The Technology Revolution: Are Brands Reaching Singularity?

The breakneck speed at which technological breakthroughs have been occurring is opening up all sorts of opportunities, risks and even ethical dilemmas for just about everyone on the planet. After all, we’re kind of in the middle of a revolution, folks! We’ve seen three major revolutions in history: the Agricultural Revolution in our early days, followed by the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th to early 19th century, and continuing with the Technology Revolution in which we currently live (source).

We’re quickly becoming a society where everything and everyone is “plugged-in” (wirelessly of course).

We’re quickly becoming a society where everything and everyone is “plugged-in” (wirelessly of course). Technology is becoming more powerful yet less expensive. As ubiquitous computing rapidly expands, it’s fundamentally altering the way we work, play and talk to each other. Over the past fifty years, Moore’s Law, which predicted the consistent and continual growth in computing power coupled with a decrease in relative cost, at an exponential pace, has been a remarkably accurate prediction that set the pace for digital innovation in the modern world. Back in the day we were thinking in terms of PC processors, but Gordan’s foresight built the foundation upon which the Internet of Things and Article Intelligence has sprung (source).

The speed of everything is pretty crazy when you think about it, considering the Great Wall of China as we know it took about 200 years to build during the Ming Dynasty.

In the span of just the last decade or two we have seen so-called “game changers” “disrupt” life as we know it. The speed of everything is pretty crazy when you think about it, considering the Great Wall of China as we know it took about 200 years to build during the Ming Dynasty. We have watched companies like Google completely transform the accessibility and accuracy of information, Facebook connect over a billion people and evolve social media as we now know it and Apple revolutionize personal and professional computing and entertainment, starting with products like the iPod and then the iPhone and iPad as well as platforms like iTunes (and now Apple Music).

We’re drowning in information and the pool is only getting deeper… what we do with the all of this data will lead to continued innovations and the convergence of physical and virtual everything.

Let’s not forget the billions being spent on virtual reality (VR) with Facebook’s acquisition of Oculus (with the Oculus Rift now slated for arrival in Q1 of 2016)  and, though a bit further down the road, augmented reality (AR) with Microsoft’s HoloLens and the Google-backed (or should I now say Alphabet-backed) Magic Leap hitting the market soon. And we can’t forget the previous forays into AR like Google Glass. Not to mention 3D printing, wearables (like the Apple Watch and FitBit), and of course the ever-growing Internet of Things. I mean seriously, we’ve got speakers that listen to us, vacuums that we can run from our phones and households that can be completely connected, monitored and controlled via the Internet. If you’ve been hearing a lot about “big data” these days, it’s because it’s a byproduct of the Internet of Things in many ways. We’re drowning in information and the pool is only getting deeper… what we do with the all of this data will lead to continued innovations and the convergence of physical and virtual everything.

In the U.S., the land of the “road trip” and home of NASCAR, car enthusiasts who couldn’t imagine riding shotgun to technology are beginning to change their minds.

These days even our cars are becoming intelligent as the development of driverless and partially/fully autonomous vehicles is fully underway with the likes of Google, Tesla and many major car manufacturers spearheading the effort. And attitudes continue to change — in the U.S., the land of the “road trip” and home of NASCAR, car enthusiasts who couldn’t imagine riding shotgun to technology are beginning to change their minds. In fact, a recent study of 2,000 drivers found that more than 75% of Americans would consider buying a self-driving car (source).

We’ll go from an information explosion to an intelligence explosion.

Futurists have been busy hypothesizing on when artificial intelligence and other technologies evolve to the point of some kind of awakening or, more accurately: consciousness. Why not? With tech billionaires like Peter Theil, Elon Musk and Larry Ellison focused on conquering death, making space travel viable and even engineering life, life as we know it feels more and more like science fiction. Humanity will, according to futurists and scientists, undergo a dramatic, swift and permanent change as the Internet of Things continues to evolve and when we reach what is called Singularity. We’ll go from an information explosion to an intelligence explosion. And perhaps from the Technology Revolution to the Singularity Revolution. Futurist Ray Kurzweil says that moment will arrive in 2045. 

While the moment of Singularity as it relates to artificial intelligence is no doubt more far off, I couldn’t help but think about how the Technology Revolution impacts branding (I am a marketer first and technologist second, after all). Just like everything, brands and branding have undergone huge transformation over the years. Brands used to be able to be controlled: packaged-up and tied with a bow. Branding used to be focused around thinking up a great name, designing a memorable logo and then using a campaign to blast the brand to as many people as possible and make an "imprint." Not anymore. 

Brands, through the Technology Revolution, have in a way reached Singularity.

Nowadays, branding isn’t so easy, because brands have come to life. Brands, through the Technology Revolution, have in a way reached Singularity. With the Internet and social media, brands are now given life by everyone: prospects, customers, media, employees, haters and so on. Brands now are in many ways more like people and less like companies. Brands have an essence, they are given personalities, they talk to people as if they were alive on Facebook and Twitter every day. Brands may not have consciousness, but as a result of the Technology Revolution they have character, they can’t be completely controlled and they have undergone serious personification. 

As the physical and virtual worlds continue to merge, brands are going to continue to come alive —- getting smarter while being more and more uncontrollable.

As we move from the Technology Revolution to the Singularity Revolution, it will be very interesting as marketers to monitor the impact it has on brands and brand strategy. As the physical and virtual worlds continue to merge, brands are going to continue to come alive — getting smarter while being more and more uncontrollable. Therefore, the challenge we face at present is reaching the fundamental understanding that a brand is nothing but a label, at its core. A label that can be created, but once created it cannot be completely controlled. The real “branding” work that needs to be done is ensuring you’re looking at your brand like you would a person. What’s his or her’s reputation? What do you think of when you think of her? Does the brand’s actions align with his words? And then get to work on being the brand you say you are or listening to your customers to help you define the brand you thought you already defined.

No longer can you develop a strong brand and slap it on a weak product or service and succeed (it used to be possible!)

Marketing isn’t so simple anymore, just like technology and in many ways, because of technology. Sure, we have more tools and information at our fingertips than we’ve ever had before, but it still takes a lot of expertise and good ole' fashioned work to know which tools to use and what information is worthwhile. Marketing also isn’t just a strategic campaign or media buy; it’s your staff, it’s the quality of your product, it’s the faithfulness of your word. No longer can you dress up an ass and tell everyone it’s a horse. People can Google it, Yelpers will review it and friends and family will come together on social media to expose it in a matter of minutes. No longer can you fake it and make it. No longer can you develop a strong brand and slap it on a weak product or service and succeed (it used to be possible!). If you want to stay in business, you’ve gotta have integrity and be authentic. You have to add life to your brand that's true and real. Otherwise, in the long run, you’ll be found out.

Brands are more alive than ever, but when something is alive, it then must face the reality of death. In essence, Singularity comes with strings attached.

Brands are more alive than ever, but when something is alive, it then must face the reality of death. In essence, Singularity comes with strings attached. As a marketer, be mindful of technology so you can best understand how to leverage it in order to continue to breathe life into your brand while understanding it can’t be controlled, only positioned and managed. In other words, embrace the Technology Revolution. Embrace Brand Singularity. It's a new era and, though it may be scary at times, we're the modern day pioneers that each have a chance to shape how branding evolves. That is, until brands are injected with artificial intelligence, reach consciousness and decide they no longer need your help. Until then, happy branding!

Written by Robby Berthume and published on October 23, 2015. Contact me by clicking here.