{Week 14] The New Normal

John Battelle, as I have just come to find out, is a major name in many things that will be relevant in the future. In this HP Input|Output interview, he briefly discusses what very well could be our world in the next few years. Based on search and mobile devices, he presents a world where social media, consumerism, marketing and technology come together and create a cyclical relationship based on each individual consumer. The Gap example, which could be applied to almost any store, is interesting. I began to think about the stores I frequent and actually would willingly participate in such an occurrence. With the way e-mail marketing is these days, I could easily see this being an extension of that.

I'm sure many consumers would embrace this new wired world but I do see some difficulty with widespread adoption. As I've come to realize, not all consumers want to live in this techy world that we are moving towards. With privacy issues and simple fear from consumers, I could see this New Normal giving some trouble for some to embrace. Although I would love it, some definitely would not. Not only the issues mentioned already but other boundaries: customer not having a smartphone or social media presence, issues with salespeople targeting them, or even not having a purchasing history or missing links that were discussed by Battelle. In the long run, I could see this working out and truly becoming the New Normal. With the young consumers growing up in this highly technological age, it is inevitable. Just consider this: my 18 month old niece is an iPhone user already. She knows how to wake it up, unlock it and even play games. Imagine when she's 20. I'll leave it at that.