The Future of Marketing Leaves Google in The Past

I will show you a world without Giants

Evolve or become extinct, this is Google’s choice. Return to the people what belongs to them or become a relic. If marketing is going to get optimized, we must oppose Google.

First, I will tell you why Google must go. Then I will tell you how Google gets gone.

Google Going

We all know why. There is no transparent consensus in place between consumers and companies like Google. There has not been an official agreement either. We did not negotiate the terms of trade. Do you remember clear communication on the exchange of privacy for the privilege of searching the web? What about allowing your data to be harvested so one party can reap all the rewards?

Building a search engine deserves a profit but not the piracy of data. Google needs some access to our personal space but there should not be a total breach of privacy. Do we know for certain these things are not happening?

Here is the confusing part. Many of us would gladly exchange data and privacy for the right return.

We are willing, but…

We understand giving personal information to a creditor is reasonable when they need information to make a loan decision. No one doubts giving a doctor full access to their medical history because the quality of care will improve with more information.

We don’t mind giving up privacy for mutual benefit because we do it all the time. I know some people complain of security checks, but I welcome them. When my family went to Disney World I felt better knowing everyone inside the walls passed through security. This brings peace of mind knowing my family is safe. When I fly on an airplane I appreciate the comfort of a system that screens for threats of all kinds.

These types of exchanges come down to transparency. We need to know what we are giving up and what we are getting in return.

Does anyone truly believe there is a fair exchange of value with Google? I think if there was a fair exchange of value we would know it because either Google would promote it proudly or we would know it undoubtedly by user experience.

Data is a fungible asset. Each of us is a data asset. Right now, we are not the ones cashing in on the data asset each of us are. Big Tech could approach us face to face to ask us out on a date and form a mutual relationship. Instead, companies creep behind our backs to grab our asset.

Google Gone

There is a cost to claim what is ours. To take our world back from the grasp of a giant will not be easy. It may require sacrifice. There will certainly be a price.

You will probably pay directly for searching on the web one day. But here is the thing, you are paying for it now at a high premium in the form of data collection. You are not getting a fair return. The cost to pay for searching the web becomes small compared to the value we get from farming out our own data.

What about search engines like DuckDuckGo? They perform better on privacy. Here is a link providing some details on DuckDuckGo from Wired. They mainly earn money from matching ads with keywords in your search request. Perhaps this is a reasonable model compared to Google, but it’s not the future.

The Future

The future is choice. You will see the true cost of searching the web, but also the actual value of your data. Then you will make a choice. Less privacy means more return. More data provided means more profit, but for the person to whom it belongs, you.

Most of us will choose less privacy. We also will make the choice to provide more data to companies. We will do this when we discover the value of our data asset. Then, we will all work to increase the value of our data asset to exchange it for a fair return.

Better Marketing

How does this improve marketing? Once we get compensated better for our data, we will work with companies to streamline the exchange of access to information with attention from individuals. This will increase efficiency for company ad dollars because marketing will become a laser. We will make ourselves a transparent target by willingly providing data, but not freely.

Right now, there is no meeting place for company and consumer. It’s a one-way street with a giant standing in the middle of the road.

There are two questions we really haven’t answered.

Who will defeat the giant standing in the way of better marketing and a fairer future? I believe it will be a band of bloggers and blockchain builders.

What specifically will the technology look like replacing current marketing models? Just imagine a meeting place for now. We show up in full possession of our data assets. Companies show up with dollars to advertise.

Now, we are ready to do business.