Remember Prometeus? The Digital Revolution is still at hand.
What will happen in the year 2050? Flying cars, renewable energy, end of the global Eco crisis (I hope so!), lifestyle of the Jetsons? Who knows..maybe, but what I do know is that we are living during a revolution. A Media Revolution triggered by the inevitable evolution of the internet. A new reality experience is upon us as the internet consumes most of our time and prodigious companies like Google plot to take over the world with the birth of Prometeus:
OLD MEDIA VS NEW MEDIA
Old media dies including, the traditional radio, TV and Newspaper, as the growth of IP based phones and TV increases . Everything becomes digital. Digital radio, newspapers and encyclopedias become prevalent (ex. BBC online, Wikipedia, Podcasts). Old media fights back with bans, restrictions, taxes and lawsuits (ex. ban on Napster) but is overpowered by the Web 2.0 consumer.
The power of the consumer begets Personalization. The consumer becomes the prosumer-both the producer and the consumer. During the Web 1.0 phase and the birth of Netscape in 1994, consumers were only able to read information. Now with Web 2.0, we can not only read but write information as the customization of social networks and minicoopers online (http://www.miniusa.com) have shown us. But what will Web 3.0 bring? We will have the ability to read, write and execute data: the usage of search bots to seek out information at a certain time or place then retrieve that information whenever and wherever we need it. Sounds good? We’ve seen the tip of the iceberg of personalization through RSS feeds of blogs, online newspapers, etc.
How about plastic replacing paper as digital pamphlets?
- Kindle 2@ Amazon
Gadgets like the kindle 2 become popular, trees are safe and the EPA throws parties every week.
As consumers, we are living during the Golden Age of convenience and interactive experience . For the marketer, new opportunities are created to engage and interact with the consumer on a whole different level. We’ve seen examples with advertisement in social networks or product placement in online virtual reality and console games.
THE SAGA CONTINUES…….
Newer Technology along with the merging of big media companies will bring about new customer experiences and interaction. People would be able to go back in history and live through historical battles or famous sports games. The consumer would become who they want and share their experiences. 
But Charles Darwin’s theory of Evolution once again becomes eminent as Google exercises its Pacman-like behavior in taking over these companies and launching Prometeus-the ultimate consumer experience and interaction empire.
EXPERIENCE IS THE NEW REALITY - We would be able to know what it feels like to be Hugh Hefner, to win the Superbowl or Neil Armstrong when he walked on the moon….or go places without ever leaving the living room….consumers, addicted to new media like it is a drug. The urge to socialize, interact and simulate our fantasies on this new media phenom becomes a widespread disease. The Pringles Theory becomes the perfect explanation of our insatiable hunger.
But what will become of us? Will the controller (consumers) become the controlled? Is google..
Would we subdue to a life of endless virtual reality to the point where reality becomes obsolete?…Remember the Matrix!
Very good read. I like your positioning of the “prosumer” – this evolution is the product of an evolution in the marketplace and an evolution in the consumer mindset. The marketplace is beyond “push” strategies and the consumer loves it.
On that note, I’d just add that the experience economy will only succeed if companies work to win at the First Moment of Truth (http://www.wirespring.com/dynamic_digital_signage_and_interactive_kiosks_journal/articles/Using_in_store_advertising_to_win_the_First_Moment_of_Truth__FMOT_-247.html). These days, several companies are getting too caught up in creating an experience and they lose sight of the INSIGHTS that are needed to capture a consumer attention and begin the path toward loyalty. They jump to the Second Moment of Truth before they’ve even engaged the consumer at a basic level.
These thoughts run through my mind everytime I log into Facebook. This is the ultimate marketing tool because Facebook allows the best form of consumer targeting that you can find. Still, I sometimes find ads that don’t make any sense at all and others that aren’t effectively thought out. In some cases, you have blown opportunities. If I sign up for a company’s app, they should work harder to appeal to what I’m interested in, instead of just assuming that I’ve given them a pass to push their information on me. In this economy, you have to work harder than that.
The companies that work harder through the experience channel are the ones who create loyalty relationships. That’s why Starbucks cares about social responsibility instead of just coffee, why Nike cares about the pursuit of athletic excellence instead of just shoes, and why Pampers cares about the process of parenting instead of just diapers. I hope companies who recognize the powers of the digital revolution develop a similar level of interest in the consumer; otherwise, they will fail at the FMOT & SMOT and find themselves out of business in spite of that great “experience” they just created.
I love that video. Blew my mind man cause it takes you farther into the future of human connectivity than most people think about. Plus it all seems like it pretty sure to come true.