1. OUT FRONTIN A MOBILE CULTURE
DIGITAL
TRENDS2015
H2 Central – April 2015
2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary 1
Recognizing a Massive Cultural Shift 1
Contending with Monumental Transition 1
How We Approached the Assignment 2
How Our Findings Were Chosen & Organized 2
What is Our Real Insight? 3
The Trends: Observations & Supporting Sources 4
The Trends: Implications & Considerations 15
Other Trends Worth Monitoring 17
Thriving in the Midst of Unprecedented Change 19
Consulted Sources 20
Closing Notes & Contact Information 20
3. DIGITAL
TRENDS2015
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This white paper identifies 10 compelling trends in digital communications and argues that
cumulatively they reflect an extraordinary transition to a mobile information culture that is more
than the sum of its parts. Our conclusion is drawn from a detailed bottom-up examination of
a broad array of individual developments and subsequent analysis, using credible secondary
sources in late 2014 and early 2015. H2 Central believes this white paper offers materially
useful observations about media consumption habits and behaviours that should inform
decision-making and action. It was specifically written to share strategic insights that support
effective relationships with key target audiences in a rapidly changing future that is already
influencing current reality.
RECOGNIZING A MASSIVE CULTURAL SHIFT
It may envelop us but its full immensity and meaning may still be invisible: virtually the entire
planet is increasingly immersed in and is embracing a portable digital communications culture.
So pervasive is the trend to a mobile electronic information environment that its actual and
projected reach can only be tracked in many multiple billions – whether measured in discrete
technology units or sales dollars.
The adoption curve (real and forecast) to an all-encompassing global digital environment is so
steep and dominant, it must be a key strategic consideration for every organization that plans
to thrive in the future – let alone remain viable.
The cumulative impact from the uptake of individual mobile technologies is far more than the
sum of their separate successes and overall maturation: it is the defining reflection
of a shared worldwide shift.
CONTENDING WITH MONUMENTAL TRANSITION
In late 2014, working from a broad array of credible secondary sources available freely online,
H2 Central began to explore the implications of this dominant pattern. Our professional
challenge – as a marketing and communications agency focused on servicing
knowledge-based businesses and organizations – was to understand how it affects our clients,
their operations and audiences. We needed to comprehend the significance of this pivotal
transition to properly advise and guide them through it.
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4. 2
DIGITAL
TRENDS2015
HOW WE APPROACHED THE ASSIGNMENT
A proper PEST analysis (Political, Economic/Environment, Social, Technological) must begin
with an honest, unbiased and non-judgmental review of the available evidence. That evidence
must be chosen with a keen eye and a wariness about stated claims that may be merely
self-serving (e.g., announcements intended to create momentum for projected, or purported,
sales forecasts).
We therefore started this inquiry with no preconceived notions or particular agenda other
than to provide our clients (and ourselves) with an accurate and meaningful update of rapidly
changing digital media. That is, we took a bottom-up approach to gathering the facts.
And we allowed the various accounts from business and technology media, consulting
organizations, trend watchers, think tanks, news releases and authoritative digital marketing
leaders to inform our observations and guide our conclusions. A list of the many sources we
drew on to develop our thinking and the outcome of that thinking is at the end of this white
paper; they consist of third-party observers rather than companies with a vested interest in
promoting their products.
We also decided the best way to initially share our findings was through a user-friendly,
graphically engaging “Top 10” list. This format was the most efficient way to quickly hone in on
and convey the specific digital developments we regard as worthy of attention. An infographic
version has since followed (and is available from our website, H2central.ca); it has allowed us
to share our ideas with a broader audience. This white paper adds substance to the top-level
observations and enables us to impart what we learned through the research process and what
substantiates our conclusions.
HOW OUR FINDINGS WERE CHOSEN & ORGANIZED
In the “stripped-down” but graphically powerful premium and infographic versions of
Digital Trends 2015, it was impossible to share the research and factual basis that supports
our observations. In this white paper it is not only possible, but necessary. What follows
further on are elaborations on each trend and the specific sources we referred to in articulating
our conclusions.
For consistency, we present the trends in the same order they appear in these other two
vehicles. However, they are not intentionally listed on an absolutely ordinal (first, second, third,
etc.) basis with the exception of the first (Info on the Run – Mobility Rules), which emerged
from our discovery and examination of the others.
To a significant degree, many of the trends intersect and there are synergistic relationships
between two or more – buttressing our conclusions about an enveloping mobile culture.
For example, hand-held devices are the “hub” for receiving mobile advertising, a growing
means of accessing social media, for interacting with the Internet of Things and for mobile
payments. Observations about the burgeoning use of mobile communications and
5. 3
DIGITAL
TRENDS2015
purchases of smartphones and tablets therefore logically appear earlier in the list than the
rise of wearable technology, a specialized application of mobile technology that is still growing
towards a mainstream footing.
Any list that strives to depict evolving macro change is prone to certain vulnerabilities.
For example, the data may be suspect and/or change so dramatically while conclusions are
being framed that they no longer have validity. As previously stated, we have been vigilant to
select from what we believe are reliable sources without an overt conflict of interest and
have identified trends that we are confident will have a longer shelf life. In fact, these were
factors for inclusion; coverage collected since this project began reaffirms that our choice
of trends is sound.
At the end of this exercise, we aim to provide our clients and ourselves with a genuine
contribution to a joint search for creative solutions to their marketing and communications
needs. That pragmatic outlook provided useful discipline in the selection of the trends and in
our interpretation of their implications.
WHAT IS OUR REAL INSIGHT?
Those who closely monitor digital advances with a discerning eye might ask what novel insight
we are seeking to offer – after all, scarcely a day goes by without an announcement of some
new media/technology innovations or a “Top X” list of them. What should we pay attention to
beyond that stream of news?
From our perspective as an organization navigating the constant flow, there is genuine value
in stepping back from the overwhelming mass of detail and examining it with a higher level
of understanding. An unrelated self-generated project by H2 Central examining Canada’s
financial landscape proves the case.
In 2014, we produced a well-respected depiction of the complex financial sector that
empowered even securities regulatory officials and seasoned financial professionals to view
it with fresh understanding. That execution (since updated) did not explicitly determine the
approach taken to reviewing digital trends. It does, however, demonstrate the very real value of
zooming out to get a view of the full horizon, to contemplate what is beyond that vantage point
and to ponder its deeper importance.
This “see-it-from-a-mountaintop” outlook ultimately led to the realization that individual
changes discovered via bottom-up investigation add up to something much larger. They are,
we argue, a self-reinforcing catalyst resulting in a definitive change in human communication
and behaviour, in information consumption, and therefore in culture. That this is occurring not
merely on a national or international scale but on a global scale – regardless of disparities in
local jurisdictions – means that it has effectively attained a level of universality which can only
impel further acceptance, reliance and growth. That is, it has become a virtuous cycle.
6. THE TRENDSOBSERVATIONS & SUPPORTING SOURCES
The following is a detailed examination of the chosen trends and the data and
online documents that informed our account of them. They do not represent
the entire sum of evidence for any particular trend but do capture the best
statements about them and served as the key source material for the premium.
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7. INFORMATION ON THE RUN:
MOBILITY RULES & DEFINES A GLOBAL CULTURE
DIGITAL
TRENDS2015
OUR OBSERVATION
All lines are converging towards a mobile information and communications future.
Mobile Internet access has reached a critical mass of billions of users and is growing.
This is a meta-trend that drives all others, effectively establishing a portable digital
communications culture.
SUPPORTING FACTS & STATS
• 3.649 billion mobile users and 1.685 billion active mobile social accounts as of January 2015
(landing page). Mobile’s share of web traffic: 33.4% (slide 20 of embedded presentation).
Digital, Social Mobile in 2015. We are Social, Simon Kemp. January 21, 2015
• “77% of participants in our survey considered mobility among their top five priorities for the
coming year, and 43% said the technology was in the top two.” Based on a survey of almost
1,500 C-level executives at companies in 14 countries around the world (p.6).
Mobility: Fueling the Digital Surge, Accenture Mobility Insights Report, February 2014
• Share of web traffic by device (January 2015). Share of web page views: laptops desktops:
62% (year-on-year: -13%). Share of web page views: mobile phones: 31%
(year-on-year: +39%). Share of web page views: tablets: 7% (year-on-year: +17%).
Share of web page views: other devices, e.g., game consoles: 0.1% (year-on-year: +18%).
Digital, Social Mobile in 2015, TNW, January 21, 2015
• “…Americans now spend more [time] looking at their smartphones than…watching television:
177 minutes per day for the phone compared to 168 minutes for the TV. Worldwide,
3 billion people access the Internet from mobile devices, and growth in mobile access will
come largely from countries without a wired infrastructure. …they’ll be getting online for
the first time via a smartphone or tablet. In three short years, half the world’s population
will have regular access to the Web, the vast majority…using inexpensive mobile phones
and mobile broadband. …in the U.S., 40% of cell phone owners use their device to access
a social networking site; 28%...every day. The number who use only a mobile device for
social networking is also rising, and there are parts of the world – China notable among
them – where the numbers are considerably higher.” Tech Talk: 15 Predictions for 2015,
Communication World (CW) Magazine, IABC, Shel Holtz, Dec. 1, 2014
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8. SMARTPHONES TABLETS:
GROWTH DOMINANCE HERE, NOW, TOMORROW
DIGITAL
TRENDS2015
OUR OBSERVATION
Smartphones are continuing along a trajectory of stratospheric growth and together
with tablets will be the dominant forms of digital connection: they’re reshaping how we
stay informed and reinforcing our mobile communication and information culture.
SUPPORTING FACTS STATS
• “…the global market of smartphones is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth
rate (CAGR) of 18.4% in the next few years and will be close to 1.7 billion units by 2017,
the total shipment of smart connected devices will be over 2.2 [sic] units and the total
income will reach an astonishing number, 814.3 billion dollars.” IDG Announced 2014-
2015 “Global Smartphone Top 10” and “Global Smart Connected Devices Top 10,”
PR Newswire, Jan. 9, 2015
• “According to Forbes, ‘87% of connected devices sales by 2017 will be tablets and
smartphones.’ Due to the widespread use of smartphones and tablets, it’s necessary for
companies to create an alternate mobile version of their website or utilize responsive web
design.” 15 Marketing and Technology Trends For 2015, Canada Business Review,
December, 24, 2014
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9. ADVERTISING:
THE OUTLOOK IS DIGITAL MOBILE
DIGITAL
TRENDS2015
OUR OBSERVATION
Internet advertising is on course to dominate as the key conduit for reaching
audiences with a paid commercial message, and mobile has steep upward momentum.
Traditional media continue to pursue innovative alternatives, creating a complex and
highly competitive marketing landscape.
SUPPORTING FACTS STATS
• “Expenditures for digital advertising will grow in 2015, as brands, ad agencies and publishers
invest in ways to deliver more-relevant advertising to people.” Gartner Survey Reveals Digital
Marketing Budgets Will Increase by 8 Percent in 2015, News Release, Gartner, Inc.,
November 3, 2014
• “Internet advertising revenues are expected to hit it big in Canada by 2018, while mobile
advertising is growing at a particularly rapid rate, with an expected compound annual growth
rate (CAGR) of 21.8 percent. Print continues its deathly spiral, as it will fall from $1.6 billion
in 2014 to $1.2 billion in 2018, representing a CAGR of -7.9 percent. The new data comes
from PwC’s Global Entertainment and Media Outlook, which projects that spending from
2014-2018 in the entertainment and media market, advertising in Canada is at a ‘tipping
point.’ By 2018, internet advertising spending will be well ahead of spending in other
channels and will reflect an overall shift to digital amongst Canadian consumers.”
The Future Looks Bright: Internet Advertising Revenues to Hit $7.2 Billion by 2018,
Betakit (Canadian Startup News Innovation), Joseph Czikk, June 4, 2014
• “New data from BI Intelligence finds that US mobile ad spend will top nearly $42 billion
in 2018, rising by a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 43% from 2013.”
Mobile Advertising Is Exploding And Will Grow Much Faster Than All Other Digital Ad
Categories, Business Insider, Mark Hoelzel, Dec. 21, 2014
• “…forecasts [predict] marketers will spend $4.3 billion on native advertising in 2015,
a 34% increase from this year, according to eMarketer. That number is expected to reach
$8.8 billion by 2018.” Native Ad Spending To Jump Despite Marketer Reservations,
Ad Age, Michael Sebastian, November 21, 2014
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10. SOCIAL MEDIA:
THE “CHANNEL CAPTAIN” IS STRONG BUT SLOWING –
OTHER CONTENDERS HAVE GROWN
DIGITAL
TRENDS2015
OUR OBSERVATION
Facebook remains the dominant social media channel captain. Meanwhile, other major
contenders have attracted new participants and have grown. As a whole, the highly
competitive social media marketplace is characterized by a small cadre of big players
and many aspiring niche alternatives.
SUPPORTING FACTS STATS
• Facebook continues to dominate the global social media landscape, claiming 1.366 billion
active users in January 2015. Crucially, 1.133 billion of the platform’s global users – 83% of
the total – now access the service through mobile devices. Digital, Social Mobile in 2015,
We are Social, Simon Kemp, January 21, 2015
• January 2015: Global Active (Monthly) Users by Social Platform: Facebook – 1.366 billion.
QZone (China) – 629 million. Google+ – 343 million. Instagram – 300 million. Twitter –
284 million. Tumblr – 230 million. Baidu Tieba (China) – 200 million. Sina Weibo (China) –
157 million. VKontakte (Russia) – 100 million. (slide 28) Digital, Social Mobile in 2015,
We are Social, Simon Kemp. January 21, 2015
• “In a new survey conducted in September 2014, the Pew Research Center finds that
Facebook remains by far the most popular social media site. While its growth has slowed,
the level of user engagement with the platform has increased. Other platforms like Twitter,
Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn saw significant increases over the past year in the
proportion of online adults who now use their sites. The results in this report are based on
American adults who use the internet.” Social Media Update 2014, Pew Research Center –
Internet, Science Technology, Maeve Duggan, Nicole B. Ellison, Cliff Lampe, Amanda
Lenhart and Mary Madden, January 9, 2015
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11. THE INTERNET OF THINGS:
PROSPECTS ARE RISING FOR MORE CONNECTIONS
DIGITAL
TRENDS2015
OUR OBSERVATION
The Internet of Things is slowly becoming a reality, connecting a myriad of household
devices (typically to mobile devices) and creating a huge consumer benefit and an
economic opportunity for companies providing useful connectivity.
SUPPORTING FACTS STATS
• “With a projected [by Cisco] 20 billion devices connected by 2018…” 15 Marketing and
Technology Trends For 2015, Canada Business Review, December 24, 2014
• “By 2022, the Internet of Things has been projected to be worth $500B in Canada.”
Canadian Digital Media Trends by the Numbers – March 2014, CDMN, March 31, 2014
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12. CONTENT OVERLOAD INTENSIFIES:
SUPER SMART CREATIVITY IS THE SOLUTION
DIGITAL
TRENDS2015
OUR OBSERVATION
“Cutting through the clutter” has never be more important or challenging than it is now.
Audiences are overwhelmed with solicitations, information and communication.
Smart, innovative, memorable creativity that reaches people wherever they are is imperative.
SUPPORTING FACTS STATS
• Cumulatively, 60% of respondents said the amount of advertised/branded content they are
exposed to is too much (survey by eMarketer, June 2014) eMarketer – Key Digital Trends –
15 Things to Know for 2015, Noah Elkin, December 11, 2014 (slide 23)
• “Research from CMI/Marketing Profs and others shows that business content ‘production’
is going into hyper drive in 2015 and beyond. In fact, between now and 2020, the amount of
information on the Internet is expected to increase by 500% (and some experts believe that
number is conservative.” Beyond Content Shock: The defining trend of 2015 is Content
Ignition, Grow, @MarkSchaefer, January 4, 2015
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13. WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY:
SIGNS OF SUCCESS BUT STILL STRIVING
TO GO MAINSTREAM
DIGITAL
TRENDS2015
OUR OBSERVATION
Proponents and skeptics continue to debate if 2015 is the breakthrough year when niche
products will mature into “must-have” mainstream offerings. Some projections show
genuine potential, but while growth is anticipated, the path forward is still being pursued.
SUPPORTING FACTS STATS
• “Research company IDC Canada is predicting a 70 per cent year-over-year increase in
shipments of wearables products to 1.2 million by the end of 2015.” Tech trends for 2015:
virtual reality, wearables, streaming video, The Record.com, January 03, 2015
• “Microsoft stunned audiences of Wednesday’s Windows 10 event by unveiling HoloLens,
the company’s augmented-reality headset and platform. Not only is the tech incredibly cool,
the timing couldn’t be better. Coming just a week after Google announced that it was going
to hit the pause button on Google Glass so that it could better refine its message, HoloLens
and Windows Holographic are proof that virtual and augmented computing isn’t a space
being solely explored by Google and Facebook’s Oculus VR.” Microsoft HoloLens
won’t be the next Google Glass, and that’s a good thing, Mashable, Christina Warren,
January 22, 2015
• “Google is making big changes to its beleaguered Google Glass project. According to a new
report from The Wall Street Journal, Google will no longer sell its current version of Google
Glass through its Glass Explorer program after Jan. 19. Furthermore, Glass is moving out of
the Google X research lab and into a standalone unit. The unit be run by Ivy Ross and will
report to Nest’s Tony Fadell.” First version of Google Glass discontinued as Nest’s Tony
Fadell takes over, Mashable, Christina Warren, January 15, 2015
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14. THE TECHNOLOGY LIFECYCLE TURNS:
SOME FADE, OTHERS EMERGE
DIGITAL
TRENDS2015
OUR OBSERVATION
On the “Endangered Technologies List”? QR codes have faded from many markets, while
projections for the potential of near field communication (NFC) provide strong support that
it is on the rise.
SUPPORTING FACTS STATS
• “And while small business owners and marketers thought they’d hit the jackpot, the QR
code trend didn’t become as popular with consumers as some had predicted. A 2013 survey
found only 21% of American smartphone owners say they’ve ever scanned a QR code, and
just 2% say they scan a QR code at least once per day.” Are QR Codes Dead?, Lindsay
Kolowich, Hubspot, August 14, 2014
• 5 Things You Don’t Need to Worry About – #2: QR Codes. eMarketer – Key Digital Trends –
15 Things to Know for 2015, Noah Elkin, December 11, 2014 (slides 31
and 32)
• “Even their inventor has doubts about their shelf life. ‘To tell you the truth, it may last for 10
more years,’ says QR code inventor Masahiro Hara. Like the original barcode, Hara believes
QR codes will eventually be replaced by better image recognition software.” Trends on
Tuesday: Are QR Codes Still Relevant?, Treci Johnson, October 6, 2014, Digitalgov.gov
• “Transparency Market Research, a U.S. based market intelligence firm, has recently
published a research report based on the global near field communications market.
The report, titled ‘Near Field Communication (NFC) Market (By Products – Global Industry
Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 – 2019’, states that the global near
field communication market, which valued US$1.068 billion in 2012, is expected to acquire
net worth of US$20.01 billion by 2018, growing at a very health [sic] CAGR of 43.7% during
the forecast period.” Global Near Field Communication Market to be Worth US$20.01
billion by 2018: Transparency Market, Albany, NY, (GLOBE NEWSWIRE),
October 21, 2014
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15. CYBERSECURITY PRIVACY:
BREACHES DRIVE INVESTMENT
CALLS FOR MORE PROTECTION
DIGITAL
TRENDS2015
OUR OBSERVATION
With a growing list of serious, high-profile and embarrassing information security breaches
as a backdrop, investments in protecting information and technology assets will accelerate.
However, official privacy guardians have also called on governments for more safeguards.
SUPPORTING FACTS STATS
• “In 2015, companies will spend 46% more on their security technologies according to a
report by Computerworld. High profile security breaches, in addition to the increase in mobile
technologies, have promoted security spending to the top of the IT priority list for 2015.”
15 Marketing and Technology Trends For 2015, Canada Business Review,
December 24, 2014
• “Information and Privacy Ombudspersons and Commissioners from across the country
are urging federal, provincial and territorial governments to review and modernize their
information management practices. In a joint resolution, [they] said the digital era has
brought both tremendous opportunities and new challenges for access and privacy rights.
Governments…must show bold leadership now more than ever to ensure the continued
relevance of access to information, while still vigilantly protecting the personal information of
Canadians.” Canada’s access to information and privacy guardians urge governments to
better protect and promote rights of Canadians in digital era, News Release, Office of the
Privacy Commissioner of Canada, November 14, 2014
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16. MOBILE PAYMENT:
YOUR CELL PHONE IS BECOMING YOUR WALLET
DIGITAL
TRENDS2015
OUR OBSERVATION
Even if it’s not yet fully mainstream, payment by mobile phone is expected to reach a
tipping point in 2015 in Canada as more consumers get sufficiently comfortable with using
their smartphones to more frequently make purchases in enabled stores.
SUPPORTING FACTS STATS
• “[Deloitte] estimates that, this year, about five per cent of the world’s 600 million equipped
smartphones will be used to make an in-store purchase at least once a month, a 1,000 per
cent increase over 2014. By the end of the year, it expects one in 20 smartphone owners
to have made a mobile payment with their phone.” Paying with a smartphone will be the
biggest tech trend in 2015, Deloitte, The Record, January 13, 2015
• “1 in 20 smartphone users will have tapped their phone to pay by end of year.”
Mobile payments ‘tipping point’ comes in 2015, Deloitte predicts, CBC News,
January 13, 2015
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17. THE TRENDSIMPLICATIONS CONSIDERATIONS
TREND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERATIONS H2 COMMENTS
1) Information on the Run:
Mobility Rules Defines a
Global Culture
Cultural conventions have broad
influence that become self-reinforcing
and create social acceptance:
communication must increasingly be
mobile-friendly to reach desired target
audiences or risk not reaching/losing
them
Wherever an organization is on the
mobile maturation curve (from early
adopter or early majority to laggard),
it must recognize that this is a meta-
trend that will continue;
H2 Central can support organizations
at any stage evolve to satisfy their
unique communications needs
within this environment
2) Smartphones Tablets:
Growth Dominance
Here, Now, Tomorrow
The technology platforms through
which communication is received have
a major impact on how the information
must be presented, where a target
audience will experience it and how it
will be absorbed – or ignored
Savvy organizations must ensure that
all communication goes through a
“scrub” for its suitability to different
technology platforms and to optimize
that content so that it can take
advantage of those platforms
3) Advertising:
The Outlook is Digital
Mobile
Rising demand for online advertising
may result in scarcity of preferred
placement options for certain media
vehicles; mobile advertising, similar
to out-of-home advertising, must
be able to compete effectively with
multiple moving distractions to reach
its audiences
Even as mobile advertising grows,
some organizations may be better
served by running campaigns
in traditional vehicles (e.g., well-
established trade publications);
regardless of trend lines, H2 Central
will always advise clients to be
strategic in choosing ad media
4) Social Media:
The “Channel Captain” is
Strong but Slowing – Other
Contenders Have Grown
As the social medium most closely
aligned with news sharing, Twitter
should have a brevity advantage when
it comes to mobile devices; however,
the successful adaption of Facebook
and LinkedIn to mobile demonstrates
resilience
H2 believes strategy must drive
which social media channels are
used and not their friendliness to
mobile technologies: for certain
organizations, LinkedIn alone may be
the best conduit for reaching a target
audience
5) The Internet of Things:
Prospects are Rising for
More Connections
The mobile device is being rapidly
transformed from a single-focus
communications vehicle to become
a practical all-in-one implement with
multiple uses and benefits, increasing
its usage
The Internet of Things reinforces the
mobile device as a central tool for
managing one’s affairs: it supports
a cultural attachment to mobile
and digital vehicles by providing
additional utility
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18. THE TRENDS IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERATIONS
TREND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERATIONS H2 COMMENTS
6) Content Overload
Intensifies:
Super Smart Creativity is
the Solution
A long-recognized challenge for
marketers, content overload has
tipped over the top with the rise of
mobile devices; however, as much
as excessive volume may present a
barrier, there is still an obvious appetite
for good quality, well-targeted content
H2 holds that creativity must always
be properly applied to media
type and audience to achieve
intended results: competing for the
attention of mobile users requires
understanding the realities presented
in this white paper
7) Wearable Technology:
Signs of Success but Still
Striving to Go Mainstream
Reconfigures mobile devices into
multipurpose vehicles that may
provide another conduit for consuming
information, contribute to personal well-
being, etc.; though the jury is out on
whether wearable technology changes
behaviours, this usage reinforces a
digital and mobile culture that looks to
technology for measurable benefits
While most products in the
wearables category remain
“niche” offerings, those that
provide information on the run
(e.g., multifunction watches) uptake,
and usage by early adopters and
those that follow them should
be monitored to understand the
potential benefits of this conduit from
a marketing/business perspective
8) The Technology
Lifecycle Turns:
Some Fade, Others Emerge
Well-managed organizations with an
eye to the future need to stay attuned
to changing patterns of technology use
and to adopt a strategic mindset that
emphasizes tangible benefit over any
other consideration in the choice to
use or not use a particular technology;
these benefits should be tracked
and measured before technology is
embraced or abandoned
H2 Central has, on occasion,
used QR codes to link promotional
messages to supporting information;
however, we actively “upgrade” to
newer digital technologies (e.g.,
Layar) where it makes sense and
where it adds value, with a strong
preference for those that support
AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians
with Disabilities Act) requirements
9) Cybersecurity Privacy:
Breaches Drive Investment
Calls for More Protection
Information technology breaches and
embarrassing disclosures of private
information now receive frequent
disclosure in media reports with costly
impact for the affected organizations
in dollar and reputation terms; these
vulnerabilities can be addressed but
not entirely eliminated
Even well-prepared organizations
can be subject to breaches that
severely affect their good name;
while technology enhancements are
the first line of defence, an effective
issues management communications
plan is an absolute necessity to
address contingencies of this nature
10) Mobile Payment:
Your Cell Phone is
Becoming Your Wallet
Payment by cell phone is on a
projected growth curve even as
Canadians have adopted to polymer
bills; while it may not be a dominant
exchange medium for all purchases
in all venues, it is a trend to continue
monitoring
Payment by cell phone can be seen
as one element of a larger set of
trends related to digital financial
exchange that has included the
development of Bitcoin as an
increasingly accepted alternative
currency
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19. OTHER TRENDSWORTH MONITORING
TREND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERATIONS H2 COMMENTS
Gamification Using design and motivational
elements of games, which involve play,
reward, gaining status and a sense of
accomplishment to motivate behaviour
and encourage learning, etc.
H2 has applied gamification concepts
in digital assignments for its clients and
understands how to apply its elements to
achieve specific strategic goals related to
participant education
Big Data The capture and analysis of very large
data sets to identify patterns and draw
conclusions that could not necessarily
be reached by other (quantitative)
research methods
H2 clients may find it valuable to identify an
appropriate “big data” vendor who can supply
relevant data sets and findings against their
specific organizational and/or business needs
3D Printing A robotic process used to make 3D
solid objects from a digital file: it is
being experimented with to produce
everything from handguns to exact
models of human organs with the
possibility of producing the real thing
in the future; commercial 3D printing
service is available in Toronto
For any organization that wants or needs to
produce a unique 3D object (e.g., a custom
marketing premium or an educational model
that does not work as well in two dimensions),
3D printing provides a unique new opportunity
to professionally produce prototypes and/or
small quantities cost-effectively
E-reader (ebook,
e-device)
The demise of e-readers was
predicted in light of the growth of more
sophisticated digital tablets, but they
appear to have secured a niche and
continue to be sold, bought and used:
for example, it is now possible to borrow
ebooks from the Toronto Public Library
The acceptance of ebooks – whichever
technology platform is used to access them
(many now use mobile phones) – continues.
Ebooks allow H2 clients to publish
independent (“indie”) books that enable them
to share their expertise and influence with
target audiences; we have already produced a
book on investing in hard-copy and digital
formats for one of our clients
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In researching our selected trends and in formulating the argument that they indicate
something much bigger – a cultural shift – H2 Central also identified other digitally oriented
developments that merit attention by our clients. Though this is at most a very partial list,
it does provide food for thought, and the entries should be considered in future marketing
and communications thinking and decision-making.
20. OTHER TRENDS WORTH MONITORING
TREND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERATIONS H2 COMMENTS
Streaming Services,
Internet/Digital TV
Cable Cutting
Internet-based TV and movie streaming
services are continuing to grow and to
sieze an increasing number of viewers
away from traditional cable services,
which are also seeking to shift to this
new marketplace preference for digital
access: the change is also abetted by TV
programs moving from networks to the
Internet (e.g., Community)
Economic factors (i.e., cost savings), device
preference (especially among millennials)
and content preference (YouTube,
made-for-Internet TV) are driving many
cable service subscribers to abandon their
former approach to accessing television;
for H2 clients, using YouTube as a strategic
communications vehicle should be considered
Connected Car Vehicles connected to the Internet and
able to access data that may be useful
to the driver (warning: crash ahead),
that provides additional information and
entertainment options for all occupants,
and that may also provide performance
information to the manufacturer: the
connected car is further evidence of a
portable digital culture
Major automobile manufacturers are
increasingly providing an option for enhanced
connectivity in specific models with one
observer predicting that these capabilities will
reach mass market status within five years;
H2 clients may find themselves progressively
connecting with their audiences when they
are on the road
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21. DIGITAL
TRENDS2015
THRIVING IN THE MIDST OF UNPRECEDENTED CHANGE
Change is simultaneously the lifeblood and challenge of all organizations.
Without the ability to contend successfully with change, no organization can achieve its goals,
however they are defined. The unprecedented cultural change we have identified in this
white paper will continue to unfold because we live in a technology-dependent world in which
information and communication have economic utility beyond measure. Making it mobile
aligns with the need for instant access and desire for convenience.
Just as there is unlikely to be a pronounced resurgence in buggy whip production, so too
there is unlikely to be a major reversal of the digital tools we now rely on for much of our daily
professional and personal activities.
H2 Central will draw on the findings and conclusions of this white paper as a source of
intelligence in counselling our clients on how to navigate this change as effectively as possible.
Some of these organizations are early adopters for whom we can provide next steps in line
with their sophisticated application of mobile communications. Others are at an earlier stage of
experimentation, cautiously moving forward as they learn how to engage with their audiences
in new ways: for them, we can provide insights, strategy and tactical executions that fit budgets
and emerging needs. No organization we work with is resistant to innovation and that bodes
well for their future.
A mobile culture is at the centre of the worldwide marketing and communications operating
environment. It is here to stay. H2 Central is the hub that can empower organizations to
effectively maximize the opportunity it represents: to thrive, not merely to survive.
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