Personalization is King

Do you remember when the only thing the computer was good for was solitaire and porn? Well a lot has changed since then. The landscape of the digital world we live in keeps getting bigger, and yet smaller at the same time. What I mean is that there is more and more information being added everyday, there is so much data that we have skill set gaps in deciphering all of it, and yet our experience on the web is getting more and more tailored, some would say almost myopic.

With the emergence of new businesses coming to market, there is a trend of the more personalized the experience the better chance your company is going to have higher customer satisfaction, which in turn lends that your company will be more successful. Just a few companies that come to mind Google, Netflix, and Amazon to name a few. What they have in common is that they base decisions on your behavior while using the internet. They give you relevant information that will be beneficial to you, which in turn makes your experience  way more awesome than having to navigate through a bunch of clutter. The end result is when you get on one of your computing devices you are accessing relevant information that is helping make your life more efficient. In a generic sense we as people like that.

So what does this mean for the future? Our digital landscape is becoming more and more personalized. More importantly it is becoming the norm. We are seeing data manipulation and personalization everywhere from  buying a book, pair of shoes, to helping win presidential campaigns. So let’s face it many companies are becoming more personalized and there has been a lot of debate over whether this is ethical because of the methods in acquiring information in order for us to have this awesome tailored experience. In the UK they banned the use of cookies, which is a large part of how companies are able to customize your computing experience on the internet. If we decide that we don’t have a problem with the use of cookies here in America, then we will keep pushing forward in the customized aspect of peoples computing needs. This has huge implications for the landscape of marketing which is a constantly changing landscape. It means that we will keep pushing forward in meeting people on digital grounds. The learning curve is going to be hitting more of your target audience with more relevant information, which in turn should lead to higher ROI, all while maintaining a coherent message and finding ways to make a participative brand experience that will engage your target audience.

So lets face it, we are going to have to give up a little privacy to get the most beneficial services. This is helpful to the company who wants the business in helping meet your needs, which in turn will be very helpful to the customer experience. Not only that, but it will be very helpful if you are trying to get a job in this growing field. There are a lot of moving parts in the experiences we have on websites such as Amazon, when you buy the book and you immediately get recommendations to other great books closely related, that you can then decide if you are interested in by reading many insightful reviews from your peers. All while seeing a thoughtfully placed  add for that awesome Gore-Tex jacket that has been chosen for you because you searched Arcteryx in the Google search engine beforehand. There are many different aspects to digital marketing that makes this all possible.

I will be the first to admit the digital world has the connotation of “Big Brother”, but lets face it we like having things personalized to meet our needs.  All that said I would love to hear your thoughts. and how you feel about the digital landscape in which many of us find ourselves.