We live in uncertain times, find an anti-dote to survive, marketers told

"The age of optimism has given way to the age of anxiety. We live in uncertain times - the time of unpredictability. And, assuming we continue in this path, we as marketers will need to find an anti-dote to be incredibly in touch with what's going on so that we are able to respond to any challenge," Kay Nash, CEO of Yellowwood Future Architects, told the audience.

Marketers need to grow, change and adopt

Nash believes marketers need to grow, change and adopt the speed of change in the face of all sorts of nasty stuff pinning the current world, including social unrest, protectionism, global warming, failing states and resources scarcity - to name only a few.

She said they must seek salvation in innovation and acceleration and say good bye to proof. "As marketers, we are obsessed with proof - stats. But now you need get out of your comfort zone. China proved to the world that you don't need to be democratic to be prosperous."

Unpacking the 2011 trends and the shape of things to come, she cited three factors - technology, profit and prosperity - which she said marketers need to consider if they are to survive and advance their business in this anxious world. "A revolution doesn't happen when society adopts new tools. It happens when society adopts new behaviours," Nash said, quoting Clay Shirky.

"Technology is the gravity affecting everything"

"Technology is the gravity affecting everything and is the driving factor of change. Behaviour is changing. It is happening across our continent and change is fast," she pointed out.

"Be mobile. Mobility is the democratised world that is making customers super-relevant," she said. "Information is everywhere but there is still a scarcity of intelligence. There is a plethora of information available but take it and put it inside because intelligence will drive business profitability."

Nash said the world is now an interconnected place, where online culture is now everyone's culture. "Therefore, forget it if you are still making a distinction between physical [offline] and online. Digital is not a set of channels. It is the context for all of our marketing," she said, quoting Diageo global CMO Andy Fennell.

"You need to treat each platform uniquely"

"But while you are using multi-channels, you need to treat each platform uniquely. You are not in control; you are the curator and this is not a 360 degrees campaign."

These are the key questions you should be asking yourself, Nash said. "Are you and your partners still looking at digital as another channel or the context framing and informing all behaviour?

"Do you truly understand what is driving your customers and employees' behaviours' now? Have you unpacked the mobile opportunity and challenges for this year's marketing plan and brand success?

"Is your... psyche an experimental one?"

"Are you tapping into infinite information to increase your success and to drive value for customers? Is your brand and brand team's psyche an experimental one that enables leaping and learning and a beta-state mind set?

"Do you still distinguish between the 'on' and 'off' world? Are you using different media differently and providing valuable brand content? Is your brand operating in the 'now', 'on' real time, constantly actions and engagement world?"

Cape Town-based Yellowwood is the member of TBWA Worldwide.

Watch this space!