one large shopping basket and no government, no matter how they try, can stop consumers in their quest for the latest fashion, trend or gadget. In 10 years' time will we still physically window shop?

Next of course is social media. “People talking to people they don’t really know, about nothing? It will never catch on”. Er not one to get wrong, but it took brands by surprise, and many still don’t know how to work with a community outside a campaign or a promotion. The ability to be always relevant, always available and always of value is still a puzzle to many, but the consumer always seems to be able to achieve these states without effort. So the question here is do we really understand the digital consumer or are we still making business decisions using traditional research and media analysis?

And then there is mobile – the biggest game changer. There’s so much to say here, but let’s talk about apps. Imagine life without your mobile alarm or calendar or text facility — just the basics. Then think about your banking app, your social apps, your ability to programme your television form a remote location. Your stock watch, your camera or your search engine and so it goes on. You may as well just stay in bed. What did we do before having everything in the palm of our hands? Applications have truly changed our lives. Consumers are in control and businesses are only just starting to understand how this phenomenon can change their fortunes forever.

And the future? For me it’s all about the leader that is prepared to live their dream for 'nothing happens unless first there is a dream'. It’s not necessarily about being a risk taker, it’s more about being a visionary and a doer. Think about where your company or industry is now and think about where it could be and what you need to invest to get yourself at the forefront of the pack.

Mobile is indeed the facilitator because it enables real time relevancy and this is the strategy that will change fortunes. The ability to be in the here and now for your consumer. Instant transactions, instant value, lower costs with greater shared transparency. 

So perhaps it is fitting that the coming year is the year of the Dragon. The doer who is both powerful and wise. A year to watch those businesses that will transform to be stronger. I salute their drive.