By: Marie Jeanne Dupuch
Hashem decided instead of telling us where he thinks things are going, he
chose to discuss what is happening now, things he thinks are cool. I
really appreciated this approach and his honesty.
Bajwa, talked about "resonance score", and how twitter is changing the way
brands advertise. If the brand does not have enough points or in other
words found not to be of value, the ad will disappear. This holds brands
accountable in some sense. If they want to be seen they have to remain
active, innovative and attainable. This idea of "points" exists also with
consumers commenting on websites using Google sidewiki. This application
allows users of the website and or product to comment directly to the
brands page. Again, forcing the brands to be held accountable for their
product and in some cases allowing them to receive praise. Either response
will help a brand, if you get negative feedback you know what to change,
if you get positive feedback you know you are on the right track and
others will be encouraged to use your product or service based on
individuals feedback. However, the outcome depends on the brands readiness
to adapt.
Hashem mentions how Foursquare, Morsel and Waze have become in a way
similar to a game. Through a point system the user attain a reward. I am
not very familiar with this application, however, when I heard that there
were "rewards" involved my interest was immediately peaked. You can even
report traffic and get points, see \ see who (friends) is driving next to
you in real time. I find that the possibilities are endless with "real
time". Real time to me is the leader of future advertising. The best way
to get someone to quit smoking is when they are sick, therefore if can be
said that the best way to get someone to buy your product or service is
when they are in need of it at the precise moment in time; proximity and
timing. Not only is this information useful to the consumer, the brand
will benefit from this information as well. If I own a chain of hot dog
stands, and I find that there is a spike of communication in a particular
area demanding/craving hotdogs on Tuesday at 2:30pm, it would be in my
company's best interest to be present on that day. Over time you can also
monitor and compile this information to know the precise day, locations
and time people most crave hot dogs.
This is somewhat frightening. Knowing that your personal tastes are being
tracked and labeled can be overwhelming at times. These feelings stem from
the fact that this is so different from anything we have really known in
the past.
To quote Hashem's presentation, "People thrive on change, whether they
admit it or not." Let's hope so.
