Why The iPhone 5 Will Be Wider, Not Taller

Posted at: September 11, 2012 at 12:00 pm | By: | no comments.
Filed under : Consumer Trends, Cutting Edge Media, Strategy, Technology

This article was original posted on September 10th, 2012 on PSFK.com: http://www.psfk.com/2012/09/iphone-5-design.html

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The iPhone 5 rumor mill is in overdrive, but the focus of the speculation is misplaced. Looking ahead to the more connected Apple device ecosystem, I actually think that the iPhone 5 will be wider – not taller.

Industry insiders agree the new ‘taller’ screen has a 16:9 screen resolution. This is designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to start the process of updating the entire iTunes app ecosystem to a new standard that will ensure compatibility across a future version of the Apple device ecosystem that includes the Apple TV.

There is a new digital revolution underway in the living room. Google, Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, Roku, Boxee and others are all fighting to own the new TV experience, but our collective focus remains on the smartphone and the tablet. This will change. So much so that I am betting the next phase of my career on it.

Gigaom predicted approximately 250,000,000 Smart TVs will be in play by 2015. Almost half of US based consumers do not understand what a smart TV is according to the YouGov Smart TV Study. Apple, regardless of your opinion of them, is exceptionally good at bringing innovative products into the mainstream. The all but confirmed release of an updated Apple TV, that includes full integration of Apps along with a next generation user experience, will bring the desire to own a Smart TV into the mainstream. The new technology frontier will be forged by Smart TVs and with it I’m expecting an opportunity to arise as significant as when smartphones or tablets became mainstream devices.

But let me say this again, it is not just about another device coming into the market (iPhone 5, Smart TVs), but rather what the interrelationship is between all of the devices and what the long-range roadmap in play to connect everything looks like. The all-but-confirmed release of an updated Apple TV that includes full integration of Apps along with a next generation user experience will bring the passion and desire to own a Smart TV into the mainstream.

The future of consumer electronics will revolve around the connected ecosystem. iPhone and iPad owners will flock to the Apple TV to complete their digital ecosystem as their devices become increasingly interconnected. Android users although excited and inspired by the Apple TV will seek a compatible experience for their ecosystem in the Google TV. The best thing that will ever happen to Google TV is Apple TV.

It is my prediction that in the next year we will continue to see more shifts in aspect ratios around devices, both tablets and phones, as we move to a more complete and connected ecosystem. Will we see this in the rumored iPad mini? Perhaps, but unlikely. Instead, I think Apple will update the full size iPad and then follow up with a new iPad mini aspect ratio at a closer time to the TV. One thing not in question, however, is the pending Smart TV revolution that will enter the mainstream (and our living rooms) and the that implications for changes in consumer behavior will be profound. The revolution will be connected, integrated and require new standards. The iPhone 5 is just the beginning, but one of the most important steps we’ve seen yet.


Five Challenges For Tomorrow’s Global Marketing Leaders

Posted at: September 6, 2012 at 10:00 pm | By: | no comments.
Filed under : Advertising, Sapient, Strategy

This article was originally posted at Forbes: Click here to view it there.
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This article is by Freddie Laker, VP of global marketing strategy, and Hilding Anderson, research and insights director, both at SapientNitro.

CMOs are struggling to adapt to a world that has fundamentally changed over the course of their careers. Disruptive digital technologies and the new expectations of the global consumer are forcing global firms to adjust and innovate.

SapientNitro has made a significant effort to understand how these changes are impacting large global organizations. What we found was surprising: Just 15% of senior marketers feel prepared to deal with the rapidly changing consumer, and just 8% believe agencies are succeeding in their support of global brands.

Our CMO Global Marketing Readiness Study, a six-month research study of 114 CMO-level marketers, identified five significant challenges that should act as a wake-up call to global marketers:

1. Disruptive technologies.

The proliferation of new technologies – from social media and mobile apps to in-store digital experiences and mobile payments – represents a set of obstacles for which senior marketers are ill prepared. Just 20% consider themselves ‘very knowledgeable’ about technology, yet by 2017 these CMOs will purchase more technology than their CIOs, according to Gartner. The scale of these investments must be at a global level within the organization, yet be mindful of local market requirements. The challenge points to a need for a technology-savvy global CMO with a sensitivity for local-global relationships and the flexibility to adapt to and embrace disruptive technologies and social media-driven, personalized marketing.

2. Globally connected consumers.

A new class of consumers, adept with and empowered by affordable ubiquitous technology, has changed the marketing rules. Our research shows that 82% of senior marketers feel that interconnected consumers have broken down the barriers between global and local marketing. Global marketing’s core challenge has been to deliver relevant messages to the local market, but in an age where assets designed for one country are rapidly shared around the world, the challenge is to give global consumers a delicate balance of local, regional and global campaigns – simultaneously.

3. Localization revisited.

Coping with the diversity of “global consumers” that also have strong regional subcultures is regarded as a challenge by 75% of senior marketers. A recent Millward Brown study found that of ads that tested exceptionally well in one country, just over one in 10 did equally well in another country – raising real questions about the cost efficiencies of cross-border campaigns. Add to this the growing tensions between local and global roles and authority within the organization – challenging for 82% of senior marketers – and what becomes clear is the need for organizational design and digital platforms that allow for a multi-channel, multi-disciplinary mindset across the organization.

4. Multi-channel misses.

A full 37% of senior marketers don’t believe that their marketing activities are fully integrated across digital and traditional channels. The opportunity to grow revenues from multi-channel consumers requires investments in digital experiences that are too large for a single market, but which must provide flexibility for localization. The bottom line is that senior marketers need to adopt the “global mindset” that will let them displace strong organizational silos, specialized partners and a reliance on traditional single-channel campaigns in order to realize the benefits of cross-channel experiences.

5. Organizational structures.

Too often, the three executive branches of CMO, CEO and CTO claim an overlapping interest in the area of digital experience, leading to a failure to organize efficiently for the new global marketing environment. Our research shows that 56% of marketers agree coordination between digital and traditional marketing teams is more challenging than five years ago – silos and a lack of coordination are getting worse just as the need for collaboration is becoming greater.

These trends leave us to believe in the rise of a new breed of “marketer” with a global marketing mindset. This new global CMO should build strategies that cross silos and approaches and combine the characteristics of a traditional marketer with the skills traditionally associated with a CTO and even with the recently created CXO offices. A decade ago the ecommerce or digital function would have reported to the CIO, but today we’re seeing about 50% report to the CMO – the single largest bucket of C-level oversight for digital.

Mastering this evolved global marketing mindset could be what defines the most successful brands of the next decade. But having a global mindset isn’t just for global brands; as businesses look to export their success into other markets, brands must increasingly defend against new global competition.


China: Will It Re-define Our Digital Landscape? (SXSW Presentation)

Posted at: March 27, 2012 at 4:27 pm | By: | one comment.
Filed under : Future Trends

If you’re interested in China and how the digital and social media landscape will evolve globally in the next 15 years then you’ll find this interesting.

I wanted to share the presentation I gave at SXSW this year. I have uploaded it to SlideShare and also embedded the live audio taken at the event.

I’d like to give a special thanks to my colleagues in the Shanghai office for helping me to learn about China and answering all my unusual questions. I hope they feel this presentation represents that I was listening, learning, and have a genuine admiration for their country.

View another webinar from Freddie Laker


Google Wallet Launches

Posted at: September 20, 2011 at 3:44 pm | By: | no comments.
Filed under : Consumer Trends, Gadgets, google, Mobile, Technology

Google WalletGoogle officially rolled out its Google Wallet mobile payment system Monday. Is still in its infancy, but the system already shows a lot of promise.

It uses a technology called NFC (Near Field Communication) to securely send your payments digitally.

The only phone in the US that supports NFC is the Google Nexus S, available with t-mobile and Sprint, and there are high hopes that the iPhone 5 will support it too.

Right now, Google Wallet only works with Citi-Mastercards and the Google Prepaid Card. Visa and Google announced a worldwide agreement to support the Visa payWave app, but it will still be up to the financial institutions and banks to add support.

 Read More »


Google+ US-geek-male skewed Infographic

Posted at: September 20, 2011 at 12:07 pm | By: | no comments.
Filed under : Consumer Trends, google, Social Media, Social Networks

Google+ now finally open to the public “might” make me change my perception. Google+ (plus) launched early July on an invite only basis, which seems to have heavily skewed towards a geeky male US-based audience. At the moment, Google+ really has nothing to offer in the social end … yes, the way you organize friends is better (IMO) than Facebook, and … … … well, that’s it … You might have heard me claim that it will compete against iCloud in the quest to conquer your hard data (photos, videos, music, files) – but that’s another post on its own.

The first Google+ infographic was released an the numbers pretty much confirm it: 26 million users, 100% of which work in software engineering, web development, advertising, or related careers. Should be interesting to watch it shift (or not) now that Google+ is open to the public.  Read More »
"Take Me To Your Leader" focuses on trend watching in consumer behaviors, marketing, technology, and social media, but is often led astray by its eccentric authors and their love of music, traveling, random thoughts, and pirates.

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  • Mike Maxson: This is an excellent presentation… A real eye opener when it comes to China.
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