Future-gazing and esotericism: it’s that time of year

Strap on your BS detector for the future-gazing silly season. And you need to meet Mindy, an AI-led robot that will do your laundry and save the marketing world. No, really!

Just as we know Santa will delight small children around the world, December will also see marketing prophets come out of the woodwork with their obligatory future-gazing insights.

So buckle up and strap on your BS detector.

Given it’s the start of a new decade, everyone from the “brightest marketing minds and thought leaders” to the next-door neighbour’s cat will be imparting their wisdom on life in the 2020s.

I shudder to think about the latitude this provides our esteemed sages: a 10-year runway to see if their insights become a reality. And if they don’t, no one will care or remember anyway.

Speaking of which, my prediction for next year is that I’ll be fitter, funnier, more intelligent and richer. But alas, this is aspiration (or delusion) speaking.

In the interests of transparency, I’ve previously provided predictions for different trade rags and the like. This installed in me a deep scepticism for people (my former self included) that either think or pretend they can predict the future.

Rather than marketing oracles prophesying from up high, these predictions typically push out cool-sounding, but ultimately self-serving, hypotheses.

So, what do I I expect we'll hear about this year?

Take you pick between blockchain, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, automation, drones, or robots wearing a hula hoop. Various pundits will extol how each of these will singlehandedly solve marketing’s problems, as well as cure the world of [insert almost anything here that suits your argument].
Voice-driven search queries are the new black and smart audio is the ultimate user experience. (So much so, people will forget how to write, use a keyboard, or type on their mobiles.)
No one will ever watch a TV again unless it's one of eight screens being used simultaneously. (Someone should let Netflix, Apple and the Disney Channel know!)
We must focus on the importance of the mobile experience. (I’m surprised to see this old chestnut each and every year it rears its head. For clarity, this is a fact not a prediction. And it has been for the last 20 years or so.)
Human-driven personalisation through data-driven marketing is our saviour. (This one screams we’re using as many hyphens as we can to sound smart. Not to mention the fact that human-driven personalisation is an antithesis.)
Despite the fact few companies and even less punters have augmented reality technology, it’s set to change the world and deliver billions of dollars in sales. (A bit like Google Glass did!)
Social media behemoths will start taking privacy and data requirements seriously, as well as morph into altruistic platforms designed to provide transparency and connection for the good of mankind.
Content marketing will become content selling. (I must have missed the memo; when has it not been?)

The other thing I love is that most of these predictions imply that buying a new, big-ticket [insert tech thingo majigo here] is your silver bullet. When in all reality, it’s more likely to obfuscate further what’s already a fragmented tech stack for most companies.

Would I love to know what the future holds? Hell yes.

Do I have any more idea than most pundits? No. But here’s two cold hard facts:

Business is getting tougher for most industries based on tightening economic conditions.

People generally have more choice and care less about your brand, than ever before.

At ULab, we don’t believe in guessing.

Instead of betting the farm on an AI-led robot called Mindy that’s data-driven, personalises your marketing, folds your washing in real-time, and provides a seamless AR-led experience, I suggest we focus on some core marketing truisms:

You must be relentlessly relevant to your customers, and their needs.
You must create meaningful relationships that provide two-way value.
You need a clear marketing strategy, aligned to business outcomes, to drive growth
You must execute this strategy bloody well.
You must invest in long-term brand building as well as short-term acquisition
The four P’s (place, product, promotion, price) still hold as true today, as they have for the last 50 years.

Is this as exciting as most of the buzzwords above? No. But do it well, and you will unequivocally drive growth.

So as I hop off my soapbox, my advice for 2020 is more sensible than sexy.

As great as Mindy the robot and her laundry lists of skills sounds, there’s no quick fix when it comes to customer connections. Like all relationships, it takes consistent work and nurturing to go the distance.