Tag: connected generation

Brands don’t matter anymore

Posted on by philipdodson

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The days of mass advertising and big brands are over.

There are now a gazillion channels and a gazillion choices of stuff to consume.

Previously it was all about who could buy the most TV, magazine and newspaper slots. But who watches ads anymore?

The mass is melting. At the moment, it is a trickle, but give it another 5 years or more, with all of us being able to produce, create, share, broadcast and find what we desire, then the changes will be enormous.

The internet has created the connected generation, who trust their social networks’ shared experiences rather than the voice of the brand.

In addition, the internet has enabled us to market to all of the different and weird demands, that previously the mass brands couldn’t. They have been satisfied with creating ordinary stuff, efficiently and profitably for the masses to consume.

Now the different, creative and innovative can find people who appreciate and desire what they create and make money from supplying that want.

As the mass continues to melt and the classic bell curve becomes flatter, then the brand will matter less and less. It will no longer be a tool to help the masses identify one producer over another in order for the producers to sell average stuff to an average mass.

It will now be to do with the person or company that creates what small niche communities desire and it will be the ones who deliver exceptional experiences for their customers from using their product or service that will be the success stories.

No one will care what colour your logo is on your average sugary slop drink, or whether there’s a yellow, pink or orange ‘M’ on your average beige burger.

People have woken up to the fact that their ‘weird’ taste can be catered to and they do not have to put up with ordinary shit delivered to them by giant corporations.

They have switched brands off and they don’t give a shit about what ‘values’ they have attached to it or what colour the logo is.

They care about getting what they really want and now there are people who will give it to them.

Small is the new big and they don’t need to hide behind a brand.

The two tiers of technology

Posted on by philipdodson

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Yesterday I did our usual weekly podcast with my mate Bernie and by chance, we had an opportunity to chat with Julio about Blockchain.

I have been trying to find out more about Blockchain, as it is becoming a much talked about technology. I know it’s been around a while, but we’re a bit backward in London!!

But the thing that struck me, while talking with Julio and we referenced it in the podcast, we are living in a two-tiered world when it comes to technology.

Brian Solis coined a fantastic term in his great book ‘What’s The Future of Business’, he called it ‘digital Darwinism’, where many are getting left behind as technological changes at lighting pace. He said ‘when society & technology evolve faster than our ability to adapt’.

We do have a generation c, a connected generation, however, posting on Instagram, sharing experiences on social networks, buying stuff online based on reviews is one thing, keeping up to date with technology and the real impact it could have on the world, is another thing entirely.

There are about 2 billion smartphone owners globally, so that means there are 5.5 billion who are unlikely to be part of the connected generation and are unlikely to know about Blockchain. However, out of those 2 billion smartphone owners, I wonder how many are familiar with Blockchain and how it could completely revolutionise the world?

I still don’t completely understand it and I am not sure how it will impact the world. But I am very curious to see how.

But we do have a two-tier tech world developing, where many are not even aware of what is there. That is not a criticism or judgement, it is an interesting fact of our rapidly changing world and is almost unique in the history of the human race.

I believe that many in the world will use technology to bypass the current established operating system and that will bring about great change, much of which the masses will not be aware of until it has happened.

Technology, used in the right way, has the ability to solve the challenges facing the human race, it is up to us to connect, find out more and get involved in helping this revolution happen. It is the only way we will change the historic situation of the few controlling the many to a world run for all the human race.

Finally, there is undoubtedly an unknown third tier of technology, that is kept from all of us. Let’s hope change can happen fast.