DIGITAL AGE CHANGED COMMUNICATION

Digital Has Changed the Way we Communicate

The dynamics of communication change in cyberspace; people are more open and do not use as many filters as they would in face-to-face communications. “‘Sometimes people share very personal things about themselves.[On the other hand] out spills rude language, harsh criticisms, anger, hatred, even threats.’”⁷This feeling of over-familiarity confers undue credulity and equality on even the most pedestrian of bloggers. “No one knows your credentials or lack thereof, so you are taken as seriously as everyone else.

How can businesses stand out in what is now considered to be an equal playing field where everyone and anyone can create a website or blog, and say what they want? Perhaps they can take a lesson from the way today’s celebrities, who are learning to interact with their fans in a whole new way. “Prior to computers, magazines and cinema were the sole outlets influencing your perception of beauty.” Now, “[Stars’] lives are chronicled on a daily basis thanks to Twitter, blogs, online magazines and other easily attainable media, creating an almost intimate relationship between the public and the stars.”¹ While stars and celebrity fan sites may be focused on perceptions of gossip, beauty and popularity, business managers can use these very same outlets to build similar, almost intimate relationships with the consuming public.

Our Sense of Self-Identity is Changing

Online capabilities allow people to take on virtually any personality or body form. There are “Avatar representations of who you ‘are,’ but you can change them as you wish.”¹¹ This flexibility of personality makes it possible for celebrities to occupy multiple identities at once  and for multiple people and graphics to occupy the same identity or role/function, similar to the Lara Croft, the pope, and kings.

This blurring of the individual, cultural, and societal lines makes managing and marketing even more challenging in the 21st century. “McLuhan recognized how our society had changed radically with the introduction of the visual language of

writing and the further widespread impact following the introduction of the printing press.” Recently, we have faced another revolution of communication, the digital age. But even he might have difficulty formulating an effective approach to today’s employees, business colleagues and consumers.

Building upon the evolution from quill pen and printing press to cyberspace, what is today’s business managers to do to maneuver this revolution of technology, communication, and identity in order to appeal to their target audience? They could rely on the skills of anthropologists and ethnographers to help them understand the cultural changes in society, and their business sensibilities, advising them accordingly to adapt.

Culturally, digital has changed the way we identify with one another and form communities. While 20th century consumers bonded in tight-knit neighborhoods, today’s target demographics gather together in far-flung global communities. They can easily gather in chat rooms, YouTube communities, and online forums to share personal stories or provide advice. Business managers will need to do more to ferret out these new communities in order to find advocates and influencers who can help them build a brand message.

   By Mbogo Tausi

     BAPRM 42611