Futurologist: You’d Be Better Off Marketing To Stoners
Today’s connected consumer is a harder target to hit than a joint toking stoner. So said eccentric and spirited Austrian futurologist Dietmar Dahmen at Sydney’s Sitecore conference yesterday.
Dahmen quoted a recent study to highlight the point. He said: “Half the room is given a mobile device, the other half are given a joint to smoke. The half with marijuana were more focused and able to multitask than those on their mobile.”
For marketers, mobile devices might be the greatest godsend or the worst enemy. And Dahmen added that timing is everything.
“Being there with the right message at the right time is priceless, being there with the wrong message at the wrong time is disastrous,” he said. But insists messaging that’s too personal becomes creepy. “You can be too personal, but you can never be too relevant. Relevance isn’t necessarily being personal, relevance is simply giving someone the right information at the right time,” explained Dahmen.
In order for marketers to deliver relevant messages to their consumers, they must embrace technological change. Throughout the seminar, Dahmen made specific references to the benefits of staying ahead of the pack with wearables, NFC, iBeacons and sensors – and how such technology provides intimate data which can be used to individualise marketing to specific consumers.
“If you rob a bank with Google Glass, that’s really good. You’re already a step ahead which means the others are a step behind,” said the futurologist. In fact, robbers have found great value in stealing Google Glass.
Dahmen explained that people base purchasing decisions on emotion. “The strongest link to your customer is emotion.”
“Technology is not the emotional connection but facilitates the emotional connection,” he said. The Austrian futurologist recommends putting the customer in the centre and organising the experience around the customer not the screen. “The emotional bond needs a screen, but only because the emotional bond needs presence – you need to be there.”
So when do marketers need to be there, exactly? Now, said Dahmen.
“Now – as you all know as marketeers is very, very effective. If you have something that is time sensitive – like a sale that ends today. It’s up to 500% more effective than if the low price is constant,” said Dahmen. “How now is now? Now is really quick – Boom! 400 milliseconds,” he added. It’s the time it takes to know whether you should “fight or flee” or the time it takes to like or dislike something – it’s the time it takes a person to develop an an emotional response to something.
And the modern day description for why people respond urgently to the now – well, that’s easy, it’s FOMO. “We take out our phones 150 times per day. We want to share our experiences with our friends, even when we’re in the moment. We’re the most distracted society of all time. Constantly distracted by our devices,” said Dahmen.
The other thing that is relevant is the opinions of others. Humans find security in what Dahmen calls “peer-surance”- if you’re peers like it, you’ll like it. If they don’t like it, you probably won’t either. “47% of people trust advertising according to Nielsen, while 92% trust other people,” he said.
Dahmen referenced a study of identical coat hangers sold on ebay for the same price. “The study revealed that the hangers which were rated five star outperformed the lower rated hangers by 800%,” he said.
75% OF CMOs believe there’s been more change in the past 2 years than the last 50. And over 50% of those CMOs don’t feel in control anymore.
“The more data they have about their customer, the more removed they feel from that customer. That’s why it’s important to feel the customer again,” said Dahmen.
Technology has never remained static. “In 1870, the world belonged to cans. Everything was preserved in a can cans, cans, cans, cans, cans – then in the 1930s, the world belonged to ice. Block ice was delivered and you had wooden boxes to put the ice in. The 1950s – the world belonged to the fridge, everybody had an electric fridge. My question to you is: How many can producers moved into ice? None. How many ice producers moved into refrigerators? None.”
Dahmen argues that many are guilty of saying, “Oh look! Another one of those idiots with Google Glass. Hahaha – that will never go anywhere.”
“We see it happening. We saw mobile coming and so many companies didn’t even consider implementing a mobile strategy. Their websites weren’t mobile optimised. They all saw it happen but they didn’t act,” suggested Dahmen.
Why? Because humans are intrinsically lazy. Dahmen said: “Generally, we all fear change and science suggests we like to be doing the same thing over again. Which means we’re lazy.” For consumers, laziness is especially relevant. “It comes down to how hard the consumer has to work to get something – it’s called access cost… If your website is too complicated and requires high mental cost, consumers will switch off,” revealed the futurologist.
If you don’t adapt to a low access cost, you’ll die.
Human life needs adaptation and business life needs adaptation. Charles Darwin said: “It’s not the strongest, nor the most intelligent that will survive, but those that are most responsive to change.”
“If you have an idea, you’re blind to the better idea. Like the bee, the bee only sees the one way out. It’s unable to consider a better option.” “You have to unlearn the old to then learn the new – and we hate that change. If we do need to learn, we copy what already exists using our mirror neurons – it’s in nature, we love copying things,” says Dahmen
William Bernbach, an American advertising creative director and one of the founders of DDB said: “Rules are what we break, the memorable never emerged from a formula.”
“Who breaks rules?,” asked Dahmen. “Outlaws!” (which is probably why the robbers embrace Google Glass.) “If you’re a victim on the other side, you’re passive, you excuse yourself rather than get the job done,” he said.
“The mobile revolution is here and was demanded by the users,” said Dahmen. Facebook was not mobile and users demanded the social media giant go mobile. “62% of the ad revenue (for Facebook) is from mobile. If you don’t go mobile, you’re neglecting what the customer wishes,” he added.
Old advertising was mass oriented and with high reach but low relevance. “A big poster with lots of people in front of it.” Today, advertising is low reach but extremely high relevance. Dahmen beseeched the audience. He said: “Be more individual, more relevant. Less like a book and more like a letter. A book is written for a general audience but a letter is very personal and very individual.” He called it “the narcissim of marketing”.
Please login with linkedin to comment
ADAD Advertising Standards Bureau Brita Water Gary Mehigan JCDecaux Matthew Gain Samsung Galaxy 5S theFarm Wayward SonLatest News
TV Ratings (18/04/2024): I’m A Celebrity Wins Prime Time And Key Demos
Aussie viewers can be a harsh lot at times. Only days after Ellie Cole bled her heart out, she has been sent packing.
Effie&co Launches New ConnectAsia Division To Help Aussie Brands Market To Asian Consumers Overseas & At Home
Not provided is advice on using chopsticks and not spilling ramen down your shirt.
Cashrewards Sets Out Stall For New CMO
Thinking of applying for the Cashrewards CMO gig? Here are some insider tips that, yes, are tantamount to cheating.
‘I Ask For The TV Industry To Stand Up And Defend Itself’ – Seven Boss James Warburton Steps Down
The Seven supremo heads for the exits after five years. Here's hoping the Spotlight team organised the farewell bash.
Poh! Jamie! Adriano! Paramount ANZ reveals its tasty plans for this year’s MasterChef
It's your fan's guide to this year's MasterChef! Although no tips on how to pronounce crudités or use a un fait-tout.
Dentsu’s iProspect Partners With MOOD Tea Ahead Of May Campaign Launch
We love a Mood Tea here at B&T. Although we do store old screws and nails in the International Roast caterer's tin.
Opinion: When Culture Starts Eating Itself: Navigating The Age Of Self-eating Nostalgia
Born boss David Coupland asks is adland going through a nostalgia period? But please, no repeats of Best Of Red Faces.
Who’s Going To Cannes?! The TikTok Young Lions Winners!
It's Aussie adland's next gen! They're off to Cannes with high hopes of bringing back a Lion & a foot-long Toblerone.
Adobe Launches Express Mobile App With Firefly AI
Want to be the coolest kid at Friday staff drinks but forgot your retro Nikes? This new Adobe wizardry may do the trick.
ThinkNewsBrands & IMAA Extend News Publishing Education In Brisbane
Industry duo takes its publishing roadshow to Brisbane. Was disappointed no male attendees were wearing walk socks.
B&T Chats With Wavemaker’s Provocative Pioneers On Their Cross-Pacific Sojourn
B&T TV heads to Wavemaker's Sydney digs to interview two staffers from its New York & LA digs. If that makes sense?
HoMie & Champion Launch “Give One. Get One” Campaign Supporting Youth Homelessness Via Town Square
Much like the fête's prized chutney wears a blue winners sash, so too should this top initiative from HoMie & Champion.
Thinkerbell Takes Us Back To Summer In Latest Work For XXXX
This beer ad wants to take you back to summer! Just minus any chance of a shark attack on your morning bus commute.
Cannes Lions Unveils 2024 Programme Featuring Queen Latifah, Jay Shetty & P&G’s Mark Pritchard
Are you one of the lucky ducks heading to Cannes in June? Check out the headliner acts you'll be queueing hours to see.
Scroll Media Recruits Costa Panagos From Twitch
Costa Panagos set to bring South American flair to the Scroll offices. Assuming that he is, indeed, South American.
Year13, Microsoft & KPMG Australia Launch AI Course For Gen Zs
Born around the 2000s? Need to amp up your AI creds? This guide's for you (although it's not really that age specific).
General Motors Snares Heath Walker From Scania
Do you rage about oversized American cars on our roads? You need to bail up Heath Walker at parties & industry events.
VML Launches New “Envoyage” Brand For Flight Centre
VML unveils new brand for travel operator Flight Centre. Alas, no sign of those paid actors pretending to be pilots.
Subaru Places Media Account Up For Review
Subaru puts media up for review, as adland journos get set for mandatory "agency drives off with..." headline.
TV Ratings (17/04/2024): Contestants Faced With Harsh Realities As Alone Australia Heats Up (Or Cools Down)
Alone still doing the business for SBS. Overly long train journeys not doing the business, but they persist anyway.
Ben Fordham Loses Number One Spot As Ray Hadley Celebrates 156th Ratings Win
The radio numbers are in! Discover who's off for a boozy lunch today & who's waiting for the dreaded HR death knock.
Gourmet Ice Cream Brand Connoisseur Launches New “Thrill Your Senses” Iteration, Via SICKDOGWOLFMAN
Rattling the old "truth in advertising" adage comes this ice-cream spot full of noticeably thin people.
Paramount’s Global Sales Boss: ‘Australia’s Converged Model Is A Blueprint For How I’d Like All Of Our Markets To Be’
Paramount's global sales boss gives local sales ops the thumbs up. Didn't weigh-in on the Lisa Wilkinson debacle.
TikTok Starts Testing Its Instagram Rival In Australia
In exciting news for piano playing cats & brattish pranks in shopping centres, TikTok unveils its Insta rival plans.
Man Wrongly Named By Seven As Bondi Killer Hires Lawyers
Struggling to save for a house deposit? Why not get wrongly identified by Sunrise!
Smartsheet Appoints Indie Agency Sandbox Media To Its Media Account
Can't stand your colleagues? Like to dob them in when they miss a deadline? These work management platforms are ideal.
Boss Not Letting You Come To Cannes In Cairns? Use This Business Case To Convince Them!
Stingy boss won't spring for a ticket to Cairns? Add this to your persuasive argument repertoire. Or grovel.
Alt/shift/ Brisbane Builds Portfolio With Ausbuild Creative, PR, Content & Social Account Win
The Brisbane comms/PR agency lands constructor Ausbuild. Also hoping for a discount on its new glass conservatory.
Young Guns Versus The Old Guard: Who Adds More Value to Our Industry?
Cannes In Cairns poking this hornet's nest in a lively debate. Just so long as the oldies can get up the stairs.
70% Of Aussies Don’t Have Green Power Plans ENGIE Says In Major Brand Campaign Via HERO
Are you the notorious "light leaver on-er" in your flatshare? Quell any infighting with this green energy news.
PrettyGood Launches Offering Brand & Media Solutions For Australasian SMEs
B&T applauds the charitable nature of this new agency. Although we'd hate to see it impact any Chrissie present sends.
A Blunt End: Dolphins Medicinal Cannabis Sponsorship At Risk
Yes, it's another NRL drug story. Yet, thankfully it doesn't involve coke in Kuta during the off-season.
Slew Of New Creative Hires At Leo Burnett Australia
Ahhh, all black! The outfit of choice for agency creatives, David Jones staff and everyone in Melbourne.
Under Armour Unveils Local “Live in UA” Campaign
American apparel brand set for yet another tilt at the Aussie market, as Nike declares "we'll see about that".
Pepsi Launches New Look, Refreshing Classic Fashion Staples Via Special PR
Are you always the bridesmaid, never the bride, as the old saying goes? How do you think Pepsi feels?
Pure Blonde Returns To A Place Purer Than Yours In New Campaign Via The Monkeys
B&T's always been a huge fan of the 'drink yourself thinner' diet plan. So big thanks to Pure blonde, vodka & tequila.