11 Things to Watch in 2011
Well we’ve got 11 months left of 2011 so what better time to list my 11 things to watch in 2011?
1. Apps beyond mobile - While nobody can argue the impact of apps on the mobile industry, this year people will start to understand how we can broaden their appeal as we see them infiltrate our TVs, cars, computers and gaming consoles. And that is just the start.
2. The evolution of the banner ad - The banner ad has been fairly predictable for the past 15 years. Sure there might be a few rich media surprises from time to time but no real innovation. As a response to the iAd, banner ads will become more and more like mini microsites housed within the banner. The challenge still though, will be understanding how to engage people enough to interact.
3. Digital retail - The retail world is set for a shakeup. Firstly, there’s the retail anywhere revolution. With the launch of the ‘Square’ - a credit card scanner which literally just plugs into your iPhone to process credit payments anywhere, the boundaries around purchases cease to exist. Then there is group manipulated buying - a movement set to redefine our expectations of retail in the same way eBay and Amazon did.
4. The Facebook economy - As Facebook Credits begin to grow in popularity/Facebook forbids using anything else, we’re going to start seeing the wider population become more comfortable transacting on Facebook in more than just gaming. Get primed for Facebook stores, charity fundraising and online auctions getting housed more and more within Facebook.
5. Location based networks - This is the year location will really come into its own. With FB Places taking off and FB Deals rolling out, the check-in will become second nature. With the inherit urge to ‘mark your territory’ matched with more intuitive rewards such as auto-checkins and push notifications, locations may define 2011.
6. Collaborative Consumption - As the effects of the GFC subside and the reflection of what has happened is completed, the realisation that we aren’t what we own will start to appear. See people become more resourceful as they outsource ownership in favour of a more collaborative approach, where peer to peer sharing rules.
7. Mobile everything - Why carry multiple products when your mobile can offer you everything you need? Prepare for a reliance on the mobile to fill the needs of previously separate products - ie. cameras, blogging, apps, commerce, remote controls.
8. YouTube boom - With the removal of YouTube’s video length limit, YouTube will redefine itself from being a one stop shop for cat videos to the first stop for live sporting events, concerts and presentations, while becoming a serious competitor for Hulu and the onslaught of set-top boxes.
9. Natural User Interface - Enter the Kinect effect. More than just a new standard in gaming, the possibilities with the interface allow targeting like never before. Sadface? How about an ad designed to make you smile. With the possibility to tailor communications to react to body language, we’ll see a new level of engagement.
10. Transmedia experiences - Sure it’s a buzzword but it represents so much more. Automatically check in to movies and shows based on sound recognition. Interact with other viewers in realtime over social networks, turn comments on and off as you’re watching tv and see platforms such as Miso, GetGlue and music app, SuperGlued grow in popularity.
11. Tablets - An obvious choice but one that cannot be ignored. Tablets are the future and set to be an equivalent of the mobile phone in terms of popularity, with such a wide range of options available to cater to all price ranges, there will be no reason not to have one. We will see them dominate education while the daily commute has never been so entertaining. There will still be a bit of trial and error throughout 2011 as brands work out the best way to use the technology, but growth will be enormous.
