My predictions for upcoming 2017 predictions, which will be predictable
Prepare thyselves, good friends, for that special time of the year in which agency thought leaders try to demonstrate how they actually have thoughts that lead by penning that favorite of all December article formats: the Prediction List.
Pierre Lipton
As ubiquitous as the agency holiday card, these lists, while designed to be provocative, often are anything but. Perhaps that’s because the future, as history has taught us over and over with very stiff ruler-slaps, is actually very hard to predict. Nostradamus still hasn’t gotten it right, and that guy’s had over 450 years.
With that in mind, let’s do something that’s infinitely easier and much more reliable, and give you a cheat sheet for the number-listed fodder you’re going to be filling your eyeballs with for the next few weeks or so.
1. The Death of Something
It might be SMS, focus groups, a platform, IPOs or gingham shirts, but something is going to totally kick it. And when it does, you better be ready. Or that thing will bare its zombie teeth and take you down with it.
2. Something Will Be the New Something
Right after death comes hope. Hakuna Matata, marketers! Let’s not worry about the past, let’s look to the future. Because that’s the best way to keep making your mortgage payments, you calcifying dinosaur, you!
3. Leaders Will Predict the Thing That Their Place Sells.
Here, leaders will deftly introduce the thing that makes their place special in the guise of prognostication. For instance, a CCO might mention the trend towards collaboration, and then drop their agency’s unique ability to combine disciplines in order to get to breakthrough work, which resulted in said shop’s #4 ranking in Cannes’ global Cyber list. Theoretically.
4. Specialization, Specialization, Specialization.
There is no way in holly heck that marketers can continue to use one-stop shopping to get the expertise that they need in order to survive, let alone thrive. That’s absurd.
5. Consolidation, Consolidation, Consolidation.
But not as absurd as not consolidating. Because what marketer wants to play camp counselor to a bunch of squabbling agency partners with their own competing agendas?
6. Robots Will Take Over
Bots, AI, Programmatic, Algorithms, freaking Watson. Before you know it even articles will be replace10010 1001 10 1001 01 01 0101 01 01 10 101001 10 1001 010 10 110 0101 1001 0101010 1001001 10010101 0
7. Nothing Will Replace the Human Heart
In spite of all this, there is no substitute for gut instinct. It’s the thing that makes us who we are, flaws and all. And that’s exactly how Sarah Connor kicked the scrap out of the Cyberdyne Systems Series 800 Model 101 Terminator.
8. If There’s Anything We Can Learn From This Election Cycle, It’s This
There’s got to be something, right? Right? Please?
9. Gen Z-ers Are Totally Different than Millennials
Bad news: you have to change, like, all your decks. Good news: you might not have to put Air BnB and Uber in every upfront anymore.
10. Advertising is Dead, Long Live Advertising
If you’re going to have a list, you have to end with something with oompf. Nothing says oompf like stating that the business we’ve all poured our hearts into will survive after all. It helps to add “not in spite of changes, but because of them.” After all, my friends, as crazy as this industry gets, it’s kind of always been crazy. So strap in. The 2018 predictions will be here before you know it.
Pierre Lipton is the chief creative officer of advertising agency 360i