2020 is only 30 months away: Predictions, advice and a little spice.

If you are like me, what's happening rightthisminute can be a snooze fest. Add to that, only 15% of companies are tapping into at least 75% of the current trends. Rather than drag my clients to the now, I'd like to you to focus on the fact that shift happens. Let me help you cover your proverbial ass, which is on the proverbial line. 30 months is not a lot of time to get your act together on your digital strategy. Note, that almost all of these predictions are currently available, but very few are taking the risk.

This type of strategy takes an extreme amount of concentration and research to execute properly, that I actually have a waiting list for 2020 action stratagems.

Predictions Follow:

1. Websites will be *almost* extinct. Users are already making decisions without ever visiting a website. That makes your website a very expensive, useless database of information. Full websites will be replaced by micro-experiences, landing page and funnel strategies.
2. The iOT will become the primary search mechanism. (Think Alexa)
3. Retail will be almost 100% channel sales (Amazon Marketpkace, etc)
4. Advertising will finally see the adoption of "interactive", touch/sound/see with Haptic and VR blowing up.
5. Gamification will no longer be an option. 
6. Mobile will start to make the move towards "deviceless" communication, and desktops will begin to be relics (already happening, a large percentage of web users report that the desktop is an accessory to their smart phone)
7. Programmatic will be as old as AdWords and micro-behavior ad delivery will become a standard format driven by data science. 
8. Personalization will also be a standard marketing vehicle as pixels and machine learning take over all other tracking methods. *Added note: You are probably using pixels incorrectly, the auto-install tracks views and doesn't lend itself to "episodic" demand generation. Most are staying top of the funnel and feel helpless to use this tech as anything more than an advertising effectiveness tracking tool.
9. There will be a resurgence of "live" marketing. Street teams, pop-up events/stores and lumpy mail will claim a large portion of PR budgets. 
10. People will stop saying "Big Data". Finally. Data science will rule the metrics that tell a personal story and frame the strategy for new methods of delivering your messages.

Oh, there's more, so much more. But, it's geeky. Python will be the standard coding language. Linear Algebra will be required for anyone touching data.

We will be miles closer to what we've seen in sci-fi films (think Minority Report holo-ads). But, will we be ready? Some will, some won't. But, it will make a difference if you are planning well for it.

My advice: Dip a toe into all of the above. Hire a futurist to relate this list to your circumstances. Take the time on the "front end" to fully realize the strategy behind the trend and how it related to your audience. This is not only about capturing Millennials. The 50+ crowd has proved to be the fastest growing tech-savvy adopters in history. So, trust me when I tell you that this affects ALL audiences and switching from "stale" demo targets to hyper-reactive behavior will reduce the risk of stepping into something new and provide a calculable ROI that has been eluding you all these years of digital marketing.

To inquire about my waiting list, shoot me a DM.