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Courtesy: Doug Ettinger Canada Post Corporation
Feature
This Think Link shows that Millennials will respond to physical marketing if connects to them in a meaningful way.
Pew Research study2. They trust online reviews more than in person reviews, said Canada Post’s Generational Report. Generation X are those individuals who were born after 1965, said Pew Research. They are what is called “the sandwich generation” as they have kids while many of them are also taking care of aging parents. They are therefore in financial tugs of war. The “Boomers” are those born after 1946 according to Pew Research, and some of the Generation X have a foot in the Boomers as well. I consider myself in this category. The Boomers are about sweat equity and rather give credit to others than themselves. They like technology but they also like tech help close in case they need it. Ani Ieronicig of Canada Post takes a deeper dive; her Think Link shows some interesting tips to take into 2019. Namely it’s the composition of the households and their lifestyles that dictates mail to the houses, not the generations. Kids impact the use of physical advertising as parents are looking for deals. Two generations that are not being talked about are the Generation Z (Gen Z), who were born after 1996 and the group ❱ DMN.ca
that follows, as defined by Pew Research. These generations are, and will be, super-comfortable with technology. For example, they are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) with a fair percentage of Gen Zers indicating they would like to seek careers in the AI field. Shortly this group will be buying our services and how will that impact how and what we offer. Doug Ettinger shared about Millennials liking physical things when it connects to them in a meaningful way. That can mean mail or relevant pop-up shops. We recognize as well that our brain reacts differently to physical mail. Doug shares other tips in his Q & A Think Link as well. As a marketer you need to talk to the three groups differently in order to succeed. Collectively, all people love to get mail and see their name in lights: providing it is relevant mail. The consumer values the journey you give them and values the experience of things. As a marketer you sell the experience more than anything these days. I see the same but different over the ages again here too. AI and machine learning will become more prominent in the near future according to Daniel Newman CEO of Broadsuite Media
Group and contributor to Forbes in his article from July 23, 2018: Three AI and Machine Learning Predictions for 2019. What does machine learning look like for the print and mail business? It looks like it could streamline production and delivery and enable more accurate targeted mailing: which are always good things. Dan also predicts a “further evolution of human and machine interaction” as more companies realize that AI and machine learning are not just for mundane tasks. Many corporations will then need to find the balance between machines and humans. I believe AI will be more prevalent in the customer service area as we move through 2019. More and more companies are using AI-driven chatbots to gather information and to help segment what we consumers are looking for, so they can gently guide us down a buying or content path. Dan then addresses the “rise of the AI assistant”. Even the car manufacturers like Kia and Hyundai are planning to include AI assistants in their new cars in 2019. The spread of AI assistants is taking place at a time when Alexa from Google is becoming usable in criminal cases, with the
logs associated with the devices assisting police in laying charges. Will this development have some saying that the privacy line has been crossed? Or will some welcome this as an extra layer of security and protection? Only time will tell. The nuances could be different for Canada versus the U.S. or Europe as well. Dan foresees AI and machine learning being used together across multiple industries. He points out that the U.S. Army is currently using machine learning to predict when combat vehicles need repairs. It has placed sensors in the equipment and it is using an AI assistant to keep track of data such as temperature or RPMs. If our own cars did this, it could likely mean that the Canadian Automobile Association and other companies and organizations that provide and market roadside assistance may have to evolve and or change. Marketers need to keep in the back of their minds whether these innovations are helpful or intrusive. Determining how your client wishes to be served your content and respecting it will be what sets you apart. Again, I find this same but different. Canadians may view AI differently than Americans or Europeans and it will be up to the marketer to determine the balance. One thing is certain AI will only be limited by marketers’ creativity and will only be growing in the future. Packaging is evolving The landscape of what is being received in each household is definitely changing as well. The Millennials would really rather be their own boss than to work on someone else’s dream. Small businesses are popping up in the online world because of it. We like the world of immediate so we order today and we want tomorrow. This is opening up a new world for branding on packaging, like what Amazon is doing, along with the possibilities of co-branding. We used to hide the brand on the inside, but now with the explosion of subscription boxes the companies get extra bang for the marketing dollar with branding on the outside of the parcels. For Continued on page 25 December 2018