By Carl Tayor, VP of Marketing, OKI Data
As 2014 comes to a close, it’s quite apparent that this past year has paved the way for numerous technological advancements in the coming years. Just think of all the new software and social advertising solutions made available to businesses! As a marketing executive, I’m constantly evaluating technology trends, and how it helps drive business growth. Below are a few areas of focus that have provided success to businesses around the globe, while also contributing to my everyday focus.
[SOCIAL]
Marking its ten year anniversary with over 1.4 billion1 active users in 2014, Facebook remains at the top of the social leader board. Google+ trails behind with 359 million and Twitter comes in third with 284 million. Let’s also not forget about YouTube (Google) and Vine, and how they revolutionized video sharing globally!
Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? It was only a few months ago when your news feeds were flooded with videos of your friends pouring buckets of ice water over their heads. Those videos helped raise more than $115 million in donations for The ALS Association. Incredible!
These social platforms have provided a new means of advertising with its targeted marketing solutions. Establishing a social media presence has been a significant investment for most brands. For what has always been seen as a “free” marketing tactic; this year alone, companies spent anywhere between $100k -$300k to build and maintain their social followings3.
[MOBILE USAGE]
The world as we know it is more mobile than ever; as the average American now spends 38 hours a month (seven more hours each month than 2013) on their phones4. 2014 has revolutionized the mobile era with Apple now offering a 5.5” screen size with faster processers dedicated to increase mobile performance. Mobile has become the new go-to solution; our phones give us weather forecasts, restaurant recommendations, directions and more.
The increase of mobile usage has affected the way many people consume news. Large news sites like the Wall Street Journal, NY Times and CNN are all available as mobile apps, along with social channels like Facebook and Twitter where users are now consuming the majority of their news.
[PRINTING]
As the VP of Marketing for OKI Data, it is only right to share the growth of printing solutions in 2014. 3D printing finally became a reality, and mobile printing is now a standard – not a luxury given the proliferation of mobile devices. The option of instantly printing an e-mail or document from your mobile device is continuing to provide ease to both businesses and consumers on a daily basis.
Advances in digital printing have also been impacted in 2014, now allowing the incorporation of white and clear toner. This evolution has opened doors to such leading-edge technologies for the graphic arts and light commercial printing space.
All in all, we have seen major advancements in 2014, but what I find most exciting is the anticipation of what 2015 will bring.