Last year we asked a handful of senior execs at platform companies to answer the question, “What will happen next year in marketing and advertising that hasn’t happened before?”
This year we invited some of those contributors to evaluate their earlier forecasts and update them for 2014. The below is from Michael Lazerow, chief marketing officer of Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
“Last year in AdExchanger, I said that 2013 will be the year when everyone in the company becomes a marketer, and that data will drive better marketing experiences. What a difference a year makes. ‘Stores and businesses will have the ability to know who you are as a consumer and serve you better,’ I wrote. So how did this play out?
Some of the big moments in 2013 that validate this trend include Uber’s monster round of funding from Google, Ford (Salesforce.com customer) doubled down to create the standard for connected cars that better serve us and Omnicom focused more than ever on using data to deliver better experiences, as especially within its Annalect group.
It is the marketer’s job to make sure the connections between the products and the customers come alive. Cars will have built-in systems that send an SMS message to the driver alerting the need for an oil change. Toothbrushes will relay dental health back to doctors in real time, with the user’s permission. This will be the new marketing.
In this world of connected apps, connected devices and connected products, the marketer’s leadership role will grow because they’re closest to the customer – they own the teams, the tools and the technologies to connect their company with customers.”
