The fourth revolution is distinct from those before it due to the change in velocity, scope and system impact. This has an impact on people and their behaviour, altering the way in which people live, work and connect with one another, unlike any other revolution before it. It has an impact on businesses as well demanding better-connected experiences, transparency, open source, accessibility, agility and authenticity. Here are the five key areas which we believe are reshaping our industry.

From understanding to predicting customer journeys

Consumers dont experience the world in silos. Agencies need to understand the relationship between brands and customers across all channels and devices at the individual level. A brands ability to leverage that understanding to anticipate behaviours and produce meaningful, continuous interactions will be the greatest determinant for success. To get there, a brands data and technology strategy must be architected for mobile first, where we build everything around understanding the individual.

The right solution versus the right now solution

The proliferation of digital and technology has changed the pace at which agencies need to operate. The demands of faster product releases, rapid-fire system updates and connected customer experiences require these once distinct and disparate disciplines to work arm in arm to achieve marketing and business objectives that deliver a fl awless always-on customer experience.

Through-the-line to through-the-enterprise

This holds immense potential for businesses. The partnership between creativity and technology is what leads to new business models, product designs, service integrations, and cultural relevance to transform customer relationships with the products and services they need. To achieve this, the integration of the entire organisations intellectual capital is required. In this new world, brands need a partner who can imagine possibilities, not just optimise what is known and understood. A partner that can combine creativity and technology beyond share of market, but share of life. Not just through the line, but through the day.

Interdependence not integration

How we behave with one another is critical. It goes beyond just integration. Integration is a linear process that looks like a relay race. It results in fragmented thinking and work. And despite the different companies involved it is often inflexible. We believe in interdependence. Interdependence is about bringing the best skills together around a client problem. Its about mutual reliance with a rhythm of creative problem solving a back and forth flow that is dynamic and creates a new type of energy.

Publicis One a connected company

But for us to harness our assets fully we have had to make a big shift in the way we work.

We believe that the holding company model is dead and Publicis Groupe is brave enough to have killed it. Agencies are too inward and silo-ed looking and not suffi ciently focused on clients. It was all about individual agency excellence rather than collective innovation recognising that working together would yield new opportunities for our clients.

A connecting company does more than just manage its assets, it combines them in new ways for the benefit of its clients. A connecting company removes all artificial barriers and opens up all its resources people, tech, data, product, platforms to clients in the right combination for their needs. The Publicis One model allows us to rethink our approach for clients. A partner that not only understands the shift, but one thats leading the shift.

The author of this article is Tan Kien Eng, group CEO, Publicis One Malaysia and Leo Burnett Group Malaysia.

Read the original:

The Futurist: Speed, scope, systems and death - Marketing Interactive