Zuck's batting average on these proclamations doesn't have the best track record.
Every “one click” end state he pitches ends up messier and far more human dependent than the keynote version. Your advice to double down on brand moat, native creative, and proof points feels like the best hedge against yet another Zuck oversimplification.
Remember 2021? Metaverse placements were supposed to be the next billion dollar channel. When is the last time you bought a pair of Nikes by discovering them in your Oculus headset?
Agreed Jeff! I don't think Meta will be the one to develop the creative engine that gets adopted because in their product dev they don't express an understanding of marketing or of people
Thank you for this thorough explanation! There is so much noise out there it's challenging to stay informed without it ruining your day to be honest and this felt direct without hitting the emotions too hard. From my POV as an in person experiences specialist, I can throw my bit of hope into the chat: Shopify is investing very heavily in in-person tools to create much better in the moment opportunities for brands in retail. The retail side has been so left out of the chat in the e-comm hay day that they weren't given the power to data capture and pivot like online had so much access to. I have been meeting with many really inspiring people wanting to create digital tools that empower humans at point of sale vs replace. I love reading about how Zara has always leveraged their in-person sales team as the front of the lines to drive innovation and iterate faster and better. I think that is a great place for brands to look for how to make in-person a key sales channel for today and the 100 year view.
The Good: Some aspects of this AI "asteroid" seem ok. Meta’s creative vending machine will likely attract more advertisers to the ecosystem, and increased automation should significantly enhance efficiency across businesses.
The Uncomfortable: True, Meta became a trillion-dollar company largely because we allowed them access to customer insights based on our sales and interaction data. Expanding further by commoditizing and automating even more of the creative process feels like yet another Faustian bargain and it's not a comforting thought. Yet, is our discomfort simply an aversion to change, and will the best among us adapt anyway? While I have a distaste for much of the current state, I still deeply value product diversity, consumer benefits, and the broader economic growth fostered by these trade-offs.
However, things do feel different now, prompting the core question of our time: Does AI inherently make everything a zero-sum game? Is this technological shift fundamentally unlike previous transitions, or are our fears causing us to expect the worst?
The Hope: As you suggest, the commoditization of technology will underscore the importance of taste and the distinctiveness of our brand. That is what you are great at and what makes the most meaningful connections with consumers. I'm hopeful this shift will inspire new forms of advertising and content, driven by a renewed emphasis on brand-building.
Zuck's batting average on these proclamations doesn't have the best track record.
Every “one click” end state he pitches ends up messier and far more human dependent than the keynote version. Your advice to double down on brand moat, native creative, and proof points feels like the best hedge against yet another Zuck oversimplification.
Remember 2021? Metaverse placements were supposed to be the next billion dollar channel. When is the last time you bought a pair of Nikes by discovering them in your Oculus headset?
Agreed Jeff! I don't think Meta will be the one to develop the creative engine that gets adopted because in their product dev they don't express an understanding of marketing or of people
Thank you for this thorough explanation! There is so much noise out there it's challenging to stay informed without it ruining your day to be honest and this felt direct without hitting the emotions too hard. From my POV as an in person experiences specialist, I can throw my bit of hope into the chat: Shopify is investing very heavily in in-person tools to create much better in the moment opportunities for brands in retail. The retail side has been so left out of the chat in the e-comm hay day that they weren't given the power to data capture and pivot like online had so much access to. I have been meeting with many really inspiring people wanting to create digital tools that empower humans at point of sale vs replace. I love reading about how Zara has always leveraged their in-person sales team as the front of the lines to drive innovation and iterate faster and better. I think that is a great place for brands to look for how to make in-person a key sales channel for today and the 100 year view.
I could not agree w you more Victoria I think retail has always been so critical for brand and even more so now
Provocative as always.
The Good: Some aspects of this AI "asteroid" seem ok. Meta’s creative vending machine will likely attract more advertisers to the ecosystem, and increased automation should significantly enhance efficiency across businesses.
The Uncomfortable: True, Meta became a trillion-dollar company largely because we allowed them access to customer insights based on our sales and interaction data. Expanding further by commoditizing and automating even more of the creative process feels like yet another Faustian bargain and it's not a comforting thought. Yet, is our discomfort simply an aversion to change, and will the best among us adapt anyway? While I have a distaste for much of the current state, I still deeply value product diversity, consumer benefits, and the broader economic growth fostered by these trade-offs.
However, things do feel different now, prompting the core question of our time: Does AI inherently make everything a zero-sum game? Is this technological shift fundamentally unlike previous transitions, or are our fears causing us to expect the worst?
The Hope: As you suggest, the commoditization of technology will underscore the importance of taste and the distinctiveness of our brand. That is what you are great at and what makes the most meaningful connections with consumers. I'm hopeful this shift will inspire new forms of advertising and content, driven by a renewed emphasis on brand-building.
Thanks for the thoughts Teddy!
Totally agree with you, Emily!
Thanks Lucy, will be an interesting 18 months!