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DIGITAL WORLD
<
A new
reality
Marketing consultant and author Martin Thomas believes
social media is causing a revolution in marketing not
because of new technology, but rather because it brings
outdated strategies and outlooks into question. He spoke
to
the
Grainne Rothery
he world has changed dramatically in recent years broadly recognise what was being done. “Things have not
T
in terms of consumer expectations, technology moved on,” he said. “Now is our chance to shake things up and
and markets, but marketers for the most part to actually challenge that.”
have not changed the way in which they think and The next few years are set to be incredibly exciting for mar-
work, says Martin Thomas, marketing consultant, keting, he said. “The first reason is, my God, do people need us.
trainer and co-author (with David Brain) of Crowd You didn’t really need marketing during boom times, but now we
Surfing, and a recent speaker at the Marketing really do need marketing. Also, recessions are fantastic change
Institute’s National Marketing Conference. agents. They throw out a lot of flabby, redundant thinking.”
Stressing the urgent need to adapt to the new realities of the Much of Thomas’s message is about the need for businesses
market and the economy, Thomas told the conference that if to both engage increasingly empowered consumers and to
somebody were to wake up in a marketing department or understand that they no longer have the same control that they
agency after being asleep for the last 40 years they would previously had over their brands. He also makes the point that
Volume 4 Issue 1 2010 Marketing Age 25
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