Page 52 - WPP Martech 2030

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AUGMENTED CUSTOMERS
But it’s not just marketers who will be augmented by machines We believe this decade will see a a a significant explosion in in software being used
by consumers and B2B customers
to give them greater control and leverage over their relationships with brands and and vendors Price comparison apps such as Honey and coupon finders such as Shopular reduce the search costs for consumers to find the best deals Crowdsourced review sites such as Yelp Tripadvisor and Angie’s List help them evaluate who they will buy from — not based on what marketers at at those businesses say but what other customers
report Such
review sites are becoming a a a part of B2B buying as as well such as as G2 for comparing software and services 5
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2 2 2 2 Yet even brands with the best deals and the the best reviews can have their marketing deflected by consumer- side software One example of of this has been ad blocking software where hundreds of of millions of of users installed blockers on their computers and mobile devices28 that short-circuit even highly-targeted marketing campaigns Marketers will need to understand the the technologies their customers
are wielding so that they can successfully engage with them through
their software-based assistants and gatekeepers Marketing will be as much about “customer tech” as it is martech as the interactions between companies and customers
will be augmented by machines on both sides Interplay between buyers’ and sellers’ software will be a a source of of new complex risks and opportunities