Have you read the book 'Branding Unbound'(Korean title is '통찰력을 구매하라)? I read it one and half years ago and still remember the contents which are about future market and marketing strategies. The author almost wrote about ubiquitous and new marketing cases regarding with it. I can summerise core story as one word-'personalization'. You have heard of 'customization' a lot in learning marketing and business. I say that customized marketing strategy can affect on customers effectly, but there are still some customer market it cannot catch. That is why people are talking about niche market where you can provide more fitable service and product to customers.
Before talking about the personalized marketing, I would like to talk about what ubiquitous is. Actually, it is not really a new word becasue ubiquitous technology is already being used in our life in many ways. The word 'ubiquitous ' means 'existing everywhere' in Latin word. Mark Weiser who was a doctor of Xerox first used the word as a new concept in IT industry. 'Ubiquitous computing' means that people use computers unconsiously because those exist everywhere and very close with people. There are many technologies based on ubiquitous concept. One of those known the best is RFID(Radio Frequency Identification), which is used to check product barcode in the places like Wal-Mart. There is a video showing how RFID tech can be maximaised in the usage for future mart.
To access to network everywhere and anytime, something which you always carry and use is needed. What can it be? The answer is Mobile phone. At first time, people used mobile phone just for the function as a phone, but now for music, game, internet and so on.I know there are PDA, PMP kind of things which include more functions than mobile phone and also very portable. Have you seen the movie 'The Minority Report'? You can see some extraordinary future technology in that movie. When people get in subway, a small machine on the ceiling identify who each person is by checking irise of the person. And When a person passes by an ourdoor ad board on the road, suddenly the ad onthe board is changed to another which you might be interested in because it recognized who you are. There is another example in that book. When you are near around Starbucks store, a sale coupon arrives into your mobile phone and it makes you want to drop by the store to get a coffee. Whereever you go, you might feel like the world seems following to satisfy your needs. Whereever you go, your behaviors; for example, buying foods or clothes or watching movie in the theater, will be collected and be into database, and each company might share or sell the information to analyze the needs of each customer and computerize marketing strategy for only one person. That is one example of personalized marketing. Sounds awesome? Actually, that is very scary story and I think it will hardly happen even though the technology becomes ready for it. Who do you think want their specific private life to be analyzed by strangers? People might get more intensive and useful service and product if you allow the companies to find and use your personal information. However, people don't want to be surprised by the fact that their private life has been violated without knowing. Innovated IT technology is definetly the key method in leading business world to the next ungraded step, but strict boundaries must be made before entering people's life. /posted by 20500580
