You have heard the term “convergence” and perhaps you thought about “The Perfect Storm.” Well we are talking about Advertising Technology & Media—our new ATM law group. Have you seen the ads? Product placements in the movies? In banks and on computer monitors? Watch the UGC, unauthorized digitally distributed version, the podcast, advercast, interstitial ad, webcast, streaming video, CGI, buzz and viral version—even the version playing in an embedded video player on my personal web page.
I’m not particularly great at predictions, but like everyone else, I’ll go ahead anyway and make some for 2007. Wireless applications will go through the roof. School children, workers, people at play and people on the go will carry their games, their assignments, their work and toolkit with them digitally and wirelessly–the toolbox of the 21st Century. Applications and content on demand—web apps gone wild! Why load up and clutter up your computers and devices with applications (and content) when you can order them “to go.” And speaking of orders to go, “Would you like fries broccoli with that…?” may be regulated into existence. Worried about the homeless? Advertisements have been feeling lonely on TV lately. Don’t worry—put them on vehicles, beam them wirelessly from your satellite to your car. Move them to the Internet—buffer and stream them before, in between and after news clips and someone else’s dumbest home videos. Better yet, put them in a virtual world and watch the real world virtually go by. Virtual reality will get real. Part play-acting, part gaming, part behavioral therapy and part social networking, virtual worlds will start making money, making waves and making a difference. Go look—start to notice real brands and real people playing in the virtual sandbox. Media will start to take digital seriously (again). Digital effects, digital distribution—did we say digital yet? Intellectual property will need to stop being so intellectual and figure out what to do with all of this “stuff.” The old rules still apply, but are being challenged. So where are the new rules? If content is king, user-generated content is queen, jack and possibly the Duke of Earl. I’m exhausted already.