New media: Still all about technology

Words I’ve been hearing a lot the last couple of weeks: Java, HTML 5, Flash, Android Applets, etc. So did I talk with our developers? Did I go to a technology conference? No, I visited a couple of marketing and media conferences.

We can feel it coming. In a couple of years from now we’ll be talking about the old media like search, display, widgets and the new media where location is key and virtual/social lives are influenced linking those behaviors to what people do offline. We know it’s coming, we know it will shake the industry (perhaps more than web 1.0 and even 2.0) but nobody knows exactly what is coming. For now it’s in the hands of those that understand and influence technology.

It’s just like the introduction of the internet. Innovative startups with strong believes in certain technologies will lead innovations and one or two will get it right to become market leaders.

My personal prediction of the big success story: “Suggest marketing”. People are going to be so distracted that serving up relevant suggestion to consumers based on where they are and what they do. No need to search, find it before you’re looking. I actually like the idea of my mobile phone telling me: “If you want to purchase something for your wife on this business trip, you might want to try this book as she has shown interest in this subject lately.”