“Mobile marketing is the art of marketing your business to appeal to mobile device users. When done right, mobile marketing provides customers and potential customers using smartphones with personalized, time- and location-sensitive information so that they can get what they need exactly when they need it, even if they’re on the go.”

The Art of Mobile Marketing

In 2014, the number of mobile device users worldwide surpassed the number of desktop users for the first time. According to one recent report, users access the internet with mobile devices 40% of their time online.

Mobile marketing is growing rapidly

Though digital marketing gets all the hype, most CMOs know that advertising a company’s products and services is usually most effective with a mixed media strategy. However, marketing budgets now spend more on digital advertising than any other single venue. The average percentage of total digital marketing spending is projected to rise to 47% by 2020 ($129B). While investments in traditional advertising have dropped significantly every year for the past five, spending on digital marketing has increased yearly by double-digit increments.

This begs the question Which marketing strategies are most effective for different kinds of digital devices, ranging from desktops to smartphones? Without a finely tuned awareness of the advantages and challenges of each, your marketing initiatives will stagnate.

“The average percentage of total digital marketing spending is projected to rise to 47% by 2020 ($129B)”

My assessment is that demand for stationary devices will remain stronger than analysts believed a few years ago. Why? More employees are working remotely either as full-time employees or independent contractors. Also, stationary devices last longer than they did 10 or more years ago, with resulting reduced demand accounting for a significant portion of their 8% sales decline in 2015/2016. So far, in 2017, PC sales have increased by .4% with a projected increase of 3% in 2018. While many users are now addicted to using apps on their smartphones and tablets, they will continue to rely on desktops and laptops to complete most of their work and probably most of their online purchases. Bottom line: make sure you have a responsive design website (one that is effective on all devices, whether mobile or stationary).

Basic considerations in developing a strategy

Only 12% of businesses in 2016 had responsive design websites. This lack of flow from desktops/laptops to smartphone viewing of marketing information significantly impedes sales of products and services. Let me add that OWDT (Houston web design company) has been helping companies improve overall sales with state-of-the-art responsive design websites for over five years. We begin by ensuring that all our websites have full mobile device functionality incorporating the features I describe in this article.

You have a tremendous range of possible mobile marketing strategies. The indispensable foundation of any digital marketing strategy is tailoring ads for a smartphone, tablet, desktop, and other mobile devices to appeal to your current customers and any new demographic targets. Simplicity and efficiency are requisite, especially in the design of your mobile device website version. Any customization, however, must project consistent branding from one version of the website to another.

‘Click to call’ old is gold

Jamie Turner is the CEO  of 60SecondMarketer (1)

The challenge remains the greatest for mobile device marketing. This is reflected in the significantly lower conversion rates for mobile devices compared to desktops/laptops. Of course, in parts of the world where smartphones are common, but home computers are not the norm, this isn’t a problem.

Why do mobile device conversion rates remain low for the ubiquitous smartphone in economically developed countries like the U.S.? People use their mobile devices sporadically throughout the day, primarily to catch up on emails, texts, etc. So, they may research a product on their smartphone briefly while at work, but wait until they return home to complete their product research before making their final product selection on their PC.

Tracey Wallace is the Editor in Chief at BigCommerce Blog (4)

The challenges and opportunities

It’s an open secret that ISPs rely on software designed to addict people to mobile devices. This isn’t an exaggeration. The average person checks their smartphones 150 times a day resulting in reduced work productivity and much less face-to-face social interaction. These issues are especially characteristic of Millennials. The payoff for ISPs is increased advertising revenue, calculated according to the time users remain on an app or website.

By developing responsive design sites that are efficient and user-friendly, you do three things:

1. save your customers search time by giving them quick, informative information on your products or services;
2. facilitate easier payment, thereby increasing your conversion rate;
3. pull them away from their insidious apps, at least for a few minutes.

Sora Wondra from Braze adds, “Relevance is key for maximizing mobile conversion rates. When users feel known and trust your recommendations, purchases, and subscriptions become easier. Respect their communication preferences and make use of user data to customize their experiences. Your goal is to be helpful at just the right time. Abandoned cart reminders are one of the best examples of this you already know what the user is interested in buying and you’re just providing a timely nudge.”

Sora Wondra, Writer - Braze (4)

What research reveals about mobile-device users

The average mobile device user tends to be younger (ages 15-25). They like to window shop and consume significant wide-ranging content. By comparison, desktop/laptop users are generally older (typically in their 30s and 40s), making purchases in a more focused way, and consuming less general content. That said people of all ages will use both stationary and mobile devices, depending on their immediate environment but with different generational predispositions for how each device is used.
By comparison, desktop/laptop users are generally older (typically in their 30s and 40s).

• Smartphone users go online with their mobile devices 150 times a day on average in the workplace, on public transportation, on shopping trips, etc. This constitutes a marketing opportunity that will grow over time as smarter strategies are developed.
• The analysis of millions of mobile sessions by a major research company shows that users go online as often during work hours as they do in their free time.
• Smartphone viewing is often rushed because people are on the run, dealing with back-to-back meetings, travel, etc. Smartphone sessions are 1.5 times shorter than on other devices.
• These challenges require that marketing content contain the right information delivered at the optimal time.

Josh R. Jackson, Contributing Editor at Online Marketing Institute (5) & Best Marketing Degrees (6)

• Retail conversion rates are currently only 0.7% on smartphones and 2.2% on tablets; PC conversion is at the highest, at 3.3%.
• Users are connected to their smartphones from 7 a.m. to midnight.
• Though smartphone browsing is brief, if your advertising is attractive enough, the user will return to the large-screen version of your site when they get home.
• Mobile devices have become indispensable for answering important questions on the fly and making decisions, usually based on consumer ratings and advice found on social networks.
• Landing pages need to download quickly because the average user will wait for only a half-minute at most to access the content.
• Smartphone users scan and leap, taking 40 seconds on average to decide whether to leave a page.
• Without the advantages of responsive design, users quickly lose patience.
• Users are quickly scared off by error messages.
• Browsing behavior on tablets is like that observed on desktops. By contrast, because people use smartphones on the fly, they require much quicker response times.
• Smartphone users spend 80% of their time on apps that have very limited e-commerce potential.
• Mobile advertising remains less expensive than desktop advertising.

G. Ramona Sukhraj, Content Marketing Manager of Impactbnd

Mobile marketing best practices

Because mobile devices have small screens–avoid clutter and excess words in your site design. Keep things simple. Make sure your viewers have easy access to your location information. Mobile advertisers may choose to optimize their mobile ads to within a specific distance from their location, depending on their customer reach.

Brittany Fleit from Leanplum adds, “At Leanplum, a mobile engagement platform, we help apps maximize conversions all the time. First, we recommend coordinating messages across channels (like push notifications and emails) to reach shoppers who may have added an item to their cart but forgot to check out. Try sending a personalized push notification an hour after they abandon the cart with a message like, “Hey [first name], don’t forget the [item] in your cart. Tap to check out now!” If they don’t respond, follow up the next day with an email. If they don’t respond to that, try offering some kind of incentive, like free shipping or a discount.

Then, there are a number of things you can adjust from an app UX perspective. When users come back to your app to purchase, make it easy for them to convert with a seamless checkout flow. Some tips:

• Offer a sign-in option with stored information from the last checkout
• Add a progress bar if the process is lengthy
• Streamline payment with a digital wallet or Apple Pay
• A/B test all new changes against the original to continually optimize”

Brittany Fleit, Head of Content Marketing - Leanplum (7)



    

       
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Elizabeth Goicochea, Marketing Manager at MOCA (10)

If you’re a brick-and-mortar business, provide users with detailed information relevant to them generated by big data analytic tools. This usually includes the potential customer’s current location and customer profile information. You can then personalize the information to maximize its relevance for the person inquiring. One often effective option is offering discount coupons in real-time.

• Know your audience: The type of audience you’re hoping to reach should directly influence the kind of mobile ads you use. Are they gamers? If so, take advantage of in-game ads.
• Experiment: Marketers are still exploring the best strategies for increasing conversion rates on mobile devices. Google, for example, offers numerous tools including click-to-call extensions and many other ad extensions.
• Benchmark Your Results: As with A/B website testing, keep careful track of what works. The Ad Words Grader is one method for tracking the performance of your ads.
• Keywords are important in mobile marketing: with a focus on location, use no more than three keyword phrases for mobile searches.
• Catch the attention of prospects with special offers: By offering sales and special offers first on your mobile site, you can give customers the option of receiving push alerts with each new offer. This is among the best strategies for achieving a higher mobile site conversion rate.
• Always include your contact information: If you’re a brick-and-mortar business, provide your address, an automatic call link, and a map that expands and contracts.
• Ensure your mobile website works on all devices: including the newest devices coming to market.

Mobile site design requirements

Sophisticated mega sites like Facebook and Spotify demonstrate that mobile devices can give users virtually the same experience as they have on their home computers. Spotify, for example, gives users the same music options on their smartphones that they have on their home computers.

Users on mobile websites take 70% more time to finalize purchases compared with large-screen sites.

• Position your call to action (CTA) shopping cart at the top of the page. This will help reduce the likelihood that customers will leave your mobile site before completing the purchase.
• It’s imperative that you make the payment process as simple as possible. The industry will eventually offer one-click payment. For example, Mastercard is working to develop payment by “selfie.” The mobile wallet is another development that will better meet the needs of customers and e-retailers.
• Users on mobile websites take 70% more time to finalize purchases compared with large-screen sites. This hesitation demonstrates the need to build trust and credibility with mobile device users.
• Because mobile device users are rushed for time and impatient, always use a loading bar rather than a blank screen during the 2.8 seconds (on average) waiting time, so they don’t leap to another site.
• Mobile users are twice as likely to scroll down the entire page because tapping and swiping make it easier and faster (1.6 times faster) on mobile than on a tablet. Smartphone ‘infinite scroll’ allows customers to create a wish list to track potential purchases from one device to another.

Kenneth Burke, Marketing Director at Text Request (12)

• Provide a store locator functionality so that potential customers can visit one of your stores, perhaps on their way home, to evaluate and choose among products they’ve perused online.
• Again, allows for push notifications to alert customers to special offers, which also helps you gain more information about them and their product preferences. Push notifications were a big deal a few years ago and remain valuable for this purpose.
• Incorporate features that work on apps with high traffic, i.e., a simple user interface, and content tailored to the customer.
• This approach can also increase the odds that a user will return to your mobile site (the probability of a customer logging in to their user account on their smartphone is now 2.9%; compared with 10.7% for desktop users).
• Streamline account creation for mobile users to reduce the 16% probability that they’ll bail at this stage.
• Make mobile site access easy for potential customers. Avoid asking them unnecessary filter questions. Also, facilitate the completion of forms by incorporating dynamic data validation.
• Limit exit points by, e.g., using large product images to limit accidental taps that take a person away from your site. For the same reason, eliminate burger menus to avoid unnecessary back-and-forth navigation.

Austin Coulson is the President of ACU Web Inc.

Daniel Burstein is a Senior Director of Content & Marketing at MarketingSherpa (13) and MECLABS Institute (14)

Replicate some of the benefits of an app

While 80% of mobile time is spent engaged with apps, you don’t have to create an app yourself to get some benefits from them. Services like Google AdMob help advertisers create mobile ads that are uploaded to third-party mobile apps.

Facebook also allows advertisers to create ads that are integrated into Facebook’s mobile app. Facebook’s mobile Promoted Post ads integrate so seamlessly with Facebook’s newsfeed that users often don’t realize they’re looking at ads.

Rieva Lesonsky, CEO, President, and Founder at GrowBiz Media

What does Google offer?

• Mobile image ads
• Google AdWords: enhanced campaigns Google relies on mobile ad revenue, so they have a strong incentive to improve the effectiveness of your mobile marketing.
• Mobile site links: This extension is designed to help mobile users jump to specific pages on your mobile site.
• Click-to-call: mobile ad extension, This function places a “call” button directly beneath an ad that automatically generates a business’s phone number on a user’s mobile device. Make sure that this extension only appears during your business hours.
• Google offers for mobile: allows advertisers to post a discount offer or coupon beneath their ad.
• Click-to-download local ad extensions: Local ad extensions are probably the most important extensions for mobile because one-third of searches are for local business information. Local mobile marketing needs to be a key aspect of your mobile strategy.
• Local mobile marketing extensions: often involve a phone number or link to Google Maps

Ben Sailer, Blog Manager at CoSchedule (14)

Conclusion

The smartphone’s addictive power is based on apps that have limited e-commerce value. Though apps include ads, they will never generate improved conversion rates. Marketers who want to leverage the tremendous potential of the smartphone and other mobile devices need to design more efficient, user-friendly sites for mobile devices enhanced by Google and other extensions. Easier access to product information, more efficient payment systems, and building consumer trust is essential to this process.

Marketers have gained valuable insights into the user experience with mobile devices. New opportunities will emerge as tech continues to improve and touch screen uses expand. However, three underlying imperatives will remain the same:

• getting the attention of visitors,
• facilitating the easy transmission of personal information,
• advancing towards more streamlined, secure payment.

Sources

[1] 60SecondMarketer.com.

[2] logograb.com/products/mobile-engagement.

[3] logograb.com.

[4] braze.com.

[5] onlinemarketinginstitute.org.

[6] bestmarketingdegrees.org.

[7] leanplum.com.

[8] emailmonday.com/email-marketing-consultant.

[9] emailvendorselection.com.

[10] mocaplatform.com.

[11] www.jem9.com.

[12] textrequest.com.

[13] marketingsherpa.com.

[14] meclabs.com.

[15] coschedule.com.

Did you know 87% of marketers now use AI daily to automate tasks and predict customer behavior? As AI evolves, its role in marketing grows beyond automation to shape hyper-personalized experiences, ethical dilemmas, and 2025’s emerging trends like neuromarketing and AI-powered virtual influencers.

As the lines between human creativity and machine learning blur, marketers find themselves at a thrilling crossroads. This isn’t just another buzzword; it’s a fundamental shift in how AI is used in marketing to forge connections, drive conversions, and shape the future of customer engagement.

Speculation about the long-term future of artificial Intelligence in society is at a fever pitch, receiving unprecedented attention in the news and on social media. Luminaries such as Elon Musk and the late Stephen Hawking have expressed deep concern about AI’s exponential growth with the possibility that it will eventually become self-aware.

They believe that if AI development is left unchecked, it could easily surpass human control within decades from now and create its own agenda one perhaps antithetical to the value of human life. That said, we are now witnessing fierce, heavily invested competition between Google and Microsoft to advance artificial intelligence without apparent concern for its long-term dangers.

How is AI used in marketing?

While speculation about AI’s future runs rampant, the reality is that it’s already revolutionizing marketing strategies today.

Forward-thinking companies aren’t waiting; they’re harnessing AI’s power to gain a profound understanding of their customers and fine-tune their tactics for maximum impact. It’s not just hype – studies show a staggering 91.5% of leading businesses are investing in AI on a regular basis. (1)

Here’s a glimpse into how AI is being deployed in the marketing trenches right now:

1. Unveiling customer insights: AI tools act as digital detectives, sifting through mountains of customer data to uncover hidden patterns and predict future behaviors. This empowers marketers to deliver personalized content that truly resonates, boosting engagement and fostering loyalty.
2. Cracking the attribution code: Say goodbye to guesswork. AI-powered attribution modeling sheds light on which marketing channels and campaigns are truly driving results, allowing marketers to optimize their budgets and strategies.
3. Performance insights at your fingertips: AI provides real-time performance insights, giving marketers a clear view of what’s working and what’s not. This enables agile decision-making and continuous improvement.
4. Media buying made smarter: AI takes the guesswork out of media buying, helping marketers identify the most effective ad placements to reach their target audience with laser precision.
5. Hyper-segmentation for hyper-relevance: AI’s ability to process massive datasets enables the creation of hyper-segmented customer groups, allowing marketers to deliver highly targeted and relevant messages.
6. Predictive analytics for a competitive edge: AI empowers marketers to anticipate future trends and customer behaviors, giving them a head start in a rapidly changing marketplace.
7. Sentiment analysis for proactive engagement: AI helps marketers understand and respond to customer feedback in real-time, allowing them to address concerns and capitalize on positive sentiment.
8. Keeping tabs on the competition: AI-powered competitive analysis tools provide valuable insights into market trends and competitor strategies, helping marketers stay one step ahead.
9. Hyper-Personalization: Machine learning algorithms analyze vast customer data points—from browsing history to past purchases—to create tailored recommendations in real time. AI tools like Adobe Sensei and Dynamic Yield now analyze real-time behavioral data to deliver 1:1 content.
10. AI Chatbots & Conversational Marketing: Advanced chatbots leverage natural language processing to engage with customers around the clock. They can answer queries, guide users to relevant products or content, and streamline the buyer’s journey—often boosting satisfaction and conversion rates.

The bottom line? AI is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s a marketing powerhouse that’s transforming the way businesses connect with their customers and achieve their goals. In fact, it’s shaping the very future of marketing as we know it.

Key AI-driven marketing trends for 2025

Staying ahead in marketing means keeping an eye on emerging trends. Here are the top AI marketing trends shaping 2025:

1. Voice Search Optimization: With voice assistants on the rise, optimizing for voice queries has become crucial. AI-driven tools help refine keyword targeting and content structure to match how people speak, not just how they type.
2. Conversational Marketing: Chatbots now go beyond simple Q&As to perform advanced tasks like guided product recommendations and follow-up emails. These AI-powered chat interfaces help brands build stronger, more personalized relationships.
3. Real-Time Data Analysis: Marketers harness real-time analytics dashboards to fine-tune campaigns instantly, capitalizing on fleeting consumer trends before they fade.
4. Augmented & Virtual Reality (AR/VR) Integration: AI merges with AR/VR to create interactive, immersive marketing experiences—a key strategy in AR & VR in marketing that has proven particularly valuable for retail, events, and product demonstrations.
5. AI-Generated Creative Content: Beyond text, AI now assists in designing graphics, video, and audio. This helps teams rapidly prototype and test multiple variations of creative assets.

AI marketing tools: powering efficiency and precision

AI marketing tools are rapidly becoming indispensable for marketers, enabling them to automate tasks, gain deeper insights, and optimize campaigns for maximum impact. Let’s explore some of the ways different types of AI are being leveraged in the marketing realm:

• Chatbots: AI-powered chatbots provide instant customer support, answer frequently asked questions, and even qualify leads. Natural Language Processing (NLP) enables these chatbots to understand and respond to customer queries in a human-like manner, improving customer satisfaction and engagement.
• Content creation: AI-powered tools can assist in generating blog posts, social media captions, and product descriptions. While they may not replace human creativity entirely, they can be a valuable aid in overcoming writer’s block and improving content productivity. Integrating these tools into your overall content strategy helps ensure consistent and engaging messaging across all channels.
• Maintenance and quality checks: Machine learning algorithms excel at identifying patterns and anomalies in large datasets. In digital marketing, this translates to powerful quality checks for websites, ad campaigns, and content. For example, AI can automatically detect broken links, grammatical errors, or inconsistencies in branding, ensuring a polished and error-free online presence.
• Standardization of marketing tasks: AI-powered automation tools are streamlining repetitive marketing tasks, such as social media scheduling, email marketing, and data entry. This frees up marketers to focus on strategic planning and creative ideation. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is particularly effective for standardizing tasks that involve structured data and rule-based processes.
• Personalization engines: AI analyzes customer data to deliver personalized product recommendations, email content, and website experiences. With tools like Image to Video AI, businesses can further enhance personalization by creating dynamic visual content tailored to customer preferences. This level of personalization enhances the customer journey, increasing conversions and fostering loyalty.
• Predictive analytics: AI can analyze historical data to predict future trends, such as customer churn or product demand. This empowers marketers to make proactive decisions and optimize their strategies for better results.

Machine learning

At the heart of AI’s marketing prowess lies Machine Learning (ML), the technology enabling those “guided experiences” that seem to read customers’ minds.

ML, a cornerstone of artificial intelligence marketing, has revolutionized big data analytics, allowing marketers to anticipate customer desires and proactively deliver tailored solutions. It’s the secret sauce behind those eerily accurate product recommendations and personalized emails that make you feel truly understood.

While we may envision ML as the path to machines conversing like humans (and that future is certainly on the horizon), its current impact on marketing is already profound.

Today’s ML-powered tools are laser-focused on specific tasks: optimizing ad placements, crafting persuasive email subject lines, and generating content strategy that resonates. It’s about intelligent automation, not just brute force repetition.

Yet, even these seemingly “basic” applications are yielding remarkable results. Organizations awash in data and hungry for sophisticated personalization have been leveraging these foundational AI capabilities for years.

Healthcare and financial services may have initially led the charge, but the marketing world is swiftly catching up, recognizing the immense potential of AI to forge deeper connections and drive unparalleled results.

Machine learning continually improves all aspects of marketing

By contrast, CMOs and their teams rely on AI and machine learning to iteratively test and improve their marketing campaigns and strategies. This requires a new level of data quality which isn’t possible using conventional platforms The most popular use of AI and machine learning in organizations is delivering personalization at scale across all digital channels. There’s also increasing adoption of predictive analytics based on machine learning to fine-tune models to improve up-sell and cross-sell results. (2)

There is such a vast amount of data that platforms like Google and Amazon handle that is impossible to analyze by humans. Also, an artificially intelligent system stores multiple information about large numbers of people captured within multiple machines from multiple sources. All of this appears in the system asynchronously or simultaneously.

AI-enabled systems perceive the environment and take action, accordingly, remembering the situations that may come up again. With the help of historical data, AI can predict future data trends, alerting marketers to proactively take action. (3)

According to a recent study (4), 87% of companies that have adopted AI were using it to improve email marketing. 61% of marketers were also planning to use artificial intelligence in sales forecasting.

Using AI tools like robotic analytics, CRM, and social data, a marketer can quickly boost the ROI of marketing initiatives. Thanks to the increasing amount of data gathered from customers, businesses’ marketing strategies have become more data-driven. (5)

Task automation is foundational to AI

Task automation: These applications perform repetitive, structured tasks that require relatively low levels of intelligence. They’re designed to follow a set of rules or execute a predetermined sequence of operations based on a given input, However, they can’t handle complex problems such as nuanced customer requests.

Machine learning: ML employs algorithms that learn how to use large quantities of data to make relatively complex predictions and decisions. Such models can recognize images, decipher text, segment customers, and anticipate how customers will respond to various initiatives.

Machine learning already drives programmatic buying in online advertising, e-commerce recommendation engines, and sales direction models in customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

It and its more sophisticated variant, deep learning, are the most exciting technologies in AI. That said, it’s important to clarify that most existing ML applications still just perform narrow tasks and need to be ‘trained’ using voluminous amounts of data.

Stand-alone applications: Stand-alone applications are best understood as clearly demarcated, or isolated, AI programs. They’re separate from the primary channels through which customers learn about, buy, or get support for using a company’s offerings- -or the channels employees use to market, sell, or service those offerings.

One example is the color-discovery app created by Behr, the paint company. Using IBM Watson’s natural language processing and Tone Analyzer capabilities, the application delivers several personalized Behr paint-color recommendations that are based on the mood consumers desire for their space. Customers use the app to short-list two or three colors for the room they intend to paint. (6)

Integrated AI applications: the unsung heroes of marketing automation

Often working behind the scenes, integrated AI applications are seamlessly woven into existing marketing systems. These subtle yet powerful tools, fueled by machine learning, make split-second decisions that impact customer experiences without anyone even noticing. Think of the lightning-fast algorithms that determine which digital ads to serve you as you browse the web – that’s integrated AI in action.

Data scientists and developers are pushing the boundaries even further, creating general-purpose learning algorithms. This means AI isn’t just limited to mastering one specific task; it’s gaining the ability to adapt and learn across a range of marketing functions, unlocking new levels of efficiency and innovation.

Step into the future of web design by integrating AI-powered web design tools that streamline the creative process and boost functionality. Check out our in-depth article for practical tips and inspiring case studies.

AI-powered decision making: empowering marketers at every level

The integration of AI into Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems is a game-changer. AI marketing tools are now embedded within these platforms, offering intelligent recommendations to marketers and salespeople in real-time.

Whether it’s suggesting the perfect upsell opportunity or predicting which customer segments are most likely to convert, AI empowers data-driven decision-making at every touchpoint.

This shift towards automation allows businesses to streamline routine tasks, freeing up human talent to focus on strategic initiatives that require creativity and critical thinking. It’s about striking the perfect balance between machine efficiency and human ingenuity.

Navigating the AI adoption maze: challenges ahead

While the potential of AI in marketing is undeniable, the journey toward successful implementation is not without its hurdles, presenting a unique set of marketing manager challenges.

Stand-alone task automation, while less technically complex, still requires careful configuration to align with specific workflows. Companies must proactively invest in acquiring the necessary AI skills and expertise to ensure smooth deployment.

Integrating AI into existing marketing workflows demands a delicate balancing act. The goal is to augment human skills, not replace them. Achieving seamless collaboration between humans and machines requires thoughtful planning and execution.

For instance, while AI-powered chatbots can handle routine customer inquiries, less capable bots can lead to frustrating customer experiences. In such cases, it may be wiser to position chatbots as assistants to human agents, ensuring a seamless and satisfying customer journey.

The buzz surrounding AI and marketing can sometimes lead to inflated expectations. It’s crucial to recognize that AI is not a magic bullet that will instantly solve all marketing challenges. Setting realistic goals and understanding the limitations of current AI capabilities is essential for successful implementation.

As marketing artificial intelligence becomes increasingly sophisticated, ethical considerations come to the forefront. Issues such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and transparency must be carefully addressed to ensure that AI is used responsibly and ethically.

Marketers must navigate the fine line between leveraging AI’s potential for innovation and upholding ethical standards that protect consumers and maintain trust.

AI helps analyze current market trends

Digital marketers can adopt AI technology to find the most attractive business growth opportunities for brand expansion. Innovative AI tools can scan a vast quantity of data to derive and analyze current market trends. This helps marketers to create strategies that help to uncover new ideas for rebranding marketing and innovative marketing campaigns.

While most marketers are increasingly comfortable regularly using AI tools, they’re often executed in an ad-hoc manner. Many marketing departments still lack a coordinated, strategy-focused approach to implementing major projects. And many are lagging when it comes to fostering an AI-friendly, data-first culture as well. This includes developing competencies and requisite skills. (7)

AI and ad placement

Facebook and Google are the biggest online advertising platforms. They both offer AI tools that work by combining audience segmentation with predictive analytics.

Segmentation splits customers into groups according to demographic characteristics – gender, age, income level, interests–and an infinity of other potential variables. In short, predictive analytics calculates which groups a particular product or service is most likely to appeal to. (8)

Facebook, Google, and all of the other platforms that offer advertising functions allow businesses to target thousands of potential customers with multiple versions of advertising materials. This is critical in measuring and assessing their relative effectiveness with different demographic groups.

AI-driven advertising tools are most effective when used as part of a coordinated AI marketing strategy By comparison, with traditional methods of advertising such as television, newspapers, and magazines, it’s very difficult to attribute sales growth to any specific advertising content, or venue,

Content marketing

“Content is king” has been accepted wisdom in marketing departments since the twentieth century, the dawn of Web 2.0, and the rise of user-generated content platforms, especially social media. AI content marketing is a term that describes the inclusion of AI and machine learning programs into content tools. “Content marketing tools can help with content planning, creation, distribution, analysis, and reporting. AI helps improve the quality of content marketing.(9)

As AI continues to evolve, the future of content will increasingly rely on advanced technologies to enhance personalization and engagement.

Email marketing

A large number of AI-powered tools help with email marketing, “AI-based email marketing is a form of machine learning. In an email program, It’s the set of rules and processes that allows programs to analyze hundreds or thousands of inboxes to create better, more personalized content for subscribers.(10)

Challenges of AI in marketing

The marketing manager’s challenges in implementing AI technology for their marketing campaigns are not to be underestimated. While the potential rewards of AI marketing are revolutionary, there are real obstacles to overcome.

From securing buy-in from skeptical executives and team members to maintaining brand quality amidst the allure of generative AI, marketing leaders must navigate a range of concerns. Additionally, the lack of AI skills among employees poses a significant hurdle, requiring training and education to fully leverage the power of automated campaigns and content creation.

Furthermore, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations and effectively prioritizing AI initiatives and solutions add further complexity to the marketing manager’s role. Despite these challenges, with a strategic approach and a solid case for implementation, the transformative potential of AI marketing can be realized.

While the potential rewards of AI marketing are revolutionary, there are real challenges. If you’re planning on adding additional AI software to your marketing, be aware of these common pitfalls:

• Securing buy-In: Some executives, managers, and team members will be all in on AI. Others, not so much. Depending on your industry, you might have to fight an uphill battle just to gain acceptance for a new AI solution or feature. So, make sure you come prepared with a solid case for implementing new marketing AI.
• Maintaining brand quality: With everyone excited about the seemingly magical potential of generative AI, (self-learning) content creators neglect off-brand elements, like outlier designs. As you begin to include generative AI in your marketing, make sure the AI you’re using isn’t negatively impacting your brand.
• Lack of employee AI skills: AI offers great potential to increase productivity, but you’ll need marketers with AI skills to set up your automated campaigns, as well as to edit and implement content. For marketing leaders, a lack of training and education was cited as the top challenge to adopting AI.
• Privacy and data utilization: Browsers, phone manufacturers, and governments are cracking down on the use of third-party data, which means your AI will have to comply with all data regulations in the regions you operate in.
  Prioritizing AI initiatives and solutions: Only 29% of marketing leaders feel confident in their ability to evaluate AI marketing technology. This deficit is a major barrier to AI adoption. To stay focused, prioritize the biggest problems your marketing department and customers face before incorporating AI enhancements.(11)

The near future of AI marketing

As we move into 2025, AI marketing continues to become more accessible and integral to businesses of all sizes. While many small to mid-sized marketing teams may not have dedicated data scientists, evolving no-code and low-code AI tools are reducing barriers to entry.

This shift allows marketing professionals—already experts in their fields—to receive targeted AI training and apply data-driven methods to everyday marketing tasks. Cultivating a data-and-AI-literate culture ensures that organizations remain agile, able to adapt quickly to ever-changing consumer behaviors and emerging digital trends.

OWDT understands the importance of staying ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Our Marketing and SEO services are designed to leverage data-driven insights and AI technology to optimize your website for search engines effectively.

The rise of Generative (learning) AI within software platforms

Many commonly used marketing tools are adding generative (learning) AI capabilities. For example, the content collaboration platform StoryChief lets you use generative AI to write content briefs.

And the SEO optimization platform Frase offers AI for drafting blogs. Expect to see hundreds of different marketing platforms adding AI into the mix. It will be up to you and your marketing team to determine which features are worth your time. (12)

We can expect to see research AI get much more sophisticated. AI tools make researching and strategizing much easier and faster. So, we can expect to see more AI tools dedicated to customer research and marketing strategy.

Emerging roles and responsibilities

In the near future, new AI-related marketing team roles will emerge. For example, there might be new positions for AI Marketer, AI Marketing Manager, AI Content Editor, etc.

Some AI marketing tasks don’t require a whole new hire, but there will be an augmenting of team marketing competencies to include specific AI-related skills.

Thirty-two percent of marketers and agency professionals were using AI to create ads, including digital banners, social media posts, and digital out-of-home ads, according to a recent study by Advertiser Perceptions. (13)

• AI and Customer Data Platforms are being combined to drive greater personalization at scale.
• High-performing marketing teams were 25% more likely to increase their use of AI in 2022.
• Marketers use AI-based demand sensing to better predict unique buying patterns across geographic regions and alleviate stock-outs and back-orders. Combining all available data sources, including customer sentiment analysis using supervised machine learning algorithms, it’s possible to improve demand sensing and demand forecast accuracy.
• ML algorithms can correlate location-specific sentiment for a given product or brand and a given product’s regional availability. Having this insight alone can save the retail industry up to $50B a year in obsolete inventory.
• Minimizing inventory risk and fine-tuning product demand forecasts are ideal use cases for AI sources: AI can help retailers understand the consumer, phys.org. January 14, 2019.
• Forty-one percent of marketers say that AI and machine learning make their greatest contributions to accelerating revenue growth and improving performance. Marketers say that getting more actionable insights from marketing data (40%) and creating personalized consumer experiences at scale (38%) round out the top three uses today. The study also found that most marketers, 77%, have less than a quarter of all marketing tasks intelligently automated and 18% say they haven’t intelligently automated any tasks at all. (Source: Drift and Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute, 2021 State of Marketing AI Report.)

Use of artificial intelligence in pricing management

Pricing involves factoring in multiple aspects in the finalization of price. Real-time price variation based on fluctuating demand adds to the complexity of the pricing task. Artificial intelligence-based multiarmed bandit algorithms can dynamically adjust prices in real-time scenarios (Misra et al., 2019).

In a frequently changing pricing scenario like an e-commerce portal, machine learning algorithms can quickly adjust the price points to match the competitor’s price (Bauer & Jannach, 2018).

Use of artificial intelligence in place management

Product access and product availability are essential components of a marketing mix for heightened customer satisfaction. Product distribution relies on networked relationships, logistics, inventory management, warehousing, and transportation problems–which are largely mechanical and repetitive in nature.

Artificial intelligence is the ideal solution in the case of place management by offering robots for packaging, drones for delivery, and IoT for order tracking and order refilling (Huang & Rust, 2020).

Standardization and mechanization of the distribution process add convenience to both suppliers and customers. Besides utility in distribution management, AI also offers customer engagement opportunities in a service context.

Summary of benefits of AI in marketing

• AI accelerates and improves business and customer interaction.
• AI improves ROI.
• AI advances revenue growth and improves performance.
• AI generates more actionable insights from marketing data.
• AI creates personalized customer experience to scale.
• AI reduces the time spent on repetitive tasks.
• AI drives down costs and improves efficiency.
• AI provides personalized content to users based on their search history
• AI and predicts customer needs and behaviors with greater accuracy.
• AI shortens the sales cycle.
• AI increases operational excellence and optimizes the user experience.
• AI offers continuous customer services with AI chatbots and Live Chat.
• AI helps brands cut costs and increase revenues.
• AI targets the right audience
• AI helps businesses use the advantages of going global

Use of artificial intelligence in the OWDT marketing company

The best marketing agencies like OWDT (marketing and web design Houston company)  are constantly updating their strategies to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) as it has the potential to transform the industry.

AI can analyze vast amounts of consumer data to provide insights into customer behavior and preferences, allowing marketers to personalize their messaging and offerings. It can also automate tasks such as ad targeting and optimization, freeing up marketers to focus on more strategic initiatives.

Additionally, AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can improve customer service and engagement. As AI technology continues to advance, marketing agencies that embrace it will have a significant competitive advantage in delivering effective and efficient campaigns that drive results.

There are, of course, challenges in adapting to AI marketing. But it’s important to understand and act upon the many advantages that it provides.

Sources

[1] contentbot.ai/blog/news/is-ai-the-future-of-ecommerce-heres-what-we-know.

[2] snowflake.com/guides/prediction-analytics-or-predictive-analytics

[3] research.aimultiple.com/ai-stats/#marketing

[4] https://research.aimultiple.com/ai-stats/#marketing

[5] /venturebeat.com/ai/why-ai-is-the-differentiator-in-todays-experience-market/

[6] researchgate.net/publication/349635531_Enhancing_Marketing_Strategies_and_Analytics_Through_Artificial_Intelligence

[7] marketingaiinstitute.com/blog/ai-in-advertising

[8] rockcontent.com/blog/ai-content-marketing

[9] googleadservices.com

[10] imeanmarketing.com/blog/ai-marketing-statistics

[11] storychief.io/blog/ai-content-marketing-storychief-vs-chatgpt

[12] advertiserperceptions.com

[13] businessoffashion.com/opinions/retail/the-cost-of-dead-inventory-retails-dirty-little-secret/

• Virtual reality & augmented reality
• AI (artificial intelligence)
• Natural language processing (NLP)
• Enhanced website performance
• Mobile-first design
• Increasing focus on accessibility
• Future of web design in e-commerce
• Rise of voice search
• Minimalism & clean design
• Increasing focus on accessibility
• Future of web design in motion UI
• Consult OWDT for your web development projects

Get ready for websites that transform how we interact with the online world. The future of web design is bursting with potential, driven by advancements in technology like Natural Language Processing (NLP) shifting user preferences, personalized, secure, and evolving SEO landscapes. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) will fundamentally change the way we shop, learn, and connect. At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) will personalize sites like never before, adapting to our individual behaviors and moods.
Prioritizing mobile-friendly design is paramount in this smartphone-centric era, ensuring websites seamlessly adjust to different screens and resolutions. This enhances user experience and boosts search engine rankings, as engines like Google favor responsive design. Security will remain crucial as these changes unfold, protecting our data in this ever-evolving digital world. This is just the beginning of the thrilling possibilities shaping the future of web design. Are you ready to build the immersive, intelligent, and user-centric websites of tomorrow?

Here are some predictions on what we might expect to see in the world of web design:

Virtual reality & augmented reality

Using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in web design can enhance the user experience and provide new opportunities for innovation. Here are some reasons why:

Immersive experience: VR and AR can provide users with an immersive experience that is impossible with traditional 2D interfaces. By incorporating VR and AR elements into web design, designers can create more engaging and memorable user experiences.

Visual storytelling: VR and AR can tell stories more interactively and engagingly, allowing users to explore and interact with the content more meaningfully.
Product visualization: VR and AR can give users a more realistic and detailed view of products. For example, an online store could allow customers to use AR to see how furniture would look in their home before purchasing.

Educational and training purposes: VR and AR can provide users with a more immersive and interactive learning experience. For example, a university could use VR to give students virtual campus tours.

AI (artificial intelligence)

AI and Machine Learning will likely play a significant role in web design and applications. AI-powered design tools can automate repetitive tasks such as prototyping and layout, freeing designers to focus on higher-level creative work. Machine Learning can analyze user behavior and preferences. Additionally, considering the future of marketing in the era of AI, these technologies offer immense potential for personalized and targeted marketing strategies. By leveraging AI algorithms to analyze vast amounts of data, marketers can gain insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and trends, allowing them to tailor marketing campaigns more effectively. AI-powered chatbots can provide personalized customer interactions, while predictive analytics can anticipate customer needs and optimize marketing efforts in real-time. As AI continues to advance, it will revolutionize the way businesses approach marketing, enabling them to deliver more relevant and engaging experiences to their target audiences.

• Personalization: AI and machine learning can be used to create more personalized user experiences. By analyzing user data and behavior, designers can create websites that adapt to individual users’ needs and preferences, offering personalized content and recommendations.
• Automation: AI and machine learning can also automate repetitive tasks, such as image tagging, content creation, and data analysis. This can help designers work more efficiently and focus on more creative and strategic aspects of web designing.
• Predictive analytics: AI and machine learning can analyze data and predict user behavior, allowing designers to create more effective and targeted marketing campaigns.
• Chatbots: Chatbots powered by AI and machine learning can provide a more responsive and personalized customer service experience. They can answer questions, provide recommendations, and even complete transactions without human intervention.
• Accessibility: AI and machine learning can be used to improve web accessibility for people with disabilities. For example, machine learning can automatically generate alt-text for images, making websites more accessible to people with visual impairments.

Natural language processing (NLP)

Imagine a web experience where websites understand your searches as effortlessly as a friend would. The future of web design is poised for that kind of transformation, thanks to the power of natural language processing (NLP). With NLP, websites are learning to understand not only keywords but the intent behind your questions.

This means more helpful chatbots that anticipate your needs, and voice search results that feel natural, not robotic. Websites are becoming smarter, making interactions more efficient and finding information easier than ever. Are you ready to build websites that truly listen?

Mobile-first design

The future of web design is set to be influenced by factors, such as advancements in technology shifts in user behavior and preferences new design styles, and the changing SEO landscape. A great illustration of this convergence is the emphasis on design. Given the use of smartphones and the growing trend of browsing on devices prioritizing mobile-friendly designs has become essential. This strategy ensures that websites are well suited for screens and varying resolutions resulting in layouts that enhance user interaction and load quicker. Moreover search engines like Google favor websites that’re mobile responsive underscoring the significance of first design in boosting search engine rankings and online visibility.

Mobile-first design is a design approach that prioritizes the mobile user experience over the desktop experience when designing websites or applications. In the past, desktop design was typically the starting point for web design, with mobile design being an afterthought. However, with the proliferation of smartphones and the growing use of mobile devices for web browsing, designing for mobile-first has become essential.

Mobile-first design has become integral to web design because it ensures that the website or application is optimized for mobile devices with screen sizes and resolutions different from those of desktop devices. With a mobile-first approach, designers must prioritize the essential elements of the website or application and streamline the design for smaller screens. This can result in a cleaner, more focused design optimized for faster load times and better user engagement.

Moreover, with the increasing use of mobile devices for browsing, search engines like Google and other software prioritize mobile-friendly websites. Mobile-first design can help websites rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Additionally, considering the future of SEO, mobile-first design is crucial as search engines increasingly prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their algorithms, favoring them with higher rankings and visibility. Therefore, adopting a mobile-first approach not only enhances user experience but also improves search engine optimization, ultimately driving more organic traffic to your website.

Enhanced website performance

Techniques such as lazy loading, image compression, and serverless architecture are becoming increasingly important in modern web design and are likely to remain essential in future web design and in the future of the front end. Here’s why:

• Lazy loading: Lazy loading is a technique that delays loading non-critical resources (such as images) until the user needs them. This can significantly improve page load times, particularly on slower internet connections or mobile devices. As more and more people access the internet on mobile devices, lazy loading will become increasingly important in ensuring a smooth user experience.
• Image compression: Large images can slow page load times, and slow-loading pages can harm user experience and lead to higher bounce rates. Image compression is the process of reducing the file size of an image without sacrificing too much quality. By compressing images, web designers can significantly improve page load times and enhance user experience, particularly on mobile devices.
• Serverless architecture: Serverless architecture is a design approach that eliminates the need for servers and instead relies on cloud-based computing. This can offer significant benefits, such as lower costs, greater scalability, and improved reliability. As more and more web applications move to the cloud, serverless architecture is likely to become increasingly important in web design.

Rise of voice search

Voice recognition and voice search are expected to play an increasingly important role in web design in the future. Here are some reasons why voice search SEO will be crucial:

• Changing user behavior: Voice search is becoming increasingly popular as more and more people use virtual assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa to search for information online. As such, web designers must consider how their websites can be optimized for voice search queries to ensure they remain relevant and accessible to users.
• Improved user experience: Voice recognition can help improve the user experience by allowing users to interact with websites using their voice rather than typing. This can be particularly useful for people with disabilities or those who struggle to type on a keyboard or touch screen.
• New design considerations: Voice recognition and voice search require a different approach to web design. For example, designers will need to think about how their websites can provide concise, easily digestible answers to voice queries, as well as how they can ensure their website is optimized for voice search keywords.
• Opportunities for innovation: As voice recognition and voice search become more prevalent, there will be new opportunities for innovation in web design. For example, designers may consider incorporating voice-activated navigation or other voice-enabled features into their websites.

Minimalism & clean design

Minimalism, simplicity, and clean design will likely grow in popularity in future web design. Here are some reasons why:

• User Experience: Minimalist and simple designs can improve the user experience by reducing clutter and making it easier for users to find what they want. This is particularly important for mobile users, who may need more screen space and faster internet connections.
• Faster load times: Minimalist and simple designs can also help reduce load times, which is essential for users accessing websites on slower internet connections or using mobile devices. By simplifying designs and reducing the number of elements on a page, designers can help ensure that their websites load quickly and smoothly.
• Branding: Minimalism and simplicity can also help reinforce brand identity by creating a consistent visual language that is easy to recognize and remember. By using a limited color palette and typography, designers can create a cohesive brand identity that is instantly recognizable.
• Accessibility: Simple and minimalist designs can also improve accessibility by making it easier for people with cognitive or visual impairments to navigate websites. By using clear and simple language and avoiding cluttered layouts, designers can create websites that are easier to use for everyone.

Increasing focus on accessibility

There are several reasons why increasing focus on web accessibility is possible in future web designing:

• Growing awareness: There is a growing awareness of the importance of web accessibility among designers and the general public. As more people become aware of the challenges faced by people with disabilities, there is likely to be a greater demand for accessible websites and applications.
• Legal requirements: Many countries have laws and regulations that require websites to be accessible to people with disabilities. As these laws become more widely enforced, designers will be more incentivized to prioritize accessibility in their work.
• Technology advancements: Many tools and technologies are now available to help designers create more accessible websites and applications. For example, screen readers and other assistive technologies can help people with visual or cognitive impairments access digital content. As these tools become more sophisticated and widely available, it will be easier for designers to create accessible websites.
• Inclusive design: Inclusive design is becoming increasingly important in web design. Inclusive design is designing products and services accessible and usable by as many people as possible, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. By prioritizing accessibility in their work, designers can create more inclusive and welcoming digital experiences.

Future of web design in e-commerce

The way we shop online is evolving, and future e-commerce web design will lead the charge. Customers crave streamlined, meaningful shopping experiences, and businesses must adapt. This means websites that are not only beautiful but intuitive, transparent, and personalized.
Key trends in the future of e-commerce web design include:

• Minimalism: Clean design puts the focus on the products, making it easier for shoppers to find what they need and boosting the path to purchase.
• Sustainability: Customers are more mindful of their impact. Highlight eco-friendly products, and transparent sourcing, and consider options to offset shipping emissions. This builds trust and loyalty.
• Personalization: Use data ethically to tailor content and recommendations, creating a unique experience for each customer.
  Mobile Responsiveness Designing for all screen sizes ensures a seamless experience, whether on a desktop or smartphone, which is crucial given the rise in mobile shopping.
• AI-Driven Personalization: AI will revolutionize e-commerce, enabling websites to understand customers on a deeper level for even more targeted recommendations.

Web designers who specialize in e-commerce will be in high demand. This includes creating user-friendly product pages, intuitive shopping carts, and compelling visuals. The future of e-commerce design also lies in embracing social media for direct sales and optimizing the mobile purchasing experience.

Future of web design in motion UI

Motion UI has the potential to play an even more significant role in web design in the future. Here are some ways in which Motion UI can help improve website structure and enhance web design more in the future:

• Better storytelling: As websites become more visually driven, Motion UI can help to enhance storytelling by creating more dynamic, immersive, and engaging experiences for users. With animations, designers can guide users through a story or narrative in a more intuitive and impactful way.
• Improved navigation: By using Motion UI to animate navigation menus, designers can make it easier for users to navigate through complex websites. This can help to reduce bounce rates and improve user engagement, which can be especially important for e-commerce websites.
• Enhanced user feedback: With the use of Motion UI, designers can create more dynamic and interactive experiences for users, which can help to improve engagement and reduce frustration. For example, using animations to confirm user actions can provide immediate and satisfying feedback to the user.
• Increased interactivity: As websites become more sophisticated, the demand for interactive experiences will continue to grow. Motion UI can help meet this demand by creating more engaging and interactive experiences that keep users on the website for extended periods.

Pageless websites

Pageless websites are a trend in web design that focuses on creating a seamless and continuous user experience. Users can scroll down a single long page to access all the content instead of navigating multiple pages.

Pageless websites can be a practical approach to web design, providing a seamless and engaging user experience well-suited to specific websites. However, whether or not pageless websites will help shape the future of web design remains to be seen.

One advantage of pageless websites is that they can simplify navigation and make it easier for users to find the content they seek. They can also be optimized for mobile devices, where scrolling is often more accessible and intuitive than clicking between multiple pages.

However, pageless websites may only be the best fit for some types of websites and may present some challenges for certain types of content. For example, websites that require users to fill out forms or complete specific tasks may benefit from a more structured and hierarchical approach to navigation.

Additionally, pageless websites may present technical challenges, as they often rely heavily on JavaScript and can be more complex to build and maintain than traditional multi-page websites.

What is the prediction about the future of web security?

Several trends and emerging technologies will shape the future of web security. Here are some predictions about what we might see in the years ahead:

• Increased emphasis on security: As cyber threats evolve and become more sophisticated, there will be an increasing emphasis on web security. Designers will need to be well-versed in the latest security best practices and techniques and will need to design websites and applications with security in mind from the outset.
• More advanced authentication methods: With the rise of biometric authentication and other advanced authentication methods, we can expect to see more websites and applications using these technologies to enhance security and protect user data.
• Use of blockchain technology: Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize web security by creating secure and tamper-proof digital ledgers. We may see more websites and applications incorporating blockchain technology to enhance security and protect user data.
• More focus on privacy: With growing concerns around data privacy, we can expect to see more emphasis on privacy in web design. This includes designing websites and applications that are transparent about data collection and usage and give users control over their data.
• Use of machine learning for security: Machine learning algorithms can be used to analyze large amounts of data and identify potential security threats in real-time. We may see more websites and applications using machine learning algorithms to enhance security and protect user data.

Will using languages like JavaScript or tools like Grid System have a significant role in future web designing?

Yes, languages like JavaScript and tools like Grid System will likely continue playing significant roles in web design in the future.

JavaScript is a powerful and versatile programming language that can be used for various web design tasks, from adding interactivity to websites to creating dynamic user interfaces. It is also widely used for web development on both the client and server sides. It is a fundamental technology for many popular frameworks and libraries like React, Angular, and Vue.js.

Grid systems, on the other hand, are a popular layout tool used in web design that enables designers to create responsive, flexible, and scalable layouts. They simplify the process of designing complex layouts and make achieving a consistent visual style across a website more accessible.

As the web continues to evolve, the demand for skilled JavaScript developers and designers who can work with grid systems will likely remain strong. Therefore, learning and mastering these tools and languages can help you stay relevant in the web design industry and keep up with the latest trends and technologies.

How will the increasing emphasis on web accessibility affect our website’s design and functionality?

Web accessibility considerations will influence various aspects of your website design, including layout, color contrast, font size, and navigation options. Ensuring that your website is accessible means making it usable for everyone, including those with disabilities. This may involve implementing features such as alt text for images, keyboard navigation options, and clear headings for screen readers. It’s essential to prioritize accessibility to reach a broader audience and comply with legal requirements.

Can you provide examples of how AI and machine learning can be integrated into our website to enhance user experience and security?

AI and machine learning can be integrated into your website in various ways. For example, AI-powered chatbots can provide personalized customer support, analyze user behavior to offer relevant product recommendations and enhance security by detecting and preventing potential threats. Machine learning algorithms can also be used for fraud detection, user authentication, and optimizing website performance based on user interactions.

With the rise of new technologies like blockchain and biometric authentication, how will you ensure that our website remains secure and up-to-date with the latest security measures?

We will stay abreast of the latest advancements in web security, including technologies like blockchain and biometric authentication. Our team will regularly update your website’s security protocols to incorporate these advancements and ensure that your users’ data remains secure. This may involve implementing multi-factor authentication, encryption techniques, and regular security audits to identify and address any vulnerabilities proactively. Additionally, we will adhere to industry best practices and comply with relevant regulations to maintain the highest standards of security for your website.

Consult OWDT for your web development projects

Choosing a web design company is crucial for businesses looking to establish a strong online presence and effectively engage with their target audience. A reputable web design company brings expertise, creativity, and technical skills to the table, ensuring that your website not only looks visually appealing but also functions seamlessly across various devices and platforms. With the ever-evolving digital landscape, a professional web design company stays abreast of the latest trends, technologies, and best practices, ensuring that your website remains relevant and competitive. Moreover, choosing a web design company with a proven track record of success and satisfied clients provides assurance that your project will be handled with professionalism and attention to detail. From understanding your business objectives to delivering a custom-designed website tailored to your needs, the right web design company can be a valuable partner in helping you achieve your online goals and stand out in the digital marketplace.

As a highly-regarded web design company, OWDT has an expert team of web developers, designers, marketers, and SEO specialists who can be entrusted to optimize your brand and expand your business. our web design awards and testimonials say more about us than we can. Our anonymous surveys constantly show that our esteemed clients are positively satisfied with the work, guidance, and security that OWDT has provided and continues to provide 365/24/7.

Correlated content

[1] /insight/how-ai-will-revolutionize-the-future-of-seo/

[2] /insight/crystal-ball-the-future-of-front-end-development/

[3] /navigating-the-future-of-content-in-an-ai-driven-world

[4] /article/the-future-of-marketing-in-the-era-of-ai-2024-outlook/

• What Is subliminal advertising?
• Does subliminal advertising work?
• 6 Subliminal advertising techniques
• Subliminal advertising examples
• Navigating challenges of subliminal advertising
• The Placebo effect and other “confounding variables”
• Subliminal advertising and marketing

In an ever-evolving world of marketing tactics and consumer influence, the concept of subliminal advertising has remained both mysterious and controversial. Embedded within the subtle realms of our subconscious minds, these hidden messages, images, or sounds aim to sway our purchasing decisions without our conscious awareness.

As marketers continue to explore innovative strategies to captivate audiences, the question lingers: Does subliminal advertising possess the elusive power to shape our desires and behaviors? Join us as we delve into the depths of this psychological phenomenon, unraveling the truth behind its effectiveness and shedding light on the ethical implications it raises in today’s advertising landscape.

What Is subliminal advertising?

Ever wondered why you suddenly crave a certain brand or product? It might be more than just chance. Subliminal advertising, a sneaky marketing technique, uses hidden messages to influence your choices without you even realizing it.

Subliminal advertising uses words, images, or sounds in television, commercials, music and, more recently, in digital media–to boost sales of products and services. Subliminal messages may be embedded in an icon, image, or briefly flashed at an audience below the level of conscious awareness.

The Hidden Influence: Subliminal messages can be embedded in images, audio, or even text. They might be flashed so quickly on screen that you barely notice, or subtly woven into the background.

The Power of Suggestion: These hidden messages can subtly suggest preferences, desires, or needs. They can create a positive association with a brand or product, even without you consciously noticing.

Does subliminal advertising work?

The most referenced classic example–is the 1957 experiment by James Vicary of subliminal advertising in movies in which the messages “Eat Popcorn” and “Drink Coca-Cola” were transmitted in single screen frames before a movie began.

Though Vicar’s claims of amazing results were later revealed to be a publicity stunt, 60 years of subsequent subliminal advertising psychology and marketing research have confirmed that subliminal influence techniques do work in specific contexts. — We’ve also learned it’s important to evaluate the impact of subliminal advertising separately from the broad array of subconscious influence triggers.

Key researcher Philip Merikle (1) at the Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo(2), has concluded–

“Over the years there have been literally hundreds of studies”…” these studies show that considerable information capable of informing decisions and guiding actions is perceived even when observers do not experience any awareness of perceiving”.

Key Takeaways: Subliminal influence techniques can be effective, but their impact is context-dependent. They aren’t a magic bullet for guaranteed persuasion.

It’s crucial to distinguish subliminal advertising from the broader spectrum of subconscious influence triggers. Subliminal messages are just one piece of the puzzle.

Want to know if subliminal advertising really works? Discover what has research shown about processing subliminal messages?

6 Subliminal advertising techniques

While the effectiveness of traditional subliminal advertising (like flashing quick messages) remains a subject of debate, modern marketers employ a diverse range of subtle techniques to subtly guide consumer behavior.

1) Product placement in movies and TV shows

Seamlessly integrating brands into entertainment, such as movies and TV shows, can create powerful subconscious associations that influence consumer behavior. By seeing a familiar brand in a positive context, viewers may develop a favorable perception of the product or service.

For example, if a character in a popular TV show is shown using a particular smartphone, viewers may be more likely to consider that brand when they are in the market for a new phone. This is because the character’s positive experience with the brand can be transferred to the viewer’s own imagination.

2) Sensory marketing

Think of the inviting aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through a grocery store, or the calming music playing in a spa. These carefully curated scents and sounds in retail environments subtly shape mood and encourage purchases.

3) Priming

Have you ever noticed how seeing a commercial for a juicy burger can suddenly make you feel hungry? That’s priming in action. Exposing people to certain words or images can subconsciously influence their subsequent thoughts and actions.

4) Anchoring

This technique involves setting a reference point (an “anchor”) to influence how people perceive subsequent information. For instance, showcasing a high-priced item first can make other items seem more affordable in comparison.

5) Scarcity and urgency

Limited-time offers or low-stock alerts tap into our fear of missing out, creating a sense of urgency that can drive impulsive purchases.

6) Color psychology

Colors evoke emotions and influence perceptions. Red can stimulate appetite, blue conveys trust, and green suggests nature and sustainability. Brands carefully select colors as part of their subliminal perception design to align with their message and target audience.

Subliminal advertising examples

Studies have demonstrated that playing French or German music in a wine shop results in more people selecting, respectively, more French or German wines with customers being completely unaware that they were being manipulated.

We are more likely to select the first among options that are most accessible, whether it is among objects at eye level or a choice nearer to a target item.

On food and other menus, we are more likely to choose from the very top or very bottom. Why? Those areas are the first to attract our attention/eye. We assume we’re selecting the Reuben sandwich because we are hungry for it, but, in fact, it’s the placement of the food on the menu that is the most powerful determiner of the food we select.

• The Wine shop symphony

Studies have shown that playing French or German music in a wine shop can lead customers to select more French or German wines, respectively. This subtle nudge, often unnoticed by the shoppers, demonstrates the power of auditory cues in shaping consumer choices.

• The eye-level advantage

We are naturally drawn to what’s easiest to see. Whether it’s products placed at eye level on a shelf or options listed closer to a target item, we’re more likely to choose what’s most accessible. This “eye-level advantage” is a key principle in retail design and product placement.

• Menu magic: top and bottom temptations

On food and other menus, items listed at the very top or very bottom tend to be more popular. This is because these areas capture our initial attention and are often the first and last things we see. So, while you might think you’re choosing that Reuben sandwich because you’re craving it, its placement on the menu might be the real driving force behind your decision.

• The fleeting flash: McDonald’s on iron chef

The Food Network once subtly inserted a flash of the McDonald’s logo during an episode of the popular show Iron Chef. While brief, this subliminal exposure aimed to plant the fast-food giant’s brand in viewers’ minds.
The Coca-Cola controversy

In 1957, James Vicary claimed to have boosted sales of Coca-Cola and popcorn at a movie theater by flashing messages like “Drink Coca-Cola” and “Eat Popcorn” on the screen for a fraction of a second. However, this claim was later debunked, highlighting the ethical concerns and skepticism surrounding subliminal advertising.

• Warm drinks, warm hearts

Beyond visual and auditory cues, even subtle physical sensations can influence our perceptions. Research suggests that handing someone a hot drink can make you seem like a “warmer” person than offering them an icy one, demonstrating the surprising power of touch in shaping social judgments.

• Inspirational imagery: boosting sales performance

Subliminal messaging can extend beyond consumer choices to impact workplace productivity. In one study, displaying a poster of an athlete winning a race led to improved sales performance, even though management never explicitly discussed the image with employees. This suggests that subtle visual cues can motivate and inspire action.

• Netflix’s “You” and the “Bird Box” blink

In 2019, the Netflix series “You” employed a clever tactic to promote itself. During an episode of another popular Netflix show, “Bird Box,” the “You” logo briefly flashed on the screen. This subtle cross-promotion aimed to capture the attention of viewers already engaged with the platform.

• TikTok’s “Coin” conundrum

In 2021, a TikTok user alleged that the app was using subliminal messaging to encourage in-app purchases. The user claimed that the word “coin” was briefly flashed on the screen, potentially influencing users to buy more virtual currency. While unproven, this allegation highlights the ongoing concerns about the potential use of subliminal techniques in digital platforms.

These examples showcase the diverse and often subtle ways in which subliminal advertising can influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. While the effectiveness of such techniques remains debated, they underscore the complex relationship between our conscious and subconscious minds, and the powerful role that subtle cues can play in shaping our decisions.

Subliminal messages

By the late 1950s, subliminal advertising psychology had gained such recognition that its techniques were believed to be so effective at manipulating people that the United Kingdom and Australia banned their use. In the second installment of this post, I’ll explain why they have less impact than we once believed.

Subconscious triggers

Research demonstrates that people are influenced by different kinds of subliminal/subconscious triggers. This is why flashed subliminal screen messages have been banned by the British and Australian governments for decades, despite subsequent research indicating that their impact is generally constrained by other factors.

Navigating challenges of subliminal advertising

Subliminal advertising, while potentially powerful, faces several hurdles that can limit its effectiveness and raise ethical concerns:

• The Subconscious barrier: Measuring the true impact of subliminal messaging is difficult as it operates below conscious awareness.
• Individual differences: People respond differently to subtle cues, making a one-size-fits-all approach ineffective.
• Ethical concerns: Subliminal advertising raises questions about manipulation and free will, as it bypasses conscious decision-making.
• Backlash risk: If consumers become aware of subliminal tactics, it can lead to negative backlash and damage brand reputation.
• Legal gray area: The legality of subliminal advertising varies, creating a complex legal landscape for businesses to navigate.
• The need for subtlety: If messages are too obvious, they lose effectiveness and can backfire.
• Digital age dilemma: In today’s information-saturated environment, it’s challenging for subliminal messages to cut through the noise.

Despite these marketing challenges, subliminal advertising remains an intriguing field. As we learn more about the human mind, the techniques used will evolve, opening up new possibilities for the future of marketing. However, ethical considerations and respect for consumer autonomy must remain paramount.

Flight or fight response set

Why are we potentially vulnerable to such stimuli? –In order to survive, our early ancestors needed to be in tune with subliminal, below the level of conscious awareness sensory input. We have them to thank for our hard-wired flight or fight response to such stimuli. –Have you ever suddenly awakened after hearing an unfamiliar thud or bang? Is it a burglar? A possum in the attic? Or, something completely harmless? Before conscious reflection can take place, you are already primed for action. This and similar hard wiring leaves us open to being manipulated, e.g., making a purchase or supporting a cause–that may be against our best interests.

The Placebo effect and other “confounding variables”

Experiments show that subjects evaluated photographs of individuals somewhat more positively or negatively depending on whether a preceding subliminal image was positive or negative. That said, the general physical attractiveness of each individual was by far the more powerful determiner.

Subliminal negative messages in political ads seem to have an effect, echoing the more powerful, well-established finding that negative political ads are more effective than positive ones. Only limited research has been done on how to optimize the generally limited impact of flashed subliminal messages. The content of subliminal and their timing needs to be exactly right.

Nonetheless, it’s clear that the headline “Avoid These Fatal Mistakes” is more likely to get our attention than “Make Better Choices.” We see abundant examples of this negative priming in all the clickbait that pops up at the bottom of news media screens. (Recognizing fake and misleading information)

The military has used subliminal tapes and CDs to help personnel recognize foreign ships and aircraft. Has this worked? To a limited degree, yes, though the placebo effect (the belief among subjects that it would help) is apparently the most powerful among the determining factors.

More recently, studies have revealed that anesthetized patients recall more of what doctors and nurses say when undergoing medical procedures than previously believed possible. This is concerning because we know that subliminal negative images and words can alter a person’s mood, perhaps, in this case, even their ability to heal.

Subliminal advertising and marketing

As a web design Houston, OWDT has marketing experts who can help in many areas of business development, expansion and promotion. Is subliminal advertising illegal? No it is not, but whether it’s subliminal marketing, direct marketing, internal marketing, SEO services or one of a number of other areas of advertising and marketing, we are here to help.

Sources

1. https://neurotree.org/beta/publications.php?pid=607429

2. https://uwaterloo.ca/psychology/

I. Background: the effect of COVID on international trade

The pandemic radically impacted global trade, adding significant uncertainty and challenge for international marketers. According to one expert, “the changes in international trade caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in a single year were of comparable magnitude to changes otherwise typically seen over 4-5 years” (1). In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, global trade fell by 8.9%, the steepest drop since the global financial crisis of 2008. (2). This said, since late 2020, international trade volume has recovered to the pre-pandemic level at a rapid pace, with accumulated losses recovered by early 2022. While total trade flows are now comfortably above pre-pandemic levels, trade impacts across specific goods, services and trade partners have been highly diverse, creating ongoing pressures on specific sectors and supply chains.

The Impact of COVID on Trade in Specific Sectors and Industries

• The pandemic affected the services trade more than the goods trade. Services trade fell by more than 20% in 2020, almost four times the decline in goods trade. (3). Goods trade recovered quickly with limited factory shutdowns and a surge in demand for some durable goods (e.g., furniture, carpets, and appliances).
• As we all recall, trade in travel and tourism services slumped dramatically. But no one in that industry predicted the unexpected 2022 upsurge in demand for air travel and related services.
• By contrast, trade in digitally delivered services, such as telecommunication and information technology, boomed.
• Trade in several products nosedived (e.g., fuels, aircraft, cars, mechanical machinery, steel), while trade in some other products increased (e.g., protective equipment and pharmaceutical products, food, and ‘home nesting’ products such as domestic appliances and electronics)
• Shipping costs have increased by around 350% since May 2020 and are expected to remain at record levels through mid-2023. (4) This is the result of increased demand for durable goods in locked-down economies, combined with Covid-related disruption in the ports of those countries, exacerbating the shortage of shipping containers.
• Some industries are emerging from the pandemic stronger than others. Digital technology and low-carbon goods and services are among the sectors that will benefit the most in the longer term as businesses and investors increasingly target long-term resilience in those areas.
• Covid-19 accelerated the uptake of technology in business and society by about four years, as digitalization became a necessity rather than a choice. Notably, digitalizing global value chains (GVCs) for goods and services is one of the most visible trends. (5)
• Global revenue for cyber-security services is projected to rise from US$67B in 2019 to US$111B in 2025. Mass digitalization is, in turn, supporting vibrant disruptor industries such as fintech (financial services), health tech (health and medical goods and services), and edtech (education services), among others. (6)
• “Clean growth” and a drive for sustainable and resilient sourcing have become the prevailing economic paradigm, impacting all sectors of the international and national economies. Shortages across specific product ranges have reinforced the need for companies and governments to build greater resilience against unpredicted external events. Concurrently, the pandemic is also shifting the global investment landscape towards green finance. (7)
• The pandemic also accelerated the return of international and national industrial policies. Governments spent billions to support businesses and workers with media and online ads. These measures seemed to have staved off much potential economic damage.
• Essential retailers, like grocers, experienced an increase in organic traffic, while “inessential” retailers, like clothing stores, experienced a drop.
• Meanwhile, in-home media usage went up. TV viewership has climbed, but digital consumption has increased even more. The use of social platforms and streaming services has risen across the board; gaming has also grown dramatically.

II. Fundamental Shifts in Post-COVID Marketing Strategies

Marketers can be assured that consumers will return even beyond 2019 levels. This seems to be happening now just as quickly as the quarantine did. That’s why it’s critical for businesses to proactively update their marketing strategies to allow for the different contingencies that can emerge in a rapidly changing landscape. Marketing’s prominence has risen as the pandemic wears on, with companies assigning greater importance to marketing across the board. This is because, during the pandemic, marketing has been elevated within the C-suite as a driver of digital transformation, the key leader of the customer journey, and the consumer’s voice — all of which are paramount to other functional areas. And, without understanding the evolving dynamic of the marketplace, the C-suite cannot adjust to the threats and opportunities at hand and successfully navigate the future. (8).

Covid-19 has created a leadership culture of close collaboration focused on the urgent need for resilience. So, marketing is now seizing an ongoing central role in that dialogue, thereby driving the organization’s broader C-suite (and even corporate boards) on the importance of brand values in a post-pandemic marketplace where brand preferences have in many cases been upended.

Key themes from marketing research show that while quality, convenience, and price still matter to consumer choice, factors like sustainability, trust, ethical sourcing, and social responsibility are increasingly crucial to how consumers select their products and services.

The New York Times recently proclaimed something most of us had already assumed: that the “coronavirus has changed the way we internet.” l Our tolerance for screen time has never been higher, and that’s not likely to change.

Companies that market effectively, strategically, and compassionately during this period are emerging as the big winners. This takes confidence and well-planned forward momentum. Staying in touch is a true sign of a great friend – and treating your customers as friends is a great marketing strategy in any marketing environment and is even more critical now.

Companies need to offer relevant and truthful content to establish an image as a compassionate and helpful brand. So the professional advice is to create relevant, helpful, and informative posts timed strategically throughout the day to keep your customers informed daily and often. The tone of your communication should not be depressing. Consequently, reminding customers of this traumatic period isn’t a good idea as the pandemic recedes. Your messaging needs to be optimistic.

Important Trends

•  “More companies are looking into internationalizing their business, and more companies are globally minded due to the pandemic.” Lynsey Sweales (9). The role of technology in global marketing is nothing new, but the rate of adoption and innovation has accelerated over the pandemic
• Deloitte predicts that companies heavily investing in their online business will emerge as market leaders in the future. (10). The future international marketer’s role will be more focused on how to best use digital tools alongside local activation.
• Companies that had previously just dipped their toes into digital faced a sales gap when COVID halted things like trade shows and conferences. It’s now essential for these businesses to integrate quickly and thoroughly, and many of them have.
• Focusing on investments toward marketing tactics that drive online sales includes reducing marketing investments in short-term campaigns while focusing on brand-building campaigns. It also encompasses shifting budgets to promoting at-home and delivery-based options.
• Marketers must fine-tune media allocations in response to demand-driven price fluctuations in various media channels. Changes in media supply and demand will impact costs, so marketers must closely manage certain spending areas, like digital, with refreshed ROIs on new cost levels.
• Another critical development—marketers need to track data in local geographies to understand varying levels of impact.
• Finally, it will be essential to Google relevant keywords that reflect new trends to inform your marketing decisions.

Statistical Findings

New research from WARC Data suggests Amazon, Meta and Alphabet could account for half of a potential $1 trillion advertising market by 2025. (11). Two in every three marketers who already dedicate a proportion of their budgets to Amazon expect to increase their spending further in the coming four years. Increased demand from advertisers will steer cost per click upwards on these platforms.

Marketing didn’t stop during the early days of the pandemic. Notably, in a recent Merkle survey, most respondents (52%) said they had increased marketing spending since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. (12)

The Markle study revealed the most critical tactical priorities during the pandemic. When marketers in the survey were asked to identify their most vital tactical priorities during the pandemic, the top three priorities selected by survey respondents were:

• Trying new marketing technologies or features (50% of respondents)
• Becoming more consumer-centric in marketing messaging (45%)
• Developing new transaction fulfillment capabilities (42%)

Forty-three percent of marketers reported investing in automation technology to improve customer communications in February 2021, up 25% from June 2020. And 42.5% of marketers now report investments in data integration, up an impressive 71% from June 2020.

For others, however, the best shift is changing the message. IAB data shows that 73% of advertisers have modified or developed new assets since the pandemic’s onset. Over half (53%) of these are increasing messaging that emphasizes the company’s mission.

Surviving the pandemic meant holding on to existing customers and building brand value that resonates with customers. While these objectives remain paramount, two others increased dramatically in the February 2021 survey: acquiring new customers (+48.6%) and improving marketing ROI (+105.6%), pointing to a shift away from survival towards competing and making money. (13).

Additionally, acquiring new customers was increasingly successful, with marketers reporting a 6.3% increase in customer acquisition performance over the previous year, up from reported losses of -9.2% in June 2020.

• Marketing Week found in a global study that 62% of B2C and 51% of B2B marketers say that Covid-19 has caused significant or radical changes to the customer journey.
• All of this points to the increased importance of local in-market research to truly understand customer needs. This has, in many cases, changed significantly from the onset of COVID.
• The United Nations found that countries with previously smaller online sales figures were the countries that have seen the greatest increase. This points to an increased opportunity to shift to digital sales to offset declining sales via traditional routes.

Advancing Your Customer Outreach Strategies

When the coronavirus hit, digital transformation accelerated overnight, raising customer expectations simultaneously. Now that companies have their personal data, customers want anticipatory, personalized experiences throughout their journey.

Moreover, customers now expect you’ll have precisely what they are searching for. Creating these optimal customer experiences requires that companies place data and technology at the core of their organization. This, in most cases, means integrating some degree of machine learning and artificial intelligence into the mix. So, marketers must build the correct data and technology foundation to support essential use cases throughout the customer journey. This means aligning individual and collective goals across the customer journey, so any disconnects between functional silos like marketing, sales, and customer service are invisible to your end consumer.

Prospecting for new customers now requires an expanded set of skills focused on selling solutions, not products. Trust will be built by and rewarded to those who listen to customer needs and then carefully craft solutions to meet those needs.
Covid-19 created an irreversible trend for marketing to accept a nimbler mentality. Operationally, it also has meant faster decision cycles and the requirement of greater flexibility across creative, budgeting, and media sectors.
It’s important to understand that small- and medium-sized enterprises depend more on media channels that drive customer engagement. Global brands, on the other hand, run multiple campaigns, including values-based marketing that builds an association with consumers’ identities.

A 2018 research from Mintel revealed that 73 percent of consumers are swayed by companies’ charitable giving when determining where to make purchases-which is likely to remain consistent. Consumers are savvier than ever and can spot disingenuous behavior immediately. With more people using these platforms during COVID, brands need to respect the need for an authentic presence.

To capture new customers, marketers need to research what’s happening on the ground, country by country, state by state, and zip code. For some businesses, such as banks, restaurants, or retailers, it may even mean tailoring communications store by store. Creating a personal, human connection within any commercial message requires defining consumer segments that describe people according to the multiple dimensions that influence their purchasing behavior. These indicators range from their psychographics to attitudinal characteristics.

By adopting emerging technology faster, global marketers will be better equipped to identify and react to local information. For example, an e-commerce store would need to factor in that for some countries, paying online isn’t the norm; they pay with cash on delivery. Brands need to be more empathetic and human, which means being locally focused and locally reactive. “Glocalization will become far more prominent than globalization” (14)

Finally, organizations cannot afford differences in customer support and guidance from one venue to another. For example, what is presented on the company website must not be clouded with contrary directions by other means, including chatbots.

Back to basics—What is the easiest and fastest way to boost organic traffic? Provide relevant content. When people cannot or choose not to browse brick-and-mortar stores to test products, they need to build trust in other ways. Updating your storefront or homepage, quickly answering questions, and proactively creating content that addresses emerging concerns can go a long way toward building trust.

Brands must behave with empathy and sensitivity to the challenges consumers are facing. It’s important to stay current with changing restrictions or updates and ensure messaging is clear and consistent. For brands working across global markets, it’s also crucial to understand the specific situation for consumers in each market, as the impact of COVID on the local economy and society has varied considerably.

Back to Normalcy

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a far-reaching impact on international and domestic marketing, requiring a fundamental shift in strategies and approaches. However, organizations should abandon COVID-19 messaging because people do not want to be reminded of this very dark period in our history. OWDT (web design Houston) has emerged as a leader in navigating this new landscape, with its expertise in digital marketing and web design, including robust online platforms, data-driven insights, and agile marketing strategies. OWDT has always been and will continue to be at the forefront of helping businesses adapt and thrive in the face of unprecedented conditions, helping clients successfully connect with consumers and build a strong online presence, no matter what the future brings.

Sources

1. https://www.oecd.org/

2. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/08/covid19-pandemic-trade-services-goods

3. https://finchannel.com/how-has-covid-affected-global-trade/

4. https://www.easyship.com/blog/international-shipping-rate-increase

5. https://www.oecd.org/industry/global-value-chains/

6. https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/

7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34539036/

8. https://hbr.org/2021/03/10-truths-about-marketing-after-the-pandemic/

9. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/straight-talking-international-digital-marketing-podcast/id1501356980

10. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/blog/human-capital-blog.html

11. https://senalnews.com/en/research/alphabet-meta-and-amazon-to-take-half-of-1-trillion-ad-market-in-2025

12. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630005654/en/Merkle%E2%80%99s-COVID-1

13. https://www.cmswire.com/digital-marketing/how-covid-19-changed-marketing/

14. https://www.getblend.com/blog/glocalization-vs-globalization/

Branding vs. marketing digital art

Evidence of visual art goes back at least 40,000 years with depictions of game animals in caves in France, Spain, and Indonesia. Wonderfully inspiring, even to the modern eye — these drawings resonate with our senses, emotions, and intellect. Art is interpretive, reflecting an inner vision of the creator intended to resonate with the viewer’s senses, feelings, and mind. Visual art is constantly evolving. For example, there was a time when oil easel painting was a new, transformational medium. In the coming years, we’ll see the unleashing of the digital artistic potential of Virtual Reality. This article, however, is all about contemporary digital art.

Good art always inspires. Cave art from 30,000 BCE and before like the above can put ‘modern art’ to shame for its transcendent vision.

Since the birth of advertising in modern times, marketing has used art to solidify brand identity and motivate people to purchase goods and services, as with the captivating 19th -century French ad below.

The genesis of digital art

The digital age (aka, the information age) began between 1950 and 1970. As with all new mediums, artists slowly began to apply digital art techniques to television, personal computers, and other mediums.

Digital art can be defined as “contemporary art that uses mass-production methods via digital media.” This has expanded the definition of art, increasing its availability to the world via the internet, social media, motion pictures, art contests and television. It has had an enormous impact not only on painting and drawing but also on sculpture, music, movies, and video. We can find digital art in advertising websites, logos, brochures, roadside billboards, illustrations (books, comics, and websites), 3D models (movies, animations, and video games), and digital photo artwork (ads, posters, and video games), as well as digital photo artwork.

Most online images have been aesthetically enhanced one way or another. Many digital illustrations were initially created by an artist working in a different medium but are now widely disseminated digitally. Original online imagery, by contrast, is generated by computer graphics software that uses a virtual canvas and a ‘painting box’ of brushes, colors, and other tools. Many of these instruments only exist in the digital realm, giving computer-generated artwork an often multi-layered complexity that is surprisingly easy to master with experience.

Digital Art in 2022

In simple terms, digital art can be defined as anything of a visual nature that artists created with the aid of a computer. In today’s society, everything is digital and computerized. We check our email, read the newspaper online, and talk and text each other on our cell phones. And we now routinely take pictures and make videos with our phones. Bottom line–digital art uses digital technology in the presentation process to advance art with computers in combination with both new and traditional tools. Knowledge of visual design and digital technologies to manipulate multimedia is now essential for artists, marketers, and IT professionals like web designers.

Digital art is also revolutionary in expediting a blurring of the boundaries between mediums. This has dramatically increased the accessibility of art to anyone with internet access anywhere in the world. –It continues to evolve with exciting future potential for virtual reality and other technical applications, including three-dimensional television and AI (Artificial Intelligence) immersive environments. Wireless technology has played a critical role in expanding and experiencing digital art forms. The smartphone, in particular, provides a surprising array of tools for the resourceful digital artist. Digital technology and artistic expression are now inextricably linked.

With digital art now gaining reputability, there are even museums solely dedicated to showcasing its different forms. Some are three-dimensional graphic works for viewing on a screen, often enhanced by multimedia projection. On a deeper level, this breakthrough integration of art, computers, and design has been made possible by a brilliant synergy between art, math, science, and technology.

Though at first glance, digital art may be indistinguishable from non-digital paintings, the process is entirely different, with distinctive challenges and benefits. Choosing the tools best adapted to creating a digital art piece requires expertise and ingenuity. Many artists are intrigued that the final version of digital artwork can be hard to predict when the process includes multiple software applications. Variations from the original conception can range from excellent to abysmal. Fortunately, the digital creation process can be reversed, step-by-step, if the product doesn’t meet expectations. This makes it easier for digital artists to create memorable images that genuinely touch the viewer’s feelings and intrigue their intellect.

Digital artists have innovated funding sources to democratize the creation and availability of art and music via a wide array of streaming platforms. This has opened the door for creating and experiencing unique cultural innovations from any computer on the planet. –The pandemic has accelerated this paradigm shift because museums, art fairs, and other venues have had to migrate to Zoom and similar platforms to reach the public. This allows them to provide virtual guided tours of their galleries while at the same time helping artists sell their digital art offerings.

Bottom line: there is a wide array of new art forms created with digital tech tools (e.g., computer-generated images and video) – while others are enhanced by or made more accessible with computer technology (e.g., new, expanded distribution media for music, e-books, and performing arts). Overall, digital art is efficient, cost-effective, versatile, permanent, 100% replicable, and has a strong impact with minimal on a radically expanded audience.

Digital video vs. traditional film production

Digital video is gaining ground over standard film production because it allows better workflow, is cheaper and is more easily reproduced. Also, video can be reversed to alter images, sound, color and integrate with special effects (e.g., CGI–computer-generated imagery). This even gives viewers the option of choosing different end scenarios for videos and films they’re watching.

Digital art is becoming increasingly interactive, allowing varying degrees of control over final images. Interactive art experiences have gained widespread popularity. Standard Windows software makes it easy to crop images, adjust their color, and fine-tune brightness/contrast. However, more sophisticated image-generating software is required for professional digital artists who use the ever-popular Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and other advanced software options. It’s only a matter of time before interactivity will expand more broadly to other mediums.

Niche marketing with image-enhanced ads

Until recently, advertising imagery was consistent across a company’s demographic targets. However, increasingly sophisticated algorithms have succeeded in deriving subgroup-specific information from big data in recent years. This means that both the written content and imagery we see on social media are now tailored to match consumers’ demographic and psychographic profiles. Niche marketing has resulted in higher conversion rates than old-style mass marketing. This advancement also helps digital artists who need to target audiences with profiles that are more receptive to their brand of art. At the same time, it encourages collaboration with other artists.

Digital art production feeds directly into the internet, so traditional gatekeepers (e.g., publishers, recording companies, video rental stores) no longer monopolize their respective markets. Amateurs with access to the internet now routinely upload content. According to one recent estimate, more than eight hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every sixty seconds. The result has been a democratized yet fragmented flood of available information/creations. This makes it possible for amateurs to compete, often successfully, with recognized artists.

Can digital art be kept private and secure?

Many argue that everything on the internet should be free and accessible, but digital artists who need to earn a living from their creations disagree. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been easy to protect copyrighted work. If ‘secure’ government and corporate systems can be hacked, any digital product accessible on the internet can be stolen. –This includes films, music, and TV programs. Many viewers are, to one degree or another, complicit. People often download internet art without crediting the artist, even claiming the work as their own. In many cases, ‘violators’ don’t even know they have stolen copyrighted creations.

Until recently, to secure some minimal protection from theft, digital artists had left watermarks, signatures, and copyright information on their art. However, this was not enough to reassure potential buyers. Persuading people to pay for online art has required new guarantees of exclusive content, reliable quality, and unquestioned legitimacy. As we shall see, NFTs (Nonfungible Tokens) are now offered as the solution. More on that to follow.

Digital art challenges

Some argue that digital art is not real because it is computer-generated, with potentially infinite copies and no tangible original. (Any digital file is stored electronically and can be reproduced with all of its elements intact). By contrast, when a traditional artist creates a work of art, it is one of a kind–it exists physically. Even before the introduction of NFT (Nonfungible Token) technology—(described below)–, some digital artists would make a single print from their file and present that as a single original, while others created limited, numbered editions of their work.  

There is always the potential for losing digital artwork when the computer contracts a virus, the hard drive fails, or a power surge occurs as creation is just coming into focus. On the other hand, bugs can eat canvas paintings; art can degrade with sunlight or be lost in a fire.

Even the largest, most progressive museums had been slow to collect digital art, in part because of the perceived impermanence of the media. Another problem has been that the links artists used to create prints had not been of archival quality until recently. These issues have driven the development of new technology. For example, giclee print (a high-quality method of reproducing digital art featuring brilliant, permanent colors) has eliminated many old objections to digital art. Also, researchers have produced new inks that will last indefinitely. So, public awareness and interest in digital art are growing as museums, galleries, and contemporary art centers are beginning to display new media artworks.

Will NFTs revolutionize the art world?

Underscoring the extraordinary impact of NFTs, the term itself has been selected as word of the year by Collins Dictionary. But what are they? Essentially, NFTs are the blockchain-based equivalent of collectible trading cards. This innovation has introduced new artists to the art market while creating a growing speculative frenzy among buyers. Anyone can now own a unique or limited edition NFT art with just a few clicks. NFTs constitute a digital art revolution that radically changes how art and collectibles are bought, sold, tracked, and authenticated globally.

An NFT links a digital work with a token, which the artist can access on an encrypted artwork platform. The key can then be passed to the buyer to certify authenticity and proof of ownership. For example, digital artists can sell one (or a limited-edition) offering by issuing a set amount of tokens to ensure the scarcity that investors insist on. Each NFT is unique and cannot be destroyed. This is the first time in history that a single person can own digital assets, available in limited quantities tracked on the blockchain, making their ownership wholly transparent and verifiable. More specifically, blockchains are decentralized digital ledgers that maintain a continued record of transactions. This record can be used to provide unquestioned proof of authenticity and origin for digital artworks.

Artists can create new forms of an NFT, using the central part that already exists on the public blockchain. It can then be extended with new tools that allow artists to create entirely new art categories. This versatility of NFTs enables artists to innovate and increase their sales beyond traditional revenue streams. NFT technology also facilitates the experiencing and distributing valuable art more equitably. For example, graffiti and street artists can create murals that integrate image recognition into their designs.

Blockchain technology has already upended industries like banking and insurance, and it seems the art industry is the latest market to be disrupted and enhanced by this technology. The most dramatic evidence of this was Christie’s sale of digital artist

Mike Winkelman’s NFT– “Everydays: The First 5,000 Days” NFT for $68.3M in March 2021. Unknown in the traditional art world before the auction, the sale of his collage was the third most valuable artwork in history. Yet this work was estimated to be worth only about $100 before linking it with an NFT! The sale also set a milestone because this and other NFT art is paid exclusively in cryptocurrency (usually Ethereum). It’s primarily because of Ethereum’s central role in NFTs’ growth that the value of this cryptocurrency has climbed more than 1,700% since the beginning of 2020. However, its value has been variable in recent months.

In 2021, the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, NFT sale volumes surged 1,000% (1). People are interested in using them in many areas: visual arts, videos, music, collectibles to raise brand awareness, gaming, publishing, carbon trading (2), and fundraising. If you Google NFT offerings, you’ll be amazed to see how many high-profile celebrities are offering NFTs that may seem frivolous but are nonetheless generating income. (August 11, 2021, 07:18 ET | Source: Research and Markets (3)).

The luxury market, video games, music, and sports teams are also jumping on the bandwagon. –The first tweet by Twitter’s Jack Dorsey was sold as an NFT for almost $3 million in March of 2021. Another breakthrough development–St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum plans to photograph its works and tokenize them, selling off images in the public domain for thousands of dollars. This underscores the potential for virtually any asset being sold for a high amount. And we’re still in an early stage of this seemingly unstoppable process of digital art being seen as an asset class.

Museum promotion of NFTs

A study  carried out (4) by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) found that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 30% of museums were forced to reduce their staff, and nearly 6% may never be able to reopen to the public. But the digitization of museums is rapidly taking place, with some museums turning to NFTs to increase their revenue streams.

Three out of the 20 largest museums in the world — the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg (No. 2), the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (No. 4), and the British Museum in London (No. 12) have turned to NFTs for fundraising in 2021. More than a dozen other large museums are also promoting NFTs. There’s even an NFT of an entire museum based in the Metaverse called the Museum of Digital Life.

The first NFT exhibition will launch the creation of the ‘Celestial Hermitage’ within a ‘virtual museum,’ a branch of the Guggenheim. Guggenheim is partnering with others to create this world’s largest museum dedicated to NFTs, within a landmark skyscraper located in New York City, just four blocks from the Museum of Modern Art.

Why have most museums been slow to adapt to the NFT market?

1. NFTs are complicated

Many museum administrators have little understanding of how NFT cryptocurrency blockchain technology can generate income from art. And there are daunting legal complexities and insurance complications with NFTs.

2. Remaining concerns about ownership

Though an NFT would seem to establish absolute ownership of an artwork, the NFT is a separate asset from the art itself—meaning that the owners of the art retain possession even after any NFT based on that art are minted and sold. This is less of a problem when the creators of art mint NFTs; however, the value is less clear when held in a museum collection.

3. The NFT market values artists, not institutions

Another concern is that monetizing a museum’s collection may undermine public access to collections, violating their missions and bylaws. On the other hand, buyers are often motivated to purchase NFTs because they want to support specific artists well represented by different museums.

4. Volatility and uncertainty make NFTs risky

Though the high prices they can bring are exciting, many cases of NFTs quickly become worthless (5). And  as with crypto-currencies (6), there’s lots of volatility.

Creating lasting value for NFT digital artists

NFTs permit much greater accessibility to the art world. If you wanted to view art in the past, you would go to a gallery. Today, ‘screens are the new walls.’ Accessibility also means that art collecting is no longer reserved for the wealthy. Using NFT technology, the general public can now purchase art at a lower cost and in a secure, transparent manner. “Blockchain technology, in particular, is a decentralized ledger that can facilitate transactions and ensure safety between market participants.”

“The art industry is estimated to be a US$65 billion industry, 90% of which is still over-the-counter transactions.” Viewing the art market as a value chain, from creation to valuation to trading to asset optimization, it’s obvious how non-transparent this traditional industry has been. The problem with an opaque market is that it can lead to price manipulation, secret commissions, and even art forgery. –By comparison, since transaction data stored in a blockchain network cannot be modified and are publicly verifiable, it’s easy to track provenance and confirm an artwork’s authenticity. It also allows vendors and buyers to make instant, direct transactions without involving banks, thus eliminating any associated costs and clearance time. This means that selling and buying art are made faster, cheaper, and safer.

In the past few years, NFTs have been the biggest disruptors of the art world. Artists can now mint, exhibit, and auction digital art—with investors buying, selling, trading, and investing in their offerings. CryptoArt, Pak is the second-highest-selling crypto artist of all time, with around a $65 million market capitalization for all his art pieces. ‘NonFungible’  ranks Bored Ape Yacht Club at number one, with the “Bored Ape #9449” NFT last selling for above $1M. (See graphic below). Old school consumers of art see this as ludicrous—the opposite of anything remotely edifying. But those making money on NFTs could not care less.

But who are these investors in art, music, and jpeg files stored on phones, screens, and computers? “They’re young, they’re entrepreneurial, and they generally come from a tech background,”  The value of the NFT market tripled throughout 2020, surpassing $250 million, according to a report carried out by L’Atelier BNP Paribas and Nonfungible.com. The majority (58%) of NFT buyers are from the lucrative millennial demographic. Nearly all bidders were new to Christie’s, having previously bought their NFTs on sites such as SuperRare and MakersPlace (which partnered with the house on the Beeple sale).

NFTs can also generate revenue for artists in gallery spaces. NFTs can be used to sell artists’ work directly, dramatically reducing resistance between viewing art and purchasing one’s own unique copy. Every piece on display in an installation can also be represented digitally as a limited edition NFT. NFTs allow anyone who wants to support their favorite artist’s work to do so by owning a unique piece of their digital art for whatever purpose they may have in mind. Profit margins for the artist have increased significantly by exploiting the psychological power of scarcity.

With NFT technology, we can build upon this concept to create a new way of experiencing and distributing valuable art more equitably. One example–graffiti and street artists can create murals that integrate image recognition into their designs. NFTs make it possible to develop Interactive sculptures and performance art that can be explored from all angles.

Existing and potential downsides of NFTs Remain

Although NFT speculation is currently running high, there are potential future pitfalls for investors considering buying one. Because they have generated such rampant speculation, several critics believe that their long-term longevity is too uncertain for investors. This concern is amplified by those who question the viability of blockchain tech and cryptocurrencies, to begin with. Other significant problems include NFTs becoming tools for money laundering, tax evasion, and investment fraud. –This isn’t surprising because NFTs are not widely regulated, nor perhaps can they be.

And digital artists have their own concerns. For example, they recognize that their artistic freedom may be threatened if they express unpopular or seemingly subversive opinions because that could result in the government labeling them as security risks. Also, large corporations will continue to operate as gatekeepers that restrict what kinds of digital art they permit on their platforms.

Bottom line–some critics compare the rapid emergency of NFTs to the Dutch tulip craze of the 17th century. Others underscore that minting new NFTs consumes massive amounts of energy, undermining the art world’s collective mission to go green.

On the positive side, current speculation is primarily generated by the same individuals and institutions that shape the value of traditional art outlets, media outlets, the rich, and established ‘tastemakers’ within our society. This stability is reassuring to investors.

Conclusion (digital art for beginners and professionals)

Digital art is now recognized as legitimate art. It will inevitably advance and improve in the years to come, creating greater demand for more AI-generated three-dimensional television, projection, and immersive environments. The merging of interactivity and artificial intelligence technologies will expand options for creating and experiencing wireless media, given the already pervasive use of mobile phone video and photo revision technology. So, digital artists will be in increasing demand to develop the most advanced, competitive websites, video presentations, and games.

References:
NFTs Pros & Cons: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Art Unchained: A Digital Revolution in the Art World
The NFT Yearly Report 2020 is live!
How Museums and NFTs Might Find Common Ground
Museums and Covid-19
Your NFT Sold for $69 Million—Now What? Beeple Turns to a New Project and Old Masters.
NFTs, explained
History of art
What is Digital Art? Definition and Scope of the New Media
The Philosophy of Digital Art

Art for art’s sake

Although OWDT is a web design Houston Company and not a movie making company (the title quotes MGM’s slogan), art is at the heart of everything we do. Whether it’s traditional, digital, or AI-generated, art helps the world go round. Contact us to see how our team of world-class artists can add flair to your business marketing collateral, website, and overall marketing.

Sources

1. https://cointelegraph.com/news/nft-sales-boom-but-ownership-is-highly-concentrated

2. https://cointelegraph.com/news/un-s-cop26-climate-change-goals-include-emerging-tech-and-carbon-taxes

3. https://www.globenewswire.com/en/search/organization/Research%2520and%2520Markets

4. https://icom.museum/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Museums-and-Covid-19_third-ICOM-report.pdf

5. https://cointelegraph.com/news/silent-crash-as-price-floors-collapse-across-nft-space

6. https://apnews.com/article/cryptocurrency-technology-business-bitcoin-862d03b59ab714e3230ce85ef8a7ed43

• Navigating the startup experience: lessons learned from entrepreneurs and employees
• The benefits of startup experience for professional growth
• Startups provide opportunities

ٖ“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

Starting a business can be a challenging and rewarding experience. While it may seem daunting, the skills and experiences gained from starting a startup can accelerate your professional growth in ways that traditional employment cannot.

Have you ever considered working for a startup business? I’d like to make a case for doing so, especially if you’re a young professional. Sure, there’s a potential downside to any career path, but the upside in this scenario can be very appealing.

Navigating the startup experience: lessons learned from entrepreneurs and employees

Entrepreneurial mindset: Starting a business requires a unique mindset that involves taking risks, being adaptable, and having a growth mindset. These qualities can be applied to any job or industry, making you a more resilient and innovative employee.

To protect yourself, conduct careful research so you can ask questions during the interview to assess an organization’s viability and whether a job opportunity suits you.
Just as an idea, you might want to ask if you will be working directly under the owners or under managers. The owner might be a great entrepreneur, but that does not always translate to being a great business manager.

You might also want to know about the benefits package, vacation, sick pay, etc. Does it matter to you that you might need to wear several different hats, or work odd hours?

At many small business endeavors every employee tends to have multiple diverse responsibilities. Will you get paid in a regular, timely manner? Do you have to come into the office, or can you work from home? Is there a dedicated human resources person or department? Does the company already have a successful product or service in the market, or does the company’s success depend on an offering that is still in development? Are there opportunities for advancement? Are there proven success stories among the current employees?

There are many other questions you can ask, depending on your situation and preferences, but make sure you are ready to analyze the ups and downs.

My experience working at startup companies, my discussions with friends who have worked at other startups, and my researching the issue have lead me to some definite conclusions.

The benefits of startup experience for professional growth

1. Entrepreneurial mindset: Starting a business requires a unique mindset that involves taking risks, being adaptable, and having a growth mindset. These qualities can be applied to any job or industry, making you a more resilient and innovative employee.

2. Multitasking: As a startup founder, you are often responsible for multiple tasks and roles. This experience can teach you how to prioritize and manage your time effectively, a valuable skill in any job.

3. Problem-solving: In a startup, you are faced with countless challenges and obstacles, including the challenges of marketing, which often require innovative strategies. This experience can teach you how to think creatively and analytically to solve complex problems, a skill that is highly valued in any industry.

4. Networking: Building a startup requires building relationships and connections with investors, customers, and partners. These networking skills can be applied to any job and can help you develop a strong professional network.

5. Leadership: As a startup founder, you are responsible for leading and motivating your team. This experience can teach you how to be a strong and effective leader, a skill that is highly valued in any management role.

Overall, a startup experience can provide you with unique skills and experiences that can accelerate your professional growth and make you a valuable asset to any organization. Whether you are starting your own business or joining a startup team, the skills and experiences gained from this experience can benefit your career for years to come.

Startups provide opportunities

Having spent many years working for established corporate franchises as well as three startup companies, I genuinely prefer the latter. Why? Startups have a flatter, more open organizational structure that fosters creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and excitement.

Most start-ups require that employees be flexible, fast learners who can quickly adapt to the challenges of changing responsibilities. By comparison, larger, established organizations with a more traditional methodology tend to lay out detailed job descriptions, with complex reporting relationships and defined lines of authority. Entire days can be spent in meetings and reading and writing reports, some of which may or may never be read by someone else.

Some folks work better in such environments. They’re just a different way of doing things. And some people like to have such defined paths laid out in front of them. In fact, some people may even excel through such parameters and regimented obligations.

However, if you’re like me and enjoy constantly taking on new and diverse challenges, a start-up can provide you with an excellent opportunity to gain a rich breadth of experience that can help accelerate your career. Additionally, if you are in a highly technical field or like to freelance, sometimes a startup can be an opportunity to try working for a company without full commitment.

I’ve discovered that by and large, working in a startup is a voyage of self-discovery. By wearing many hats, taking on many responsibilities and working with people from different areas of work, you quickly gain invaluable insight into where your real talents lie. Nothing makes me happier than mastering new responsibilities and meeting unforeseen challenges. In other words, getting out of your defined comfort zone.

Getting out of your comfort zone is amazing!

At our startup, if you say “I’m not good at A,” or “I’ve always been afraid to do B,” you can be sure you’ll be encouraged to try out A or B. I once mentioned that I sometimes get anxiety talking in front of people. One month after that I was presenting to 150 students on the topic of “How to craft your resume.” I’ve been representing Enhancv on career fairs, career events, etc. ever since.

–Tatiana Rehmova, Growth Enhancer – Enhancv (1)

Collaborating with people passionate about work

It could be said that start-ups aren’t for slackers. Start-up employees often require greater motivation and self-discipline than is the case for some of their counterparts in traditional corporate environments. Successful startup employees are typically highly dedicated and focused, getting up early, having the energy to tackle diverse challenges on a daily basis, and sometimes working 12-14 hours a day, seven days a week when clients need them.

When you work so many hours in a highly focused environment and share a strong team identity with others with similar dedication and bravado, you also experience a profound sense of shared accomplishment when you overcome obstacles to achieve successful outcomes and, according to Julia McCoy, accelerate personal skills.

While working long hours in an intense, fast-paced environment can and does certainly have its benefits to your professional growth and skill set (among many other benefits), employees need to be encouraged to do their best to manage their time effectively so that they have enough energy and daylight left over for a productive personal and recreational life.

That kind of work/life balance is critical to avoiding burnout. And avoiding burnout is one important factor to long-term success. In work, in life or in anything else.

Understanding subliminal perception can give you an edge in startup environments, as it influences how we respond to branding and marketing—be sure to read our article to explore this concept further.

Accelerate your skillset…

Working for a startup is a fantastic way to accelerate your personal skill sets and contribute to a new company’s growth. True, It’s hard work: startups normally lack the intensive, keenly-mapped-out team member roles that a bigger corporation might have, but the beauty is that everyone works hard towards the same goal to get it done.

Also, you’re often more free at a startup to go after what works creatively, in your way, to achieve the best results: and if you apply yourself, growth in both your personal skill sets and career knowledge is bound to happen that way.

–Julia McCoy, Creator – The Practical Content Strategy Certification Center (2)

Strong interpersonal skills and work ethic are indispensable.

A start-up environment is usually fast-paced and constantly changing. Among other things, it demands both adaptability and positivity. Standard, dull routines and checklists aren’t typically on the agenda.

Recent research shows that hiring managers tend to hire candidates who are quick learners with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, commonly referred to as “soft skills.” No matter how technically skilled a candidate may be, if they lack these attributes, they’ll often be passed over. The person getting the job is usually someone with exceptional energy and a sophisticated sense of how to bring out the best in others. This brings me to the closing quote regarding the level of responsibility required when working at a startup.

As you navigate the fast-paced world of startups, knowing the future of marketing can help you anticipate trends and accelerate your career—check out our article to see how these shifts are shaping business opportunities.

The Level of Responsibility

The main advantage of working for a startup is the level of standard of accountability and various projects to work on. People can work on a lot of different things in a startup and immediately, “climb the ladder” and assume a much higher level of responsibility than working for a large company out of the gate.

–Dave Nevogt, Co-Founder – Hubstaff (4)

Describe your startup experience

Everyone has a slightly different account of their experiences working for startups. My experiences have been nothing short of amazing, especially with regard to my early days at this company. OWDT is a web design company that has a wealth of experience creating amazing, award-winning websites and online marketing campaigns. But it was not always that way. A small group of highly-talented designers and engineers went through growing pains, but learned a lot, refined its processes, and became a global leader in website development, online marketing, design, and SEO services. It has been truly a great startup success story.

Sources

[1] enhancv.com

[2] contentstrategycourse.com

[3] blog.hubstaff.com

• The origins of visual art
• The development of digital art technologies
• What is digital art?
• A different kind of creativity
• Digital video vs. film production
• The role of social media in disseminating image-enhanced ads
• Can digital art be kept private and secure?
• What all this means for the digital artist
• Love of art

From the very first cave paintings to the stunning digital masterpieces we see on screens today, visual art has always adapted to fit the times. The rise of digital art has sparked a whole new world of creativity, introducing digital art as a groundbreaking medium. But what exactly does that mean?

In simple terms, digital art is art created or enhanced using digital tools and platforms. It’s a space where artists can freely experiment, breaking boundaries that traditional mediums might impose. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the roots of visual art and explore how technology has reshaped and expanded the way we create and experience it today.

The origins of visual art

Humans have been creating visual art since the dawn of our species, beginning with powerful depictions of game animals found in caves ranging from France to Indonesia. Art is interpretive, reflecting an inner vision of the creator intended to resonate with the viewer’s senses, emotions, and intellect. This is partly why there are so many art styles. Good art always inspires. When used in marketing, striking imagery can enhance brand identity and motivate people to make purchases.

Visual art is always evolving. For example, there was a time when oil easel painting was a new, transformational medium. In the coming years, we’ll be unleashing the artistic potential of Virtual Reality.

The development of digital art technologies

Digital art slowly emerged in the late 1980s with the introduction of personal computers. Thirty years later we have a screen-dominated world with the average person spending ten hours a day on digital devices.

At the same time, there’s been a radical decline in the cost of digital art software with the exponential growth of chip power and bandwidth. This has made creating digital art affordable for artists and other creative individuals wanting to explore this medium’s potential.

Calcomp plotter computer output with liquid inks 
by Judson Rosebush, 1978.

What is digital art?

Digital art gradually took off in the late 1980s, right around the time personal computers started to become a household staple. In essence, digital art refers to any kind of artistic work that involves digital technology at some stage of the creative process. This could be anything from digital sketches and paintings to 3D models and edited photos.

The phrase “digital art” itself dates back to the early 1980s when a group of computer engineers created AARON, a robot that could draw, sparking a new era in the art world. –We find digital art in advertising (websites, logos, brochures; roadside billboards); illustrations (books, comics, and websites); 3D models (movies, animations and video games); and, digital photo artwork (advertisements and posters).

Digital technology and artistic expression are now inextricably intertwined. This exciting integration of art, computers, and design has been made possible by a brilliant synergy between art, math, science, and technology. The main challenge for digital artists and digital designers, especially vs traditional art, is to utilize digital tools to create memorable images that genuinely touch the viewer’s feelings and intrigue their intellect.

Most online images have been aesthetically enhanced one way or another. Many online images were originally created by an artist working in a different medium but are now widely disseminated online. Original online imagery, by contrast, is generated by computer graphics software that uses a virtual canvas and a ‘painting box’ of brushes, colors, and other tools. Many of these instruments only exist in the digital realm, giving computer-generated artwork a potential multi-layered complexity that is relatively easy to achieve with experience.

Digital art spans a wide variety of styles. There’s digital painting, covering everything from concept art for video games to comic book illustrations and stunning book covers. There’s also 3D modeling, where artists use software like Maya, Blender, or ZBrush to create detailed characters and immersive environments. Digital art can be made directly on a computer or tablet, which gives artists more flexibility than ever before.

Bottom line: there are art forms created with digital tech tools (e.g., computer-generated images and video) – while others are enhanced by or made more accessible with computer technology (e.g., new, expanded distribution media for music, e-books, and performing arts).

Advantages of digital art

• Efficiency and cost-effectiveness – An artist or illustrator skilled at using digital tools can quickly create digital art with modest to no investment in time or money.

• Versatility – It can be computer-generated, scanned and altered, or drawn using a tablet and a mouse. Video edits are instantaneous and reversible.

• Permanence – It can remain indefinitely in a computer file format, so cannot be degraded by the environment.
• Perfect replication – It precisely replicates the original work. Copies and the original are identical.
• Strong impact for minimal cost -For a minimal investment, well-crafted digital images can create a strong impression on the viewer and improve website engagement. They can, for example, serve as a call to action (CTA) in advertising.
• Enhances communication – Digital art is indispensable to attracting online viewers. It enhances communication and viewer comprehension.
• Expands time for the creative input – Digital tools can be quickly and easily applied, giving the artist more time to explore creative options.

While the following professions often overlap, each has a distinctive baseline function.

• Digital designers use creativity and computer skills to design visuals for electronic technology platforms. This includes website design, computer-game graphics and special effects for movies They typically work in the entertainment, education, and advertising/marketing industries.

• A digital artist is adept at using digital tools in producing original art. Their marketing and distribution are entirely separate functions, often delegated to external vendors.

• A graphic designer conceives and integrates the different elements of digital communication, including typography, graphics, imagery, and sound.

• A professional digital photographer uses highly specialized equipment, e.g., single-lens reflex cameras, to capture images for websites and other media. Images are carefully edited before being transmitted to customers. –While most of us take many digital photos to post on social media platforms like Instagram, few amateur pictures have the correct lighting or ideal resolution/compression, etc., to meet commercial standards.

A different kind of creativity

Art is considered digital when created by software on a computer platform. The result may be indistinguishable from non-digital paintings, but the process is entirely different, with distinctive challenges and rewards. Choosing the tools best adapted to creating a piece of digital art requires expertise and ingenuity.

Many artists are intrigued by the fact that the final version of digital artwork can be hard to predict when the process includes multiple software applications. Variations from the original conception can range from awesome to terrible. Fortunately, the digital creation process can be reversed, step-by-step, if the product doesn’t meet expectations.

Digital video vs. film production

Digital video is gaining ground over standard film production because it allows better workflow, is cheaper, and is more easily reproduced. Additionally, video can be reversed to alter images, sound, color, and integrate with special effects (e.g., CGI–computer-generated imagery). This flexibility even enables creators to experiment with subliminal perception, subtly influencing viewers’ emotions and reactions without them being fully aware.

Adding to this complexity, interactive art is becoming increasingly interactive, allowing the user various degrees of control over final images. For example, standard Windows software (as well as free drawing apps) makes it easy to crop images, adjust their color, and fine-tune their brightness/contrast. Much more sophisticated image-generating software includes paid options like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. Free options include Autodesk Sketchbook, MyPaint, Krita, and Misschief.

People enjoy interactive arts experiences. It’s only a matter of time before interactivity will expand to other mediums, including film. For example, many expect that in the future we’ll be able to choose among three or four optional movie endings.

The role of social media
in disseminating image-enhanced ads

Not long ago, advertising imagery was consistent across a company’s demographic targets. In recent years, increasingly sophisticated algorithms have succeeded in deriving subgroup specific information from big data. This means that both the written content and imagery we see on social media are tailored—to a significant degree–to match our demographic and psychographic profiles. This is a welcome development because niche marketing results in higher conversion rates than mass marketing.

This advantage also applies to digital artists who need to target audiences that are more receptive to their brand of art.

Social media have an impact on the arts as follows –

• Social media capture audiences for video performances, match art to people’s preferences and facilitate collaboration in creating new art.
• Digital art production feeds directly into the internet, so traditional gatekeepers (e.g., publishers, recording companies, video rental stores) no longer monopolize their respective markets. Anyone with access to the internet can upload content. Every sixty seconds more than eight hours of video are uploaded to YouTube. No one could ever consume the more than a small fraction of online content now available. The result is a democratized, fragmented flood of available information/creations—with recognized artists competing with amateurs, who, if gifted enough, can themselves rise to celebrity status.

Can digital art be kept private and secure?

Many argue that everything on the internet should be free and accessible. Digital artists who need to earn a living from their creations don’t agree. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to protect copyrighted work. Even systems designed to be secure by design can be vulnerable to hacking, meaning that any digital product accessible on the internet—whether it’s films, music, or TV programs—can be at risk of theft. Many viewers, knowingly or not, are complicit in downloading or sharing stolen content.

Individuals often download internet art without crediting the artist, even claiming the work as their own. Often, ‘violators’ don’t even know they have taken copyrighted creations.

Lack of security is impairing the digital art market. For minimal protection from theft, a digital artist needs to leave watermarks, signatures, and copyright information on their art.

Digital art challenges

Persuading people to pay for online art will necessitate guarantees of rare or exclusive content, uniform quality, and unquestioned legitimacy. Some sources report that certificates of authenticity have encouraged some international collectors to make purchases.

What all this means for the digital artist

Besides securing their intellectual property, digital artists are concerned that—

• Their freedom of expression may be threatened if they express unpopular opinions and come to be viewed by the government as security risks.

• Others are concerned that large corporations are becoming new gatekeepers. For example, Apple limits the types of material that it allows on iTunes.

They hope digital art gains acceptance and eventually becomes accessible using platforms modeled after music venues like Spotify and iTunes. Finally, digital arts will inevitably advance and improve in the years to come, creating stronger demand.

Love of art

The hearts of those working for OWDT, a web design company, are dripping with art. We live art. We breath it. We put it in our cereal. Nothing leaves our doors without being reviewed by our art directors. From web design to SEO services, let our team work its artistic magic on your company’s products and services.

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, brands are continuously seeking innovative ways to captivate their audiences. Enter the era of immersive technology, where virtual reality in marketing is not just a trend but a transformative strategy that allows consumers to experience products in entirely new dimensions. Similarly, Augmented Reality in marketing is revolutionizing the way brands interact with their customers by seamlessly blending digital elements with the real world. Together, these cutting-edge approaches are reshaping traditional marketing tactics and opening doors to more engaging, personalized, and interactive campaigns.

In this article, we delve into how these immersive tools are redefining consumer engagement and paving the way for a new era of marketing excellence.

When to incorporate these technologies into your marketing.

Marketing products with AR and VR

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have already made their mark in the realm of product marketing, offering innovative ways to engage consumers and elevate brand experiences. While many marketing departments currently exercise caution—waiting for further technological advancements and more cost-effective solutions, particularly in VR—the trend is unmistakable. As these immersive technologies continue to evolve, they are poised to redefine industry standards and consumer expectations, fundamentally shaping the future of marketing.

Forward-thinking brands are increasingly integrating AR and VR into their marketing strategies, recognizing that early adoption can yield a significant competitive advantage. By closely monitoring advancements and investing in scalable solutions, companies can prepare for a future where these technologies transition from experimental novelties to essential components of mainstream marketing campaigns. This article examines the latest developments in AR and VR, underscoring the strategic imperative for businesses to remain agile and proactive in capitalizing on these transformative opportunities.

AR and VR defined

Augmented Reality (AR) enhances the real-world environment by overlaying interactive digital elements—such as images, videos, and data—onto the user’s view. Utilizing devices ranging from smartphones to smart glasses, AR provides real-time contextual information without completely replacing the physical surroundings.

Iconic examples include mobile applications like Pokémon Go, which seamlessly integrates virtual characters into everyday settings, and the evolving iterations of smart eyewear like Google Glass. Although AR delivers 2D and 3D content that is only partially immersive, it remains a powerful tool for enriching user experience by providing layered, context-sensitive insights. When combined with advancements in artificial intelligence and marketing, AR becomes even more dynamic, enabling personalized and adaptive experiences that resonate deeply with consumers.

In contrast, Virtual Reality (VR) offers a fully immersive experience by generating a completely simulated 3D environment that isolates the user from the physical world. Through dedicated headsets that track movements and provide stereoscopic visuals, VR allows users to explore and interact with digitally constructed spaces as if they were real.

The spectrum of VR devices is broad—ranging from simple cardboard 360 viewers to advanced systems priced at $600 or more, which offer highly realistic and engaging virtual experiences. As these technologies continue to evolve, their integration across various industries, particularly in marketing, is set to further transform the way digital content is delivered and experienced.

When should you incorporate AR and VR technologies into your marketing?

• Your budget AR and VR are still costly, as stated before, though costs are coming down so that both technologies are slowly becoming more available to creators and users.

• How important it is for your brand to embrace the latest tech in your marketing mix? If you are a C-level executive for a large company especially one in the tech industry, for example, you may lose your competitive edge if you fail to be an early adopter. In time, both AR and VR will be integral to our experience of the world.

VR marketing is already being used by travel, tourism, and related industries. It’s especially appealing to Millennials and the up-and-coming Generation Z. If you’re a leading-edge entrepreneurial brand, consumer brand, in real estate, or automobile marketing, current VR/AR technology may be the best way to immerse your audience, especially younger demographic groups in a visceral experience of your product.

While VR and AR may be integral to daily experience in the future, for now, it’s best to take a wait-and-see strategy. Carefully monitor the latest developments in these technologies and keep a steady eye on your competition to see if they choose to become early adopters and, if so, whether that investment has resulted in higher ROI.

Assess how your audience would likely react to VR-based marketing campaigns. By this, I’m not suggesting you create a formal survey of customers. Keep in mind that most audiences respond favorably to AR/VR marketing enhancements that are engaging and functional.

However, if your audience is comprised of techies, engineers (e.g., the oil extraction industry), and others who appreciate the newest technology, introducing AR and VR marketing techniques for those audiences is best sooner rather than later. If on the other hand, your products are low-tech and don’t lend themselves to customer interactive apps, e.g., the lumber industry, you may never need AR/VR marketing for that customer base.

What is the reason for being cautious?

According to Forrester Research, 42% of online respondents have never heard about VR headsets. Last year only 10M Oculus Rift, HTC Hive, and other headsets were delivered, but that’s a drop in the bucket considering the 1.5B smartphones already in circulation.

Only 8% of us have tried immersive VR. VR and AR technologies are still in their infancy. We don’t yet know how exactly people will use VR in the future or what the best overall experience will be. The picture is somewhat clearer for AR.

Is VR marketing a good fit for your company now?

Most users, even those with lots of expendable income, are likely to wait through several more product iterations before purchasing a VR headset. This translates into significantly lower motivation for marketers to use VR tech in their marketing campaigns. So, for most companies, ‘wait and see’ is the best approach. The opposite is true of low-end cardboard 360-degree VR products. This is a ‘here and now,’ inexpensive option.

Why ignoring VR technology could cost your business

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are no longer just buzzwords—they’re reshaping how consumers interact with brands. A recent survey revealed that 71% of consumers view brands more favorably when they offer VR experiences, while over 50% are more likely to purchase from companies that leverage VR in their marketing strategies. These numbers underscore a clear trend: immersive technologies are becoming a critical differentiator in today’s competitive marketplace.

While some analysts predict VR is on the verge of going mainstream, others caution that adoption rates may not match the hype. For instance, Digi-Capital once projected the VR market to reach $30 billion by 2020, but the reality has been more nuanced. Despite slower-than-expected growth, consumer interest in VR continues to rise, driven by advancements in hardware, software, and content.

The key takeaway? Businesses that invest in VR now are positioning themselves as innovators, ready to capitalize on the next wave of consumer engagement. When combined with SEO and digital marketing campaigns, VR can amplify brand visibility, drive traffic, and create memorable experiences that resonate with target audiences.

The spectrum of VR experiences: from high-tech to accessible

Not all VR experiences are created equal. The technology spans a wide range, from high-end, fully immersive setups to more accessible, entry-level options. Understanding these differences is crucial for marketers looking to integrate VR into their strategies effectively.

• High-End VR (Headset VR)

High-end VR systems, such as the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, offer the most immersive experiences. These setups typically require a VR-enabled PC, advanced sensors, and a high-quality headset. While they deliver unparalleled realism, the cost and complexity of these systems have limited their widespread adoption—for now. However, as prices drop and technology improves, high-end VR is becoming more accessible to both businesses and consumers.

• Low-Fi VR (Entry-Level VR)

On the other end of the spectrum are low-cost, entry-level VR solutions like Google Cardboard and similar smartphone-based headsets. These devices use 360-degree video to create a basic VR-like experience, allowing users to explore environments from multiple perspectives. While purists argue that 360-degree videos don’t qualify as true VR, they serve as an excellent introduction to immersive technology for many consumers. For brands, low-fi VR offers an affordable way to experiment with VR marketing and reach a broader audience.

The potential of marketing in VR.

VR (and AR) marketing is transforming how brands connect with audiences by delivering immersive, memorable experiences. These technologies allow users to explore rich, interactive environments—whether it’s attending a virtual music festival, stepping inside a movie, or experiencing a product firsthand. By solving problems and telling compelling stories, VR and AR create stronger emotional connections, making marketing messages more likely to resonate—and even go viral.

High-end brands are leveraging VR to offer exclusive in-store or event-based experiences using premium gear, targeting affluent audiences. However, most companies are opting for broader accessibility by delivering VR experiences through smartphones and computers. Tools like Google Cardboard and 360-degree videos make it easy for brands to reach a wider audience without breaking the bank. For startups, integrating VR into their startup experience can be a game-changer, offering a cost-effective way to stand out and engage early adopters.

Google Cardboard: Google Cardboard remains one of the most popular and cost-effective VR solutions. Priced as low as 1to 1 to 10 per 1,000 units, it’s an ideal choice for brands looking to create branded VR experiences. Companies can even customize these viewers with their logos, turning them into powerful marketing tools. For those interested, a quick search for “branded Google Cardboards” will connect you with manufacturers ready to bring your vision to life. Startups, in particular, can leverage this affordable technology to enhance their startup experience and create buzz around their brand.

360 Videos: 360-degree videos capture real-life scenes from every angle, allowing viewers to control their perspective. On smartphones, the video moves as you tilt your device; on VR headsets, it responds to head movements; and on laptops, it follows your cursor. This technology is perfect for branding, virtual tours, test drives, and interviews, offering a dynamic way to engage audiences.

You can easily make your own 360-degree video with one of the special 360-degree cameras, available for purchase beginning at $250. If you don’t want to shoot or edit it yourself, you can hire a company to do it for you. These videos, when in synch with the ‘zeitgeist’ can go viral, some getting 15 million + views.

Innovative VR applications in marketing

Brands are getting creative with VR applications. McDonald’s turned Happy Meal boxes into Happy Goggles, while Disney launched VR games tied to their movies and characters. IKEA’s VR app lets users “walk through” virtual kitchens, opening doors and exploring layouts. Automotive companies are also using VR to offer virtual test drives, enhancing the customer experience and driving sales. For startups, these innovative applications can elevate their startup experience, offering unique ways to showcase their products or services and leave a lasting impression.

Early success stories:

• Tommy Hilfiger’s virtual fashion runway, Marriott Hotel’s VR app that ‘teleports’ guests to different locations, and Hugo Boss’s success in drawing people to real-world events in an online environment are among early successes in low-cost VR marketing.
• VR marketing has also been used successfully to demonstrate product attributes and functionality (e.g., Samsung Gear VR); communicate a brand’s mission while in a store (e.g., Tom’s in Venice, CA); immerse users in a branded entertainment environment (e.g., Game of Thrones); help consumers make better-informed decisions (e.g., Lowe’s); add exciting new dimensions to print (e.g., The New York Times); and target high-end buyers with images of aspirational lifestyles (e.g., Mercedes).

Augmented reality (AR) marketing

AR marketing combines cutting-edge design with a deep understanding of user behavior, creating experiences that captivate and convert. Brands leveraging AR are seeing higher engagement, stronger brand loyalty, and measurable sales growth—proof that this technology is more than just a trend.

Increased customer engagement and brand recognition

Imagine holding a customer’s attention for 75 seconds instead of losing them in 2.5. That’s the power of AR. Recent data shows AR campaigns achieve this engagement leap, directly boosting online conversions and bridging gaps in mobile marketing effectiveness.

Retail giants like Walmart and Target leverage AR for in-store navigation apps, enhancing shopper experiences while driving foot traffic. (Target’s recent success, fueled by premium partnerships like Casper mattresses, underscores how innovation pairs with quality to win markets.)

AR is boosting e-commerce

AR is reshaping online shopping by turning passive browsing into active exploration. IKEA’s IKEA Place app remains a standout example, allowing users to visualize furniture in their homes at scale. More recently, Sephora’s Virtual Artist app lets customers try on makeup virtually, while Warby Parker uses AR to help users “try on” glasses frames. Even Amazon has joined the fray with its Room Decorator tool, enabling shoppers to see how furniture fits in their spaces.

Social media platforms are also driving AR adoption. Snapchat and Instagram have become hubs for AR-powered campaigns, with brands like Gucci and Nike creating shareable filters and virtual try-ons. These campaigns not only boost engagement but also drive 20–40% higher conversion rates, proving AR’s value in e-commerce.

AR apps for retail stores

Brick-and-mortar stores are fighting back against e-commerce with AR-enhanced experiences. L’Oréal’s AR mirrors in stores let customers test makeup looks instantly, while Zara uses AR displays to bring mannequins to life, showing outfits in motion. These innovations reduce decision fatigue and increase purchase intent by 30% or more.

For high-end retailers, AR headsets like Microsoft HoloLens offer immersive experiences, from virtual assistants to exclusive deals. While these devices are still pricey (~$3,000/unit), companies like Ray-Ban Stories and Facebook (Meta) are working on more affordable AR glasses, making the technology accessible to a wider audience.

Partner with OWDT for AR/VR marketing success

The potential of AR/VR in marketing is vast, but realizing that potential requires specialized knowledge. OWDT (marketing and web design company) acts as your strategic partner, guiding you through the complexities of AR/VR development and implementation.

OWDT’s expertise extends beyond AR/VR development. We offer a full suite of digital marketing solutions, including SEO services, to ensure your AR/VR experiences reach their full potential.

What on earth is an algorithm?

Algorithms explained

Algorithm etymology – “Algorithm” is a term that repeatedly pops up when you read or hear about computer science. However, algorithms had their origin long before the computer age. The word is derived from the work of Persian mathematician, Al-Khwārizmī (c. 780–850). His basic idea was simple: an algorithm establishes a series of steps (a formula) to perform a particular computational outcome. It’s essentially a recipe in that defines a sequence of carefully described actions.

Introduction to computer algorithms

Although algorithms can be defined in written language–as with my example above, it’s in the world of computing where they take on a life of their own. It’s much more efficient to “translate” them into programming languages, computer programs, and flowcharts. Algorithms are indispensable in Information Technology (IT). When a computer program is written, for example, the resulting detailed script then directs digital systems to automatically execute a step-by-step routine to achieve an end goal.

A programmer begins by asking the following questions when selecting or creating an algorithm.—

• Is there an existing algorithm to solve the task I have in mind?

• If one exists, will it work for all the possible inputs within this tech/business environment?

• Is it quick and efficient?

• Does it use memory within acceptable parameters?

Even if all of these criteria are met, the question remains whether the algorithm you’re considering is the best possible one.

Two standard algorithm examples

• Search engine algorithms combine keywords within the search field to search its vast database for relevant web pages. Results are returned almost instantaneously. I’m old enough to still find this amazing.

• Encryption algorithms take specified actions to translate information into indecipherable code to protect it from hackers. It takes significant time and effort to ensure that an encryption algorithm is sophisticated enough to ensure security. As described in previous Insights articles, it works as follows—for example., the U.S. Department of Defense uses the same key to encrypt and then decrypt specified data from one IP location to another.

Computer algorithms control our lives

Algorithms shape your world more than you may imagine. Artificial intelligence-based learning algorithms sift through enormous volumes of data to help us instantaneously find information. We have come to depend on this dynamic in making both routine and life-changing decisions. These intricate formulas are also invaluable in scientific research and technology development.

On the other hand, sophisticated, ‘learning algorithms’ allow third parties to share our data files with big corporations and government agencies. Those agencies then continually make concealed decisions for and about us. When algorithms get things wrong—or reveal too much (for example, tracking our current location), this can even have potentially life-threatening consequences.

Fortunately, we can rely on algorithms that help us–

Improve our health (from Fitbit devices to apps that can identify skin cancer).

• Develop a professional network to advance our career.

• Quickly research and locate a product we want at the best price. Shopping online is now so convenient that retail malls are going out of business.

• By recommending products, websites, and Netflix movies we might like.

• By suggesting new Facebook friends and LinkedIn contacts.

• Quickly get us a mortgage or car loan–assuming we are qualified, and our online data is accurate.

• Distribute resources where they are most needed, for example, shifting goods among a company’s business centers.

Other algorithms can have damaging consequences when misapplied —

• Many experts are concerned over their general lack of transparency and accountability.

• Experts agree we need to have standards of ethics to govern the misuse of algorithms.

• Many question the ‘right’ of programmers to devise questions for algorithms that many consider invasive (e.g., personality traits, political alignment, sexual orientation, etc.).

• Secret algorithms are being used against minority groups with discriminatory consequences.

• Who gets hired may be based, for example, on who aligns politically with a company’s management.

• In determining where police resources are deployed, are lower class areas underserved? Does an algorithm create a ‘feedback loops’ which misidentify lower socioeconomic individuals at higher risk for crime than is accurate?

• In deciding jail sentences, some courts rely on computer formulas to determine the length of sentence and parole, often discriminating against minorities–especially in cases of non-violent illegal drug distribution.

• State political boundaries are invariably gerrymandered to give the party in power an unfair advantage in elections.

Many algorithms have potential both for good or bad by determining–

• Who gets insurance at what cost. Brokers often cull insufficient data from online and other sources to decide yes or no on credit or insurance.

• Who should be on the ‘no fly list.’ This is a necessary security measure in most cases. However, many people have been misidentified as ‘threats’ because of duplicate names, etc.

How do digital algorithms have negative effects?

A White House report on this issue last year concluded that “algorithms rely on the imperfect inputs, logic, probability, and people who design them.” The report also noted that while algorithms can potentially help eliminate human bias, they also ‘systematically disadvantage certain groups’—(whether by design or not).

Algorithms can hide discriminatory effects with no visibility or accountability. This negatively impacts all groups defined as risky or unprofitable targets—including ‘disadvantaged’ demographic groups–for example, women and those of lower social class.

• An increasingly algorithm-defined future will widen the gap between those who are digitally connected and informed (those of higher income) and those who don’t go online. This dynamic will inevitably heighten the inequality between the upper/upper middle classes and the rest of the population. It has the appearance of ‘digital logic’ so will be hard to fault.

• In most cases, those who construct algorithms have only a superficial understanding of culture, values, and diversity. This explains why algorithms often fail to test for different sources of potential bias.

• In many cases, even the programmers who create an algorithm don’t understand how it works. And even if its components and effects are clearly understood, those in authority will usually define it as a trade secret which cannot be revealed.

• Adding to this challenge, learning/ self-programming algorithms are already in place. It’s possible that in the future algorithms will write most new algorithms. This will accelerate the rise of robotics to replace humans in an increasing range of jobs. And if humans are out of the loop, how can robots make ‘empathic,’ non-discriminatory decisions when inherently biased human-created algorithms are the original model?

• Our current radically polarized electorate is the result of lowest-common-denominator information flows. Algorithms directing news flow suppress information inconsistent with a person’s digital profile, funneling people into echo chambers of repeated and reinforced media and political content. The worst consequence of this is diminished empathy for ‘the other’ making reasonable compromise seem like surrender to the other side.

• Many are concerned about the effects of prison sentencing ‘scorers’ who use machine learning to optimize sentencing recommendations. Related models also predict likely parole outcomes. Unfortunately, there is no tracking of or accountability as to whether these models are accurate or help lower recidivism rates.

• Similar use of other hidden, untraceable models can be seen in (1) terrorist watch lists; (2) drone-killing profiling models; and (3) modern redlining that limit credit and housing opportunities. One example of this that affects virtually everyone is the algorithm used to derive our credit scores. Shouldn’t this process be transparent so we can understand and even dispute how our credit score is calculated?

The challenge of algorithms explained

We benefit directly from algorithms when retrieving internet information we need to for work and our personal lives. –On the downside, algorithms are almost always proprietary and invisible to the public. And unfortunately, developers too often put a low priority on the needs and rights of users.
Interestingly, a recent Pew Research Center study of 1300 IT professionals found there was an even split between those who believed the positive effects of algorithms will outweigh the negative (38% vs. 37%).

The goal of algorithms explained

Ideally, algorithms would be developed in clear language, and graphically illustrated formulas to help users (e.g., loan applicants, medical insurance accident coverage) understand how decisions affecting them are made. This would also help us better understand how changing data and regulations may affect future outcomes.

Unfortunately, there’s little momentum in this direction.

Possible fixes

• Enforce and expand consumer protection/deceptive practices laws to uncover hidden algorithmic formulas that work against the common good.

• Develop honest, balanced regulations that prevent algorithmic abuses without stifling innovation. This will require the combined talents of lawyers, social scientists, and all major internet stakeholders.

• Disseminate, adopt, and expand the European Union’s new data protection law that includes a ‘right of explanation’ when consumers are affected by an algorithmic decision.

• Encourage open source algorithms that can be modified by user feedback to help flag unfair practices.

• Secure access to Google’s and Facebook’s server farms to better ensure national security and user protection.

• Hire more women and minority group coders. (Most discriminatory algorithms are created by non-racist white male coders who lack insight into diversity issues).

• Carefully review human-created algorithms before using them as models for automated AI applications. Such machine-generated formulas will simply replicate discriminatory content.

• Implementing such protections will become increasingly urgent as small entities using algorithms proliferate. Such organizations focus exclusively on surveillance and marketing–retrieving data that can potentially be used for criminal purposes.

Benefits of transparent algorithms

• Implementing regulations to prevent deceptive algorithms would help reduce corruption.

• Better algorithms will help create a more efficient distribution of resources and help reduce the environmentally damaging effects of fossil fuels, etc.

• Improved algorithmic insights will enhance the design of our homes, cities, manufacturing, and much more.

What OWDT can do for you

OWDT is a web design company which can provide comprehensive services in, branding, and digital marketing. As a trusted partner for SEO Houston solutions, we understand how to optimize your website for visibility, search ranking, and long-term growth. Our professionals work rigorously to integrate the latest in website technology and design with leading-edge digital marketing tools to help your company thrive. They know how to finesse a beautiful, brand-defining website with coordinated marketing strategies to expand your organization’s visibility and revenue.

Check out our Portfolio to see the kind of award-winning work we have done for our clients. We would be delighted to hear from you! Contact us at 800-324-1617 or info@owdt.