WAS: The era of TAKING from the internet.

The web used to be a place where most people who uses it is not contributing anything whatsoever but rather ‘extracting’  something out of it. So the web was a giant digital library. This was the era of WEB 1.0.

IS: The era of SHARING with the internet.

Then comes WEB 2.0. This blog and this post itself is an example of WEB 2.0 at work. So instead of users only extract information from the web, we’re actually the ones that provide or submit the information. Now most websites that survives and still has its power to keep people coming back to their sites are UGC sites (UGC = Users Generated Content. So the content of the site is coming from its users). Easiest examples? Facebook, blogs, reviews in amazon.com, rottentomatoes.com, and so on. Billioaires are manufactured from these kinds of sites.

WILL: The era of LIVING in the internet.

Today’s technology and digital trends are proving that the internet isn’t stopping at WEB 2.0. So get ready, cause WEB 3.0 is coming, and its coming fast. Many speculations and rumors about how the Web 3.0 is going to work. But what i know is that the internet is not going to be only about sharing information, but it’s going to be your FUNDAMENTAL / ESSENTIAL part of your day to day life. With Web 3.0, you wont need to search in Google and browse through the search result pages and see which one is relevant with what you’re looking for. The internet will do it for you. Yes, its that intelligent.Example: If you’re looking for a place to eat, you usually type in something like ‘asian food’ or ‘fusion restaurant’, and so on. With Web 3.0, you can type ‘I want to eat at a restaurant, with cozy atmosphere, delicious asian food, good service’, and the internet will give you not only relevant recommendation but also detailed information that you didnt even think was possible to be given by a ‘machine’ called the internet. And you know what, you can do those kinds of things while you’re walking along Orchard Road, or while looking far to the Eiffel tower, or while sitting on the toilet with your pants down.

So how are those going to affect my brand campaings? Simple. Campaigns that still focuses itself in ‘telling’ people about their product benefits, promises, and other ‘goombahs’ sweet talks, will DIE. Yes. I said DIE.

What’s gonna happen is that companies will need to involve the consumers EVEN BEFORE THE PRODUCT IS CREATED. So the consumers will no longer become the VICTIM of a brand, but they will become the FOUNDER + CONTRIBUTOR + USER for the brand. How? Well the ‘how’ part is different for one brand and another. But I’m telling you, if you don’t start now, 10 years from now you’ll be looking at your brand in a dark alley with ‘RIP’ signage on top of it.