Topic 12 - What does the future hold?

The only thing certain about the future of digital marketing is that it will involve huge change. It is an exciting time. I think the most exciting time in marketing history. Rather than trying to be all things to all people, there will be an increasing need to hone specialist skills, but to be aware of what is tried and true, and what is brand new and worth trying. Mistakes will be made, and indeed are being made every day. There will sometimes be a need to control damage, so PR and communication skills will become even more important than they are already. The market is filled to capacity already with noise, so being heard above the din will be paramount and copy writing skills will also be in high demand. Copy has always been required for print, but increasingly it will be required for audio, video and any other mix of media.

Augmented reality and virtual reality have been hyped for a decade already but the emergence of mobile as a platform of choice in the last few years may well see them explode in the near future. Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a rough but exciting ride. Technical skills may well be outsourced throughout the world, but the need for home grown innovation, creativity and project management skills can only grow. Marketing has always been a conversation, now there is a need to listen, engage and analyse the conversation like never before.

TED Talk: Matt Mills: Image recognition that triggers augmented reality

Its hard to even guess where technology or future innovations will lead within all market segments.