The Future is Here in the Field of Advertising

It is no secret that marketing and advertising firms have been looking for the preverbal key to unlock successful campaigns via mobile technology and social media platforms. As marketers continually search for this, the future of advertising does not lie in the virtual world, but the physical world.

The future is upon us. The field of light emitting devices has exploded and now a device is in the final stages of development where a thin film of plastic will be able to conduct electricity while creating solar energy. The potential in advertising and marketing created by this product is fantastic. However, this electronic display pales in comparison to a device that seems to have its roots in science fiction. This latest invention is software and a reception that is attached to the human brain. The electrodes placed inside the brain follows electrical signals generated by nerve cells when a patient focused on specific letters and images. Although any advantages gained in the fields of marketing and advertising are a long way off, market researchers may soon have the keys to our brains!

The international consortium of researchers at Modecom headed by the University of Bath, United Kingdom, have spearheaded this project which in total will wind up costing somewhere near $2 million. The main drive behind the project is state by Dr. Alison Walker, who represents the Department of Physics at the University of Bath, "Success in achieving the goals of cheap, efficient and long lasting devices is essential as we must do everything to reduce our energy costs." It seems somewhat paradoxical that an electronic display can somehow save energy but the power of conservation lies in solar energy. Despite the project having its roots in clean energy, the advertising possibilities are endless. Now, instead of stationary logos we could eventually have logos, signs, stickers etc that light up to create a more visually enticing product. People can become walking television screens with beer and car advertisements illuminating their shirts, pants, shoes, and any other article of clothing the plastic strip can be fashioned to. It is truly marvelous to think that our packaging and design could mimic that of the products described in JK Rowling's Harry Potter books where product logos an pictures of people are in constant movement. This electronic light display has the power to forever rid the world of print ads and make everything similar to the ads we see on TV.

A team of researchers and scientists at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL are at the forefront of developing a communication tool that will link the human brain with the computer. The device is intended to help the millions of people plagued with neurological conditions as well as paralysis. Although the product is still in the early developmental stages, preliminary tests have been successful. As of now the software is able to register letters the person is thinking. This couldn't help but intrigue this marketing student as marketers and advertisers are constantly researching consumer needs and trends. Today we are bombarded by advertising that does not apply to us. Today i was watching TV and a diapers commercial came on the air. As a single 21 year old is there any reason for me to want/need diapers? No. Have the advertising companies wasted their resources? Yes. This device could potentially end the consistent bombardment of useless advertising by simply deciphering our brains messages into what we desire, what we want to buy what interests us. I am talking about 100% individual advertising portfolios, specifically tailored to one person. Think of the possibilities! Complete and full targeting, its enough to make my head spin. I am however, wary of outside parties being able to read my inner most thoughts. Oh well, we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

It is easy to get caught up in the social media and mobile advertising hype. Yet I cannot understand why there are not more products in development to make marketing and advertising tangible. Bring advertising into the physical realm instead of viewing it on TV or computer screens. As for the mind-machine interface, we could quite possibly be standing on the cusp of the greatest advertising tool ever invented. We will have to wait and see whether either of these inventions pan out into my aforementioned ideas, one can only hope right?

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References
"Latest Invention: Software that Allows Writing on Screen Using Power of Mind - Technology - InfoNIAC - Latest Inventions." InfoNIAC - Latest Inventions. N.p., 8 Dec. 2009. Web. 12 Mar. 2010.

"New Electronic Display to Be Used on Clothes and Beer Cans - Science - InfoNIAC - Latest Inventions." InfoNIAC - Latest Inventions. N.p., 18 Apr. 2007. Web. 12 Mar. 2010.

user generated content: different types of content produced by the end user published online public viewing. some examples: youtube, twitter, etc.

long tail: the strategy for Apple's iTunes where a successful operation is selling low amounts of numerous unique products.

network as a platform: the possible future of computing through cloud computing where operating systems and applications will be web based and not physical software.

folksonomy: the process of organizing content through tags in order to better organize material.

syndication: the process of sharing content through multiple websites, used to show users when content was added.

mass collaboration: defined through its name, mass collaboration is simply many people working towards one final solution.

computer supported collaboration: technology that enable groups to effectively work together without meeting in person. some examples are email text messaging, newer technology is google groups and google documents that allow for groups to post documents and presentations online for all members to see without having to wait for email.

social software: software that enables users to share data. social media sites are the best examples of this type of software.

mashups: a digital file containing many different types of media combined into one format to where the file is converted to create a new document.

In my collage i chose to focus on Apple's latest product the iPad. I chose to focus on this as it could be the first product in the new wave of electronics mixing the technology of Amazon's Kindle and Apple's iPhone. This collage would not be complete without the driving force behind Apple-- Steve Jobs, without him Apple has proven it cannot succeed. The image in the bottom right corner is Apple's own processing chip, the first it has produced and the engine driving the iPad. Perhaps the most intriguing image is the 'vs.' image where the iPad is compared to the macbook, which poses the question everyone is asking-- is the Ipad necessary? Is it differentiated enough from products available now to entice consumers into a high involvement purchase? We will have to wait and see.

The Medium is the Message

the first medium i will choose to discuss is Apple Inc.'s tablet computer. Today's NY Times identified that Apple has yet to fully disclose whether its announcement scheduled for tomorrow will be to introduce the tablet. the touch screen computer is rumored to have all the applications available for iPhone users. Press organizations are mobilizing efforts to have Ttunes-esque versions of their publications available for sale through this medium. Judging from Apple's past successes this could be yet another hit for Jobs and co.

Smart phones are one of the fastest growing products in the global market today. aside from menial phone tasks such as voicemail and text messaging, today's phones have the ability to surf the web, download media, set appointments, and access work and private e-mail.

Despite the recent advent of affordable high definition television, this medium is slowly but surely becoming obsolete. The television has made information of all varieties readily available to people for decades but is now losing ground to online entertainment such as Youtube and other web sites. This precipitous drop can be seen through the change in advertising in both mediums, as online advertising continues to rise, televised advertising is dropping year by year.