“As we all go Jetsons the s#%t that’s gonna matter is Flintstones.” -Gary Vaynerchuk

(Photo courtesy of www.niklasmyhr.com)

Last week I was lucky enough to be a part of the Linked OC audience as business expert, Gary Vaynerchuk gave a down-to-earth and frank keynote on how technology is changing us and how businesses/brands must adapt.  I had heard, through my network, that Gary had some great content, but honestly I had never read his books or even a single blog post by Gary V.  Now I know first hand why he creates a buzz.   What struck a chord with me was not only his confirmation the title wave of changes  technology is bringing, but how it will change the face of business and society as we know it.  It got me thinking not only of how we’ll adapt as businesses, but as brands.

Recent and coming advances in technology, specifically internet an mobile, are changing our lives in ways we need to prepare for.  So much has changed in the last 10 or even 5 years that we sometimes forget how things like Facebook, Google and smartphones have changed the way we operate.  No longer do we need to spend hours (or even days) researching at the library in those old fashioned things called books.  Information is right at our finger tips, we need only remember one word:  Google.  Remember the days when you needed to write down your friend’s birthdays and either pick up the phone or send a card for their special day?  With Facebook we don’t even need to remember our friends’ birthdays–we get a reminder and wish them well online.  Ten years ago I didn’t even have a cell phone–I know tsk, tsk.  Now I can simultaneously listen to navigation while driving and talking to my mom on Bluetooth.  Heck I could even pull over and order a pizza and update my website all while listening to my favorite Pandora station.  You get the idea:  technology has and will continue to change the way we live, socialize and do business.

So the question is, is your brand ready to not only adapt to these changes, but harness them for your own good.  In Gary V’s talk he pointed out the many business processes being automated.  One such process is customer acquisition.  Geeks and salesmen have developed it down to a science of numbers unlike anything before; which has, in effect, largely begun to oust the actual salesman himself.  Gary posits that the game will change from customer acquisition to customer retention.  That, as the quote that started this blog post is illustrating, bringing the human element back into your business will be the key to your success in this technology driven society.  In reality, hasn’t it always been about customer retention anyway?

I agree that the human element will make a difference in the solvency of business and I think it must be translated in to branding as well.  If your brand is to succeed in this new market it must not only stand on it’s own and provide real value but it must resonate with the human beings it aims to serve.  In his book, “Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands,” Marty Neumeier points out a brand’s real struggle.  He says “…today’s real competition–competition that’s so pervasive we can’t even see it–doesn’t come from direct or even indirect competitors.  It comes from the extreme clutter of the marketplace.”

I believe it’s high time we get back to figuring out what our brand’s real values are and how to effectively reach those it can truly serve.  We can and should use Facebook, Twitter and many of these new tools.  But the point is HOW will we use them NOT how many followers we have on Twitter or “fans’ on Facebook.  We all feel it and see it around us–the overwhelming non-stop electric networking, advertising and marketing.  In all the noise we are still looking for something real, something valuable.  How can you harness these great new technologies and use them well without “losing your brand’s soul”?  Will you become a part of the ‘clutter’ or will you get back to providing value, standing apart and effectively standing up for your brand’s success?

Innovation is an essential characteristic of successful brands, but quality is of equal importance.  How will your brand adapt?  I would love to get your feedback below…