Survival Tactics for Gen Y

Check out this presentation by Paul Isakson entitled What’s Next In Marketing And Advertising (2009). It offers great insight into how social technologies have changed the marketing mentality.

Marketing has changed drastically over the last handful of years. There are just so many new technologies that simply weren’t around before. This brings to mind the questions: Where is marketing headed? …And, are we already there?

The Wall Street Journal had a brilliant article last year entitled The Secrets of Marketing in a Web 2.0 World. The article was about the shift from traditional to collaborative marketing through the use of social networking tools and Web 2.0 platforms. They interviewed managers and executives at various companies to gain a better understanding of what they are now looking for as an ideal candidate to run their marketing/brand management campaigns.

The WSJ came up with the term ‘marketing technopologist’, which is “a person who brings together strengths in marketing, technology and social interaction.” Basically, a marketing technopologist is someone who is tech savvy, familiar with social networking tools, and can utilize their knowledge and skills to connect with consumers and market their company’s products/services effectively. Internet Marketers fall into this category.

Collaborate and Listen

Collaboration allows you to speak with your audience rather than to them. It’s a two-sided street nowadays, which is good for the marketing process. It used to be that you would put out a message, wait for feedback then put out another message. Now, you can put out a message or ask a question and get immediate feedback, allowing you to hold a virtual conversation with your audience about your message instantly. Not only does this save you time (and therefore money), but it’s a much simpler, more natural way of doing it. Efficiency at its best!

What’s Next in Marketing?

Looking at how marketing has changed today, there is no doubt that companies have begun to utilize tools like Facebook, Twitter, blog platforms, and other forms of social interaction to get their message across and connect with their target audience. It has never been easier than it is right now to get your message out to the masses. Viral marketing is the way to go.