Google's dominance is "effectively being challenged" by social and trusted search claims head of Reprise Media Craig Lister
Head of Reprise Media UK & EMEA Craig Lister has advised marketers they need to start considering consumers rising “expectations of the information available to them and how quickly they can get it” when reaching out to their audience.
Craig Lister will be speaking at 4 Minute Warning in December
Speaking to The Drum ahead of December’s 4 Minute Warning conference Lister discussed how being more connected than ever before is changing consumer needs and how search is moving into the realm of social.
“We’re at one of those pivotal points in search,” he explained, “Google still dominates but it is beginning to be challenged and challenged quite effectively at that. We’re moving towards trusted and social search models and what is meant by that is offline behaviour will be replicated online. If you think about TripAdvisor people are now making decisions based on anonymous views, we don’t know who Roxanne or Deborah are, but we trust their reviews and are making decisions based on it.
"With TripAdvisor now linking in with Facebook you see where your friends have been and that makes the proposition more compelling.”
According to Lister the addition of social elements and the changes to the way consumers are connected will ultimately change search, “if Facebook, TripAdvisor, Bing and Yahoo align correctly they will become a more compelling option than Google and Google knows that, which is why it has created things like Google+ and Google Hotel Compare, its role is changing. The way we use search is changing and Google might not necessarily be the best place to take advantage of that.”
Developments in technology and the introduction of wearable tech are other areas which Lister highlights as key areas bound to affect brands and businesses as the digital revolution advances. He adds: “Consumers are interacting with the internet in a completely new way, so their behaviour has changed…the types of technology available to them has also allowed them to access information in a way they never have done before. The concept of discovery – how consumers discover and interact with brands – has changed so much in just five years.”
With technology and different points of discovery continuing apace Lister revealed that more consumers coming online, thanks to projects like Google Loon which as well as emerging economies hopes to connect those in rural areas such as the highlands of Scotland and New Zealand, opens up more avenues to brands to be discovered by consumers at different points in their journey. For instance, Tesco launching its new Watford store on Google Street View is one example Lister cites as a new way for brands to interact with customers.
“It’s crucial for brands to now be thinking about different points where a consumer can discover them,” he said.
Lister is one of many speakers taking to the stage at 4 Minute Warning on 4 December to discuss how digital and technology will change things for brands and businesses. More information on the event and tickets can be found on the 4 Minute Warning site.