Shifting Ground...

Notice the trend to have the word or concept of 'shift' in marketing lately? Seems everyone is changing to a 'new way' of doing business.
Yes there is an obvious change in the 'delivery' of products and services but the goals remain the same - quality products and services, satisfied customers, profitability.

Some companies have tried to adopt this approach to their business with varying degrees of success. One major flaw in almost all the cases is that they attempt (or are expected) to be and do everything for the customer. Given the nearly infinite variations in human nature this is a daunting task. I argue that the responsibility is on both sides - the company's and the consumers.

We in the tech industry are partly to blame for this for the promise that technology would change the world and make our lives easier (marketers will hate me for this). Well, we have been saying that for over 30 years, and frankly it hasn't really happened yet (still waiting for my Jetson's car!). We have lead consumers to believe that technology is easy and will provide them with greater productivity and more free time. What we have ended up doing is making life busier, more complicated, and having less free time.

From consumers perspective, yes there are some aspects of technology that have improved our life (communications, automation, etc), but technology is a tool - not a means to an end. It is a screwdriver or a hammer. You wouldn't buy an electric drill if you didn't know how to use it. What should technology be any different?

Of course I'm speaking from a technology perspective but this really applies to all areas. As consumers, we can't be experts in all things, but we do need to put some some effort into understanding what it is we are buying and using. As providers of goods and services, we need to ensure that we accurately communicate and deliver on what we can do.

If there is a shift that needs to happen then it is one of mutual responsibility for what we buy and use.