The best marketers I’ve worked with are not only good at reacting to consumer needs, they anticipate change and prepare for upcoming customer needs.
For example, this week’s Apple iCloud announcement is another nail in the coffin of personal computer as data hub. We can be sure that everyone from Google to Amazon will follow suit with beefed-up cloud services very soon. Customers are being moved away from PCs. Are you ready for this change? Here’s are just a few of the things it will mean:
- Mobile devices will take the place of the personal computer as the consumer’s primary technology.
Meaning: Mobile devices, mobile software, and the accompanying education, communities, marketing and public relations will be huge opportunities in our business for years. The need for this kind of work will only increase in the foreseeable future. - Consumers will be uncomfortable with this change (as they are with any change), and will need to be educated, assuaged and comforted.
Meaning: People will need to turn to books, articles, forums, blogs, audio, video, experts, even reporters to learn about this new technology and process. - Media coverage and interest in the death of personal computers, the rise of the cloud, software in the sky, etc. will mushroom.
Meaning: You better organize your PR efforts around helping (not pitching!) reporters around this material.
This is just one of many changes you can anticipate. There are countless out there, each one resulting in a treasure trove of opportunity to help consumers, and, ultimately, new business.