How Technology Has Changed Marketing ...

Following on from a previous blog post on 'The Evolution of Digital Marketing', we decided to explore further, looking at how technology is changing marketing...

From the Abacus counting machine - invented 4000 years ago to digital marketing today...

Consumers are connected to digital marketing through smartphones, tablets and laptops. It is therefore important for businesses to become proficient in all technologies and to create compelling campaigns that work in real time, and are compatible across all devices. 

Just twenty years ago, it would have been a common ritual to pick up a newspaper to find out the latest news and popular culture. This act has seriously declined within the past few years and it has become the 'norm' to rely on our electronic devices for the latest updates, leaving traditional TV and print in the dark. 

This behaviour then begs the question: how is the marketing industry keeping up with the changing technology?  

What does the merging of technology and marketing mean for marketers? 

As users now prioritise smartphones, tablets and laptops, marketing strategies have had to be adapted in order to provide the best UX (user experience) for consumers. 

Relevance & Speed 

One way in which marketing has changed is the speed that current marketers have to work at. Now, the digital marketing world can be updated, deleted or uploaded within seconds, digital marketing has greatly increased relevancy. The internet is a fast-paced platform, therefore targeted content can be regularly updated and optimised for very specific groups - enhancing brand 'offerings' and messages.  

Skills Required

Skills need to be updated in order to keep up with the changing demands of the industry. Marketers are now expected to work with highly trained data specialists, web developers and social media experts to combine marketing and creative skills with an understanding of real-time technology. Traditionally, there were no requirements for these positions but as the digital age has changed, marketing has had to adapt to accommodate technology updates and new methods to help brands stay competitive.

Responsive Websites

Consumers are connected to their smartphones, tablets and laptops, relying on them as a way of accessing up to date information. 

Following Google's algorithm update in April 2015 - also know as "Mobile-geddon", it was revealed that responsive websites would be favoured in search results over desktop only websites. This change has influenced the current marketing industry, reflected through the increase in the development and requirement of responsive platforms to adhere to this change. Search engines such as Google are continually updating their algorithms, so it is key to stay up to date.

Reach of Campaigns

The reach of campaigns has increased greatly. Now, there are so many ways consumers can access media through social media platforms or various news websites, brands can connect and have 'real time conversations.' This has changed the nature of marketing, with marketers embracing the creative and technical side of this discipline to enable strong campaign ideas to gain huge scale.

“If you come up with that nugget of an idea, you’ve now got such reach that you can expand that and get tremendous coverage just from a little niche idea".

Head of sportsbook marketing, Paddy Power 

How Technology has Changed Marketing... 

iCandy Design was established in 2000, and we have experienced how technology has changed marketing first hand. Working together with iCandy Design, we can put together and implement a marketing strategy to improve your ROI (Return on Investment). 

If you would like to find out more about our services or want more information on your marketing strategy, please get in touch today!