I recently joined a book club, my first ever, and my heart sank when I found that only the 3rd book in was called “Sex, Bombs and Burgers: How War Pornography and Fast Food Shaped Modern Technology” (snore) by Peter Nowak. However to my great surprise I actually enjoyed it.
There were many interesting snippets of information but I was particularly drawn to the development of robots and how they might impact on our daily lives. Many robots which were initially developed for the military, to assist with bomb disposal, for example (and for the porn industry – you will need to read the book for more information on how they are being used there!), and how they are being redesigned to meet the needs of the fast food and car industries.
Would I like a robot serving me my lunch? At first I wasn’t sure until I had an experience in a food court in Karen. I stood at the counter for quite some time while the assistant, in the food preparation area, gave her fingernails the cutting of a lifetime. Needless to say I bought my snack elsewhere. Might I (and others who may have eaten there subsequently) have appreciated a more automated fast food system which removes the opportunity for human “error” – I think so. It then occurred to me that the fast food industry (of sorts) is already using this approach here in Kenya. For example Planet Yogurt, you do not deal with a member of staff until you come to pay at the counter (and soon we will all be doing that by mobile money transfer services). Although I accept that the robot technology utilized in Planet Yogurt may be low key the principals of automation remain the same and the outcome is fewer staff / fewer overheads and fewer opportunities for operator (hygiene) error. Maybe getting my lunch from a robot is not such a bad thing after all.
Then imagine that after you have had your automated service at KFC you get into your car and it drives you home. The more I think about it and the more I can’t wait for this technology to arrive. On roads like ours here in Nairobi where human error (drunk or sober) is the main cause of accidents (now with heavy penalties under the new laws), surely this can only be a good thing. If the book is to be believed automation can completely design out the accident factor. I also then wondered if my car was automated how would I use my time. Would I be gazing out of the window, looking to enjoy the billboards and advertising that is around me or am I more likely to have my nose stuck in my iPhone or iPad. I think it is most likely to be the latter – I may only look up to take phone calls. If this is the case then how are companies going to be able to bring their advertising to me? One recent successful attempt was from JTL Faiba. I have followed JTL on Twitter – so that I can complain about them when the service goes down (see my previous blog). All of a sudden I find myself drawn in to some discussion about how amusing their latest advert is. Curiosity gets the better of me and next thing I am on YouTube watching their 3 episodes. I have to admit that I ended up forgetting to complain.
So maybe this is the way forward. As “consumers have simply shut off the traditional world of marketing. They own a DVR to skip television advertising, often ignore magazine advertising, and now have become so adept at online “surfing” that they can take online information without a care for banners or buttons (making them irrelevant)”. http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/what-is-content-marketing/
Perhaps as companies we need to think about developing more entertaining / informative ‘marketing’ content so that potential buyers will seek out our adverts (via social media?) on their mobile devices while the car drives itself, instead of being reliant on prime time ad slots and billboards to sell our products.
Sam Crosthwaite – Client Service Manager
