The Big Think: Health and Technology–The Next Really Big Thing!
Forces are converging.
The evolution of technology, the looming necessity around healthcare and our aging population are just a few of the forces driving a significant change in our world. Add to that the role of cost containment and you have an emerging imperative that will push these changes along very quickly.
"Is the doctor in?"
That's no longer the question. Because, the "doctor" is changing. For one thing, the doctor is always "in". And for another, you are the doctor! The interface between the healthcare provider and the person seeking care is about to dramatically change...and that tradition role of patient will move from passive to active. Technology will assess your symptoms, track them, stratify them and provide a comprehensive report (and analysis) to your e-physician. And in this case, e stands for electron. These data will be reviewed by sophisticated computers that will under many of the nuances of health communication and provide a differential diagnosis. (If you watch Jeopardy, you've already see Watson, the future e-doctor at work.)
But technology will make you work at your own healthcare. The role of perceiving symptoms, testing when necessary and even being more active in preventive care will be a Faustian bargain for some of the advances of technolopgy. Self-care (assisted by technological innovation and the e-physician) will shift some of the healthcare burden back to the patient.
Your smart phone will be your critical connection to wellness and rapid intervention. And there already is an app for that!
The Big Think: Smart is the New Rich!
The world is changing.
Fast.
The equity that will matter most isn't green (as in money) but is grey (as in grey matter). As the world emerges from the decades of over-spending and over-indulging we will see that what really establishes us as winners is our mind. And it's that ability to process information...to think...that will be the currency that will drive innovation and change.
Not the dollar. Not the pound. Not the peso. Not the dinar. Not the yuan.
The currency of the future will be our cognitive ability. And as technology shrinks the globe and reduces borders, all we have left is the stark reality of intellect. So, while it might be cool to drive the hot car, or even cooler to be an empty-headed cast member of a reality show--cars rust & fashion changes and an empty-headed reality...well..stays empty headed.
So, think on my friends. Your survival depends on it...
The Big Think: Governor Christie and his “Common Denominator”
Ok, the New Jersey Governor is over-weight. It's the basis for much social commentary and discussion. And much of it isn't very nice. And while some people have so well expressed the necessity of "the content of character" as the essence of an individual, the Governor's weight seems to often take center stage as an element that defines his character.
Nonsense.
But there is an interesting aspect of Christie's weight that may in fact work to his advantage. The fact is, in the simplest of terms, his weight is a surrogate to the many and varied struggles that face so much of America today.
Christie's weight might be my friend's battle with quitting smoking.
Christie's weight might be your challenge with work or finding a job.
Christie's weight might be someones fight against addiction.
You see, Christie's weight is, in a way, a shared problem that so many carry with them every day--fat, skinny, rich and poor. The New Jersey Governor has publicly admitted his battle with weight and this reality has helped build a connection with the American rank and file. He's not fat, he's one of us. And this, combined with a powerful political voice will make him a very big man in American politics.
The Big Think: The End of Penmanship
Do remember fountain pens? How about ballpoint pens. And for that matter, how about the craft of penmanship? For some, this might be the case. And shortly, it will be for many.
You see, we are now a digital society where the keyboard has replaced the pen. It's apparent when you think about it...but it's quite remarkable. The communication interface is rapidly becoming the keyboard. The standard keyboard of a laptop, the keyboard on a smart phone, the virtual "projected keyboard" that provides instant and anywhere keys are all the new tools of writing. And the need for this is driven by the electronic input requirements of the technology that surrounds.
The pen is dead. Long live the electron!
But there is a twist. The handwriting conversion technology and voice recognition also add to the mix. But in the final analysis, good old fashioned penmanship that Mrs. De Angelo taught me in school is no longer a necessity but more of a craft that lives in realm of the calligrapher. It's actually a bit sad...but also progress in the world of new media and technology.
Type on thinkers!!!
The Big Think: Today’s Communication Dynamic–Influence vs. Control
In the good old days, you crafted your message and "pushed" it out to the marketplace. The TV commercial sold the story of faster, better, quicker, etc. and the colateral material reinforced it. The sales force carried the message to your audience and the detail aid was the central focus of the communication. (Well, I guess in an ideal world.)
Today, that world is over. A lot of people still don't realize it, but it is.
A brand's message, while it might (but often not) originate as part of your brand communication, is now actually the result of the various media channels that reflect, modify, reinterpret and even invent the story. It's no longer YOUR story, but the communication ecosphere's story. Or put simply, The story is in the hand of YOU and ME to mold as WE desire.
WE blog
WE Tweet
WE search
WE Facebook
WE e-mail
WE Wii (Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.)
WE create a robust sphere of communication that ultimately defines the communication. And the message that Nike or BP puts into the marketplace is at our mercy--at our mercy to like, dislike, or to just cut-and-paste into a proposition of our own.
So much for control!
The role of brand communication today is to control and influence that dialogue. The brand can make you feel good, support your intelligence, stroke your ego, donate to charity or build a consumer-centric brand personality. The brand can enter the dialogue in Twitter. The brand can support Joe blogger. And the brand can do one of the single-most important tasks essential in today's world: LISTEN. Listen closely to the ecosphere and watch the diffusion and evolution of the message. (A word of caution here: You must listen in real time! Not only to focus groups that speak to yesterday reality, but the message that is flowing via new media right now.)
So, when you hear things like "print is dead", you might want to redefine that message in the context of your own communication ecosphere. You see, print isn't deal...control is.
The Big Think: Stillness and Creativity
Where does a creative thought come from?
Does form really arise from the formless?
I think so. We have little bursts of innovation that make their way to the surface almost like the "big bang" that created the universe. So, it's a bit ironic that the creative big bang--the explosion of thought--is preceded by a certain void or stillness.
And about that void...
In advertising and publishing, for example, it's the place that makes people nervous. It's the spot where your editor or acount executive starts to get worried. We all know the times, when the timeline becomes more important than the idea and the bean counter suddenly becomes that driver of innovation. And it's the spot where our creative journey is in a precarious arch of gestation. It's the time you sit back in your chair with your feel on the desk. It's the first 50 ideas that cook in your consciousness. It's the seemingly unrelated thought that distracts you.
CAUTION: CREATIVE THOUGHTS, PRIOR TO BIRTH, ARE SUBJECT TO UNALTERABLE AND ADVERSE CHANGES WHEN EXPOSED TO TOXIC INTRUSIONS.
This stillness is the zen of creativity. It's the contemplation that forms, from the formless, the very texture of thought. And, as I've said many times, it's the thought that forms the action that creates the reality!
CAUTION: NEVER LET THE CONTEMPLATIVE STILLNESS OF CREATIVITY BECOME THE RIDECULE OF TASK MASTERS.
So recite your creative mantra and let your consciousness swirl in stillness.
The Big Think: Dollars and Sense–Scent as a Powerful Brand Hallmark
It's very simple...and very complex. Our sense of smell is amazing. One sniff of a certain scent and we are quickly transported on a magical journey to our youth and Grandma's kitchen. It's almost impossible to resist these feelings and emotions. A new car smell, perfume, baking bread and so many other invisible triggers conger memories that have been lost over time and instantly emerge.
Simply put. Scent has the highest link to memory than the other 4 senses. Olfaction and memory!!
In fact, scent has even been a useful modality in patients with Alzheimer's Disease! Pleasant aromas have been used to calm these patients when they are agitated. Perhaps taking them back in memory to a more peaceful time.
But for those of you who insist, Olfaction is the sensory modality that is physically closest to the limbic system, of which the hippocampus and amygdala are a part, and which is responsible for emotions and memory. So, there is a wealth of science to support this concept.
But let's think about the marketing implications of scent beyond the obvious concepts of food and cosmetics. Hummm. Or should I say sniffffff.
So, how does your brand smell. And for that matter, how does it taste, feel and sound. Interesting stuff for a brand-building workshop!!!
The Big Think: Science, Technology and Marketing. The Looming Convergence
Science and technology are advancing at an amazing speed. And what lies ahead is the convergence of these forces that will revolutionize the way we market brands and services...
Much of this is already living on the fringes:
--Influence scoring". Yep, it's already here. Your buying power is only part of your real influence to a marketer. Your outbound influence to other consumers (hello bloggers and Tweeters!!!) are part of the equation that can establish you as as a key target. Think of it as your marketing influence FICO score.
--Neuromarketing. Forget about focus groups and asking silly questions about what you like and don't like. Now the direct responses of your brain will drive market research and decision making. It will even help you with you own preferences and selections. Get ready to wear a funny little hat that reads your thoughts!
--Tactical scoring. We can now score individual tactic and rank how well then do in advancing the buying sequence! From opening an e-mail to completing an on-line training program, marketers can now understand how close you are to the purchase.
What lies ahead is SCIENCE-BASED MARKETING. It will change the way we think media, strategies and tactics.
And do you know what? I already know what you're thinking...
The Big Think: Introducing e-ticulation. How touch is the future
The nature of communication is changing. We are no longer pushed a message in a linear fashion, but communicated and learn in a vibrant two-way (three-way, four way, etc...) interactive dynamic that touches our lives in way like never before.
Enter e-ticulation. It's the e-version of gesticulation. Gesticulation is the act of gesture...and now this notion of the computer gesture is emerging--living in technology like the Wii and further driven in part by the ipad. Touch, push, move, stretch and point are now becoming part of the body language of the computer. It's applications in real life are significant. From teaching a child to professional one-on-one selling, this will become the new standard of interactive communication.
The interesting thing is that this new method isn't just a step forward in technology but a step back to humanity. It integrates the device with the individual. It's the Internet that you hold like a pet. It's an extension of yourself and establishes a direct neural connection with the way your brain works. This is not be be underestimated!!!
It's here and it's here to stay. It's call e-ticulation, and you heard it here first.
The Big Think: Brain Fat
Brain Fat. Yep...you heard it first right here. The serious condition defined in the annals of medicine as neural lipogenesis.
But let's take a step back, or should I say a step lower...to your waist (and your liver). Because, that's where lipogenesis really happens and that's where the fat likes to hang out.
Here's my concern: We spend so much time talking about aerobic exercise, fat-free and BMI that we are missing the most essential organ that needs exercise--the BRAIN!!!!
There are two main issues that need to be discussed. The first is the practical reality of thinking and neural development. You see, an active brain is more healthy and drives synaptic development. A brain that is less active is more likely to be associated with dementia and Alzheimer's disease (my theory). Simply stated, use it or lose it!
But there's more. Exercising the brain is not just expanding language skills or playing chess. There is another, even greater aspect to this story--grooming consciousness and the evolution of mind. Now, take a deep breath, because this is important. SYSTEMATIC INTROSPECTION (LIKE PRAYER AND MEDITATION) IS AN ESSENTIAL ASPECT OF HUMAN GROWTH AND TRANSCENDANCE. Contemplation is a powerful tool that is well established in great religions of the world and helps us up the ladder of personal growth--moving into a full-established sense of self (the ego) and then moving higher up to trans-personal levels.
So, next time you go to the gym, fuss with your hair or spend hours searching for that perfect suit, think about grooming the very thing that defines you in a way Armini can never do--your brain.
"Hey--do I look fat in this brain?!"