Whether you are a consumer or in the world of business, changes in communications will alter the way all of us live and work in the future. For us as professionals, this makes the world of communications exciting, challenging and at times, sobering.
Below you'll find 15 significant changes we’re observing in the industry—changes that will have a huge impact on all of us—and on the world of business.
Everything’s going mobile
Our mobile phone is no longer just a phone. It’s a remote control for navigating our personal and professional lives: communication device, portal to entertainment, camera, organizer, travel and commuting guide, connection to the world of knowledge. No communication plan should overlook the central role mobile is playing in our lives—and no company should fail to resource at least some key mobile strategies.
Creating our own realities
If you haven’t watched Eli Pariser’s TED Talk, it’s a must see.
Pariser reminds us that while human editors once served as gatekeepers for information, this responsibility is shifting to algorithmic gatekeepers, which don’t have embedded the ethics humans are capable of. These algorithms—filtering techniques for the likes of Google and Facebook—are increasingly deciding not what we ought to see or what’s actually occurring in the world around us, but what we want to see—based on what’s relevant to us.
Two people can search for Egypt, for example—and one will get travel information, while the other gets news of political unrest. This creates a filtered view of the world—one in which we are at the center, and reality is created to serve our preferences. It prohibits us from seeing differing points of view and information that is important, uncomfortable and perhaps even challenging—but that is necessary to make informed judgments of the world around us.
Anonymity, detachment and the decline of civility
Anonymity promotes a lack of accountability, truthfulness and civility. Marked by crude and even hateful language, anonymous comments dehumanize our relationships, causing us to behave differently than if we were speaking face-to-face with someone.
And even when we’re not communicating anonymously, electronic communications create distance, shielding us from body language, facial expressions and tone of voice—all key aspects of communicating. This changes our behavior towards others and diminishes the kindness and civility that contributes to a more humane society.
Shift in power
The consumer now owns your business’ message, and this will only intensify. As we talk with clients about how to deal with online critics, they’re justifiably concerned. Businesses are more vulnerable and can more easily sustain damage by individuals who may or may not have a legitimate criticism or be informed, honest, civil or truthful.
On the other hand, this calls businesses to a higher level of accountability—and that’s good. Positive news can spread quickly, so endorsements from your customers can also increase the value of your brand. We hope this will cause all of us in business to focus as much on who we are as on what we communicate.
A rise in cynicism
Access to overwhelming levels of information, inability to discern authoritative sources from those that aren’t, and limited time to explore the truth of a claim or point of view can make us all feel like deer in the headlights. We may have more information, but we also have less certainty about its truth and credibility—and little time to sort it out. As a result, a healthy cynicism clouds our minds, making us skeptical of any communication. Successful businesses have to work harder now to break through that barrier to build trust.
Exploding technologies
The explosion of new technology allows us to deliver information in new and more personal ways. This is exciting but also difficult to sort through for businesses that are overwhelmed by the options. But it also provides some very exciting new possibilities for communicating. One positive outcome is that we now have more access to our customers’ stories, which can be used to reinforce the brand message.
Talking with, not talking to
Stories in print are static, but stories online develop organically and quickly, resulting in conversations rather than speeches. Today's customers want deals and dialogue with companies they follow—“talking to” them is no longer the most effective way to deliver your message.
A demographic of one
It’s hard to imagine today that the term mass media ever existed. Demographic slices are becoming smaller and smaller as microcosms of our culture connect more around ideas and interests than geography. As businesses, our job is to create and feed our tribes with the information and experiences they’re craving. It’s also much more complicated—and time-intensive—for businesses to create messages for many smaller marketers, rather than one mass market.
Information destinations vs. selling
Yes, there's still a place for messages that sell. But consumers are demanding information and experiences that fit their interests. Shifting our Web strategies from a focus on sales messages to an information destination is an imperative if we want to build a tribe that follows us.
Harder to get the consumer’s attention
We are all chased by too much information. In the rising sea of communication, it’s harder and harder to get the attention of the person you want to reach. This means that our messaging, visuals and methods all have to be sharper, more compelling and more original than your best competitor's.
More sophisticated visual appetites
Remember the PowerPoint presentations crammed full of charts, graphs and full-on prose? In today’s market, those will never do. In a culture that expects Target to sell artful kitchen spatulas, we must deliver increasingly higher quality visuals. Mediocre pictures, design and writing will instantly brand your company as second rate—even more than in the past.
The video imperative
If you’re not using video and motion graphics to tell your stories, you’re falling behind your competitors. Video can add authenticity and increase Web traffic. It brings stories to life more than any other medium, and by adding motion, voice and music it increases engagement.
Entertain us, please
Our culture’s insatiable appetite for entertainment is impacting the world of business in big ways, as businesses are finding their messages get better traction when they also entertain. This has proven to be a very effective way to generate consumer interest in a topic they might not otherwise seek out. Regardless of whether we think it’s a good idea to select our information on the basis of whether it can amuse or even shock us, this is a reality we can’t ignore.
Restraint: the other side of freedom
One can't observe these changes without thinking philosophically about their impact on culture. Because we can now speak on any topic to a much broader audience, our messages carry more weight. We must govern ourselves with restraint and responsibility, consciously considering the impact of our words and messages.
Decentralizing company communications
Communications will no longer come only from a business' official communication team. Employees, friends and stakeholders are all voices of the company, and while they can’t be controlled they do have the added value of authenticity. Attempts to script these voices are usually detected and chided. As this shift continues, the role of the organization’s chief communicator will need to adapt to fit this new paradigm.
Communication remains the engine of societies. No building is built, no product launched, no democracy preserved without it. It’s up to each of us to write our own script about how we’ll navigate these changes. At CMBell Company, we're embracing these changes, thinking about how they'll impact our clients, and creating communication strategies that will work in a very new paradigm.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 7:00AM 
