(c) Copyright 2011 Orange Insights

The Changing World of Digital

January 10, 2011

A look at Digital Past, Present, Future

Amy Lieberman: amy@orangeinsights.com

Tery Spataro: tery@orangeinsights.com

(c) Copyright 2011 Orange Insights

Overview

Some experts believe that digital has been around since the mid-seventies, while others argue that its inception pre-dates the invention of television.

There’s also the school of thought that sees digital as a revolutionary idea that defies the constraints of old-fashioned business theory. 

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About the Timeline

As this timeline shows, digital history began well over 20 years ago. Note the amount of digital technology that has been created and employed ubiquitously over the past 10 years. At the same time, think of some of the web businesses in the past 15 years that are no longer available because adoption did not take place.

DigitalPeriods Constructivism InnovationIntrospection

PresidentialHistory

Overview of Digital History

ExplorationTest & Learn

Google IN Your Refrigerator

SearchProduct Info

Recommendations

Shopping Bots

Mobile Credit Cards (EU, Asia)

Send to friend

Online Shopping

Digital coupons

Mobile Coupons

Media Shopping Cart

Social Sharing

Digital Shelf Talkers

Smart SMS

Smart Mobile Aps

Comparison shopping

Behavior

Device

iPad

Digital Book

Social

WWWMobile

Click

Search

Purchase

socialize Share

participate PROCESSING

Dr. Google

Shopping

Regan G.H.W. Bush1981-1993

Clinton1993-2001

G.W. Bush2001-2009

Obama2009

Internet TV

Listening to musicWatching videos

blogging

Creating media

B r o a d c a s t

Dr. Watson

Brain to computer

20091994 1999 2004 2014 FuturePreDigital Pre-Commercialization

P o i n t & C l i c k

Me Media Now

EngagerActivator Participant

Hard WiredPassive Viewer

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Renaissance

Consumer

liking

linking

Immersive Media

Augmented Reality

SM Crisis Platform

R e m o t e C o n t r o l

c o m p u t e r

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Changes in Government Affect on Digital

Because many people use presidential terms of office as historical reference points, they can be useful benchmarks for the evolution of digital.

As you can see, much has changed over a mere four presidential periods.

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Consumers Have Changed

Viewers of “old” broadcast media were at one time completely passive, but then developed a measure of control through the introduction of the remote.

Current consumers have taken a larger measure of control of digital media as activators, participants, and engagers.

The newest generation of consumers is known as Me Media Now. These consumers of digital media are in complete control—they are creators, promoters, activists, entrepreneurs and entertainers.

In 50 or 100 years consumers will be completely different. Digital may be wired into our very brains.

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Devices Have Evolved

Ferocious consumption of media

CD, VCR, & Cable were common

TV consumers once thought of the remote as powerful, but they had little control over the types of media they wanted to view.

Computers and the Internet then created the means for engagement and participation.

In the early days of the Internet, few were able to organize using digital bulletin boards. But now consumers can create and partake in any form of social networking, making it easier to share media and experiences.

Mobile provides immediate access to anything a consumer wants within the palm of his/her hand.

A digital device scenario of the future may be that your refrigerator lets your car know that you are out of milk. Your car may then factor a stop at the store into your route and the milk could be waiting for you at the drive through.

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Evolution of Human Behavior

The innovation of the point and click interface is now more than 30 years old.

Soon even the touchscreens may be obsolete, with new intermediate-free interfaces we can link to whatever we want, search for the mysteries of life, show support by liking, shop till we drop, and then consult Dr. Google for what ails us.

What’s next? The consumer brain of the future may directly process zeros and ones without the aid of a computer or integrated mobile device. In other words could be wired to our brains.

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Past, Present & Future

It’s possible to think of the digital evolution as progressing through four periods:

The first twenty years, Constructivism, was focused on learning, understanding, sharing, creating, and adopting.

From 1994–1999, digital entered a period of Renaissance. During this period, anyone could be a digital entrepreneur. Marketing strategies began to change significantly by allowing digital tactics. At the same time, a steep learning curve led to numerous failures and losses.

From 2000–2009, the digital world entered a phase of Introspection, during which it took a step back to think about creating better business models that had a clear return on investment. During this period, consumers began to voice opinions and take control of brands.

And finally, digital is entering a new cycle of Innovation. We are just beginning to see where these innovations are going to lead us.