Technology and the Age Game- with new technologies and new audiences who is really in charge?
61Of course, the CEO of your company is supposed to be in charge, and in my limited experience, they certainly are. But, more and more companies are looking to entry level employees to educate their senior officers on the evolving world of technology. So I pose this question on two levels. Who will really hold the power in corporate America and which consumers will hold the spending power.
Not to bash the Senior Management, but this is a critical time for business and a time of great opportunity for the energized, young professionals. Ultimately, the management of a company will have the ultimate power, but those who listen to and work with the younger members of the organization will find more success that those who don't. Many of the most successful and progressive companies are those that understand the value of investing in quality entry level employees. These companies chose to empower and motivate rather than just sign a paycheck. This is nothing new, but young talent will become more critical as technology continues to evolve.
Those of use who have grown up with facebook, MySpace, YouTube and new sites like hubpages, blogspot, and twitter are mostly in our early twenties or late teens. This means that we don't have an incredible amount of spending power so companies have been able to afford to stick with traditional media-only campaigns. However, as interactive media-savy consumers gain more spending power, companies will have to rethink their strategies. They will also have to rethink and reshape many elements of the classic business model.
I am no expert, but I think one pioneer, Dell, used this approach a bit too soon. They focused on direct selling rather than retail. They used a fantastic website and used e-commerce to drive sales. The problem was that the people who can really afford to buy computers (I'm sorry to generalize here) are not the ones who want direct selling. I personally love ordering things online, but my parents do not like ordering things online nor do they want to use their credit card information online. So businesses will have to walk a thin-line. But watch for Dell to remain a strong force due to their willingness to live on the Cutting Edge. Businesses should begin reshaping their thinking and their business plans but understand that consumers like consistency and will not change their preferences over night.
So, this brings us back to the original question- who is really in charge. I'd say that right now- it's those individuals who have money to spend. But those who stay afloat in the near future will be those who are willing to change and to listen to the new generation of consumers.
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