This document discusses how digital technology has shifted expectations, experiences, and anxieties. It notes that people now expect constant entertainment and connectivity from all devices. Experiences are shared in real-time online and have increased permanence. The endless options available have also created new anxieties around managing numerous social media platforms, apps, content sources, and channels with limited time. Marketers must address these shifting dynamics and recognize that audiences now expect a global experience regardless of location.

1.
Shifts
in
Expectations,
Experiences
&
Anxieties
Pushkar
Sane
Digital
technology
has
played
a
huge
role
in
shaping
media,
empowering
people
to
reshape
content,
and
disrupting
well-­‐established
marketing
models
to
give
marketers
an
opportunity
to
create
new
approaches.
www.pushkarsane.com
|
@PushkarSane
|
me@pushkarsane.com
|
www.pushkar.co

2. [SHIFTS
IN
EXPECTATIONS,
EXPERIENCES
&
ANXIETIES]
2010
is
coming
to
an
end,
and
with
it
a
decade
of
incredible
innovation
we’ll
pass
the
baton
to
a
new
decade
with
high
hopes.
Digital
technology
has
played
a
huge
role
in
shaping
media
in
this
decade
and
it
will
continue
to
do
so
in
the
future.
Many
marketing
gurus
have
explained
effects
of
technology
on
media
through
various
tangible
shifts
with
respect
to
time,
place,
and
shape.
On-­‐demand
delivery
of
content
has
liberated
people
from
following
a
fixed
schedule
to
watch
their
favourite
shows
(time
shift).
Content
is
now
travelling
across
the
globe
and
breaking
the
geographical
(and
political)
boundaries
(place
shift).
Most
importantly,
it
has
empowered
people
to
reshape
content
to
meet
their
own
device
and
platform
requirements
(shape
shift).
These
shifts
are
currently
disrupting
well-­‐established
marketing
models
and
giving
us
an
opportunity
to
create
new
approaches.
These
tangible
shifts
are
important,
but
the
impact
of
digital
technology
has
been
significantly
deeper.
We
now
live
in
a
world
where
people
are
addicted
to
compulsive
entertainment,
hyper-­‐connectivity,
and
endless
choice.
As
a
result,
new
waves
are
getting
created
around
expectations,
experiences,
and
anxieties.
Let
us
look
at
the
characteristics
of
these
waves
and
their
impact
in
the
future.
Shifting
Expectations
Digital
is
changing
our
expectations
constantly
and
we
now
expect
more
out
of
every
piece
of
technology.
We
want
all
our
devices
to
provide
entertainment
and
also
have
the
ability
to
connect
to
social
platforms
on
a
24/7
basis.
We
write
messages
well
past
midnight
and
expect
almost
instantaneous
responses.
We
expect
the
very
best
from
different
brands
irrespective
of
our
geographical
location.
For
example,
many
people
criticised
the
iPad
for
not
having
a
camera.
Many
were
agitated
that
Twitter’s
new
design
or
Facebook
Places
was
not
available
to
global
audiences
at
the
same
time
as
their
American
friends.
Fans
of
the
TV
drama
“24″₺
didn’t
like
the
spoilers
on
Facebook
and
wanted
to
see
the
actual
episodes.
Disappointment
or
agitation
often
emerges
out
of
real-­‐time
global
connectivity.
Increased
expectations
are
making
things
difficult
for
marketers
across
all
aspects
–
product
development,
distribution,
go-­‐to-­‐market
timing,
innovation,
pricing,
and
most
importantly
relationship
management.
Marketers
need
to
realize
that
they’re
no
longer
marketing
inside
a
particular
geography;
now
the
world
is
one
common
marketplace.
Shifting
Experiences
Digital
has
given
a
completely
new
dimension
to
our
experiences.
In
the
good
old
days,
our
experiences
were
momentary
and
largely
shared
through
face-­‐to-­‐face
interactions.
Social
platforms
changed
that
completely.
Now
our
experiences
go
www.pushkarsane.com
|
@PushkarSane
|
me@pushkarsane.com
|
www.pushkar.co

3. [SHIFTS
IN
EXPECTATIONS,
EXPERIENCES
&
ANXIETIES]
beyond
the
original
moment
and
are
getting
shared
in
real
time.
People
in
our
socio-­‐
graphs
can
choose
to
participate
in
a
particular
experience
or
can
simply
observe
it.
Digital
has
also
given
a
sense
of
permanency
as
experiences
can
be
stored
in
the
form
of
videos,
photos,
tweets,
comments,
blogs,
etc.
All
of
them
are
searchable
and
accessible
at
a
later
point
in
time.
For
example,
our
leisure
travel
photographs
and
videos
are
shared
through
Flickr,
Facebook,
and
YouTube.
We
upload
them
as
we
go
along
and
get
comments
from
our
social
circles.
Some
friends
voluntarily
provide
tips
that
can
enhance
our
on-­‐ground
experience
and
some
friends
get
inspired
by
what
we
post.
Similarly,
party
experiences,
celebrity
interactions,
and
even
innovative
product
experiences
are
shared
actively.
In
effect,
digital
has
increased
the
shelf
life
of
our
experiences
with
a
built-­‐in
element
of
interactivity.
Therefore,
marketers
need
to
go
beyond
the
moments
of
actual
brand
experience
and
develop
platforms
that
can
extend
the
shelf
life.
Shifting
Anxieties
Choice
is
good.
Excessive
choice
is
a
challenge.
Infinite
choices
make
things
difficult.
Digital
revolution
has
created
infinite
choices
in
terms
of
channels,
content,
platforms,
and
devices.
It
is
quite
difficult
to
manage
social
presence
across
six
different
platforms,
update
apps
on
three
different
devices
(with
50
features
each),
watch
content
from
hundreds
of
sources,
and
sift
through
an
array
of
channels.
It
not
only
leads
to
confusion
but
also
creates
anxiety.
‘Consumer
in
control’
is
a
fancy
statement
but
in
actuality
consumers
seem
to
be
in
crisis.
We
only
have
finite
time
(24
hours
in
a
day)
and
that
is
not
going
to
change.
So
people
will
have
to
either
increase
their
ability
to
parallel
process
or
pay
partial
attention
to
all
the
choices.
Either
way,
it’s
not
a
good
thing
for
brands
and
content
owners.
The
good
news
is
that
people
need
help.
They
need
someone
to
simplify
things
for
them
so
that
they
can
get
the
best
out
all
the
possible
choices.
Brands
can
play
an
important
role
in
reducing
anxiety.
Think
of
a
brand
as
a
museum
curator.
Curators
usually
separate
the
best
from
the
ordinary
and
fact
from
fiction.
Imagine
going
to
a
museum
and
seeing
hundreds
of
fake
objects
with
some
fictional
stories
before
you
realise
that
the
collection
is
worthless.
By
taking
the
curator
approach,
brands
can
help
consumers
separate
worthwhile
choices
from
relatively
worthless
ones.
It
will
certainly
help
in
reducing
anxiety
of
people
bombarded
with
choice.
We’re
about
to
step
into
an
interesting
decade
where
technology
will
continue
to
drive
innovation
and
disrupt
established
models.
So
in
order
to
stay
relevant,
marketers
will
have
to
understand
the
impact
of
technology
on
human
conditions
and
aspirations.
(Originally
published
in
ClickZ.Asia
on
20
December
2010)
www.pushkarsane.com
|
@PushkarSane
|
me@pushkarsane.com
|
www.pushkar.co