This year flew by, and we already covered the best and worst of 2017 in our last After Hours video. In this episode, Erik and Christina discuss their predictions for 2018, both in regard to digital marketing and beyond.
Catch the full episode here and let us know if you agree with our predictions:
Erik's Predictions for 2018:
We will see a spike in chatbots replacing customer service reps.
We interact with chatbots online every day, sometimes, even without knowing it’s a chatbot. They probably won’t replace all customer service representatives, as there will always be people who want to have a conversation with a real human. However, there are also many of us who want information immediately, something that a chatbot can usually give, while a human being needs rest and competitive pay.
Chatbots also allow companies to provide 24/7 customer service at a low cost.
Siri will improve.
Siri has been trailing behind Google Home and Amazon Alexa, as we noted in another After Hours episode. It’s impossible not to wonder what Apple is thinking, since voice recognition and AI is on the rise and prices have been so competitive. These devices were also hot-ticket items this past holiday season.
Apple debuted the HomePod, which could make a difference and put pressure on the company to improve Siri’s capabilities.
Comcast will die. (But not really.)
This one is bold. We know Comcast won’t completely fold and disappear, but a company with so much going against it and several unsuccessful rebranding campaigns, the only reason it's still in business is that Comcast is the only option for cable in some areas.
In 2018, more and more people will opt to cut their cords with Comcast and traditional TV. With more options like Youtube TV, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and more, cable is overpriced and old news.
Christina’s Predictions for 2018:
Artificial Intelligence finally gets intelligent-for marketing.
A Salesforce survey reported that Artificial Intelligence use among marketers will grow more than 50% in the next two years.
You can already see the integration happening before your eyes. This development will probably create a lot of efficiencies in our industry. A divide will form between those who just listen to what the computer and AI tell them, and those who can derive greater meaning from the information. This could change the necessary credentials for entry level workers.
Integrating this technology correctly will also set companies in our industry apart once AI is on the rise. The true test lies in how authentic you can make the experience, rather than just having it be frustrating for the human on the line.
The Cryptocurrency bubble will burst, but leave us with the blockchain.
There are signs that a burst is approaching regarding cryptocurrency like bitcoin, just like the dot.com bomb and the housing bubble.
Sometimes these bursts can lead to benefits. The dot.com bomb left us with advances in internet technology and adoption of that technology into everyday life. This bitcoin bubble could leave us with new levels of encryption, which may change how actions are collected and minimize the risk of fraud or manipulation. Blockchain technology may be what helps prevent things like voter fraud in the future and create a higher level of security.
Death of the Millennial. (Or at least we will stop talking about them so much.)
We can all agree that this word is overused. The beginning cusp of Millennials are roughly defined as persons who became young adults around the year 2000. At this point, they are, essentially, old news.
Is it finally time to talk about the next generation, Gen Z? This generation is defined as anyone who was born after 1995, and they make up 25.9% of the United States population and contribute $44 billion to the American economy.
They can sometimes be defined as “yuccies,” or young, urban creatives.
We’ll see if these predictions come true in 2018.
What developments do you think will happen this year? Let us know in a comment or message on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Illumine8 Marketing & PR is a Frederick, Maryland, firm that combines the power of business development strategy, marketing creativity, and customer-focused sales to deliver sustainable and measurable results.