Kevin Walker

Songwriter / Producer / Bassist / Executive

Kevin Walker (Prince, Justin Timberlake, Will.I.Am), Miles Gilderdale (Acoustic Alchemy, GFunk), Emil Werstler (Daath, Chimaira) and Nicky Moroch (David Bowie, David Sanborn, Lenny White, Roger Glover)

One of the most noticeable trends of 2011 is that because of the fast-paced digital era, companies have had to change the way they attract customers' attention. The convenience and user-friendliness of technology has left businesses scrambling to keep up with the competition and re-learn the art of courting the customer. Next year we will look at how customers are using self-organization to make buying decisions; how concierge services are extending well beyond those seen in-flight; how local marketing creates advantages; how to avoid offending customers with geo-targeted marketing and how online search trends are changing. Social media has helped customers organize themselves to benefit from buying en masse. The concept of serving customers who organize themselves to take advantage of bulk discounts and coupons is a powerful one and these online companies are just the start of a whole new buying phenomenon. We would like to find out which companies are using self-organization to gain a competitive advantage and see what may benefit other industries. Concierge services have long been used to pander to the needs of busy people, but they recently took a step forward. Korean air removed revenue-producing seats to display and sell merchandise. But can other industries increase revenue by giving this level of attention? We intend to find out more. Local marketing became all the rage in 2011 as businesses tried to cater to customers’ needs in a more personal way. We want you to know what marketing techniques are being used and how successful they are and how this trend might become more organized. Geo-targeting through mobile devices is a marketer's dream... and a customer's nightmare. Businesses have been likened to stalkers and customers have become more protective over their private information. But maybe there are more gentle alternatives being used elsewhere that address security; we will research all the options. And finally, search engines are now being threatened by the popularity of social media. The way people find you is changing and you will have to address this with your marketing campaigns. We will help you plan your strategy by looking at how people are searching social media. The need to court your customer will become increasingly important as 2012 unfolds. These trends should help you find the best approach for your business. To prepare for 2012 and beyond, consider the following. Encourage customer self-organization. Apply concierge service. Create advantage at the local level. Geo-target without offending. And lastly, update your strategies for social search.