We’ve seen the Internet memes: an entire family out to dinner with Mom, Dad, and their 2.3 teenaged kids all focused on their smart devices. Four people living in invisible silos. Videos pull at our heartstrings with the same message. Are we all technology addicted?
The gauntlet has been thrown down. It would be good for us to remember that our chosen field – marketing and advertising – remains the art of communicating with people. Dare we say it: marketing and advertising are technology agnostic. No device or app can ever replace the ability to deliver a profound and emotional message to a human being.
Technology is a wonderful tool. But it is only that: a tool. True consumer engagement is not a social media like, favorite, or retweet. It’s a human interaction. Studies have shown that customer loyalty is more critical than ever today. The emotional connection of brand to customer is becoming more vital as technology establishes barriers that replace what traditionally was a human conversation.
Simply put, customers today expect to be known by those brands that hold their loyalty. This deeper engagement often must happen before loyalty grows, are at a minimum must develop quickly to maintain an often-fleeting loyalty.
There has been a movement for several years now toward traditional levels of engagement. It’s easy to say that such a transition is long overdue. Without the art of communicating, we merely have cold connection where warmth and emotion used to reside.
Technology is part of our lives, and a wonderful tool to help us stay connected. When we as marketers help define the proper space — including a dynamic exchange of words, images, and messaging that moves each of us — only then can we hope to masters of our trade again. Only then will we help our customers engage without being slaves to their technology.
Perhaps this is our social responsibility.
Kenny Clark is a strategic marketing and creative ideas hybrid with nearly three decades in the Dallas community. 
He has served on both sides, as a corporate Marketing VP and an ad agency CD. He has also been the founding partner for three boutique agencies including currently with MKT DEPT (www.mktdept.com).
