Future Watch: The Personalized (and linkless) Web Experience

  • Print
Details
Category: Digital Marketing
Published on Friday, 10 June 2011 06:17
Written by Le Digitale
Hits: 220

One of the more compelling possibilities on the digital marketing and eCommerce horizon of possibilities is a web experience so personalized and in-tune with a consumer’s needs that it requires no links to outside sites -- that is, all things you could ever want or need would be brought to you and presented on silver platter as opposed to requiring you searching for them.

Imagine a consumer experience beyond presentation of the exact news, work, personal information, and products you want are brought to you via the delivery form of your choice; imagine one where these things are predigested, and rudimentary decisions are made on your behalf:

  • 8 am -- Based on breaking industry impacting news on the other side of the globe several hours earlier, a meeting is scheduled with you and the key decision makers of your company (Today’s alternatives: CNBC and Microsoft Outlook)
  • The meeting starts with a 5 minute debrief from your friendly virtual assistant and information purveyor (Today’s alternatives: CNBC, WSJ, online news)
  • Your corporate strategy response algorithm has presented the key stakeholders with not only relevant and timely information, but an action plan on how to capitalize on this opportunity that is in line with corporate strategy and ethos (Today’s alternatives: Your strategic planning department and key business stakeholders)
  • At 8:30a the best of breed vendors who can best assist you join the meeting via conference call to let you know they have their best thought leaders and delivery agents working on your action plan.  (Today’s alternatives: Coordination and vendor vetting arranged by your management staff)
  • Based on your needs, legitimate competitive threats, and available budget, service and product packages have already been pre-selected  (Today’s alternatives: Your Finance software and your procurement department)
  • 11:30 am -- A lunch date has been pre-scheduled with a key contact you've never met before to help you on your company’s key initiatives, at a restaurant that has food selections both you and your lunch mate are sure to enjoy (Today’s alternatives: LinkedIn, Yelp, OpenTable, your assistant)
  • 5 pm -- A masseuse you sorely needed, but did not set an appointment with appears at your office to help loosen you up after the long run you went on the day before. (Today’s alternatives: Nike + Ipod, You)
  • 6:30 pm -- A new outfit that is just perfect for tonight is delivered to your doorstep (Today’s alternatives: Major retailer eCommerce sites, personal shoppers)
  • 7:30pm -- Dinner with an old friend you were eager to see, but hadn’t made the time to call is prearranged  at a location neither of you selected, but which both of you love (Today’s alternatives: Your Assistant, Yelp)

The possibilities of the personalized web experience are endless for digital marketing and eCommerce; while society will need to come to terms with the Big Brother nature of “the machine” knowing your every want and need before you, the hyper-productivity and constant stimulation offered by this life will likely be too titillating to fully resist.

The question is what portal or mechanism will control the next evolution of eCommerce and digital marketing.  Can disparate niche players capable of the most minute customizations flourish in this environment or can only conglomerate make this integration work?

Time and technology will tell ...

Written by Le Digitale