The Global Village

2010-2011

The individual Internet User:

As the first decade of the 21st century drew to a close, more and more of us got connected not only physically but also virtually. [DF: Peer-to-Peer Technology, The Increasing Use of Internet, Increase in people going on-line, Power of Information-anywhere, everywhere]. My network of friends and associates literally became a real-time network: thanks to our mobile devices with built in GPS systems, I knew the whereabouts of my friends at every hour of the day and they could locate me too. Not only did I know where everyone was, but because we kept our status info continuously updated, (“I’m typing a scenario story…”) we all knew what we were doing and when we were doing it. [DF: Increasing use of broadband internet services with 3G mobile phone]

When secure online IDs became available, my social network opened up even further on the web as I felt fewer inhibitions to place personal information online. [DF: Privacy Online] I became a member of a number of online communities and started sharing ideas through the web with my friends. I noticed companies were interested in these ideas [DF: Increasing user-generated content, The balance between crowdsourced and "expert" opinion] as they invited me to contribute to their websites, for instance as an ‘expert user’ giving feedback about their products through an ‘online user panel’ or by extending their products with services that I needed to access through the web. [DF: Products are Turned Into Services]

In my busy life, time is scarce. Wherever I can find ways to save time, I will take the opportunity. The development of online shopping meets my needs very well. I bank online, I buy my books, tickets and clothes on webshops and read magazines and news items paperless. 24/7.

The corporation:

In 2010 we were trying hard to recover from the effects of the global credit crisis. Trust and transparency were becoming more and more important for retaining our customers [DF: Importance of authentic identity], but also as a prerequisite for getting funding. It was a difficult time, but most of us made a real effort to open up. We became aware of the increased importance of internet networks as a means of socialising and obtaining information. The teenagers and young adults used the internet for practically everything [DF: The Globalization of Culture (or Cultural Globalization), Virtual Communities]. We started to approach the internet differently and more and more of us started using it as a source of getting feedback from our customers Those of us that got it right enjoyed increased trust.

With the development of these secure online IDs [DF: Privacy Online], regulation was kept to a minimum. Where once laws were adapted to protect privacy and regulate the use of information, we now slowly saw them being abandoned and Internet becoming more and more self-regulated [DF: Internet Governance]. We achieved our dream of frictionless worldwide electronic marketplace, as the self-regulation stimulated public/private partnerships to expand the benefits of internet

We started to increase the user friendliness of our websites. Technology helped us out here, making viewing of objects in 3D possible and making payments easy and safe. We also saw the start of personalising profiles of customers and tailoring our advice to their individual needs.

2012-2013

The individual Internet User:

The trend of being permanently connected continued and I constantly updated my status info. Often, this was automatically done for me based on the location I was in or activity I was performing [DF: Location based services and real-time status info available] As a consequence, I came to expect others to act on that information; and they did: not only my friends (“Hey, I see you’re in town, how about lunch?”), but also smart companies as well (“As you’re at the movies tonight, did you know you could get a discount on drinks at the bar round the corner if you show up with your movie ticket after the movie?”). Rather than experiencing this as an invasion of my privacy or personal space, I felt this was great: real-time information, where I want it, when I want it. [DF: People's need for communication and information]. I was not the subject of a marketing effort anymore - I was the actor myself shaping where, and how I need what.

The corporation:

By 2012 our customers were online every day, all day. The internet was fast becoming our most important source of customer feedback. We were starting to set up our own communities online and actively encouraging our customers to give us feedback and discuss our products and services with us and with other customers. It took some getting used to, as it felt like being very vulnerable, but the rewards were well worth the risks. We also saw the birth of true location based marketing, which lead to increased cooperation between companies. Linking our products and services [DF: Convergence of Telecommunication, Media & entertainment and Information technology, Products are Turned Into Services] was not only appreciated by our customers, it also turned out to be very profitable.

To our initial amazement, the internet had become practically 100% self-regulated [DF: Internet Governance]. This was of course mainly due to the increased availability of secure online IDs, but also due to the absence of privacy-scares [DF: Privacy Online]. A balance seemed to have been struck between providing personal information and the way in which it was used. It allowed us so much more room to manoeuvre. However, it also brought a responsibility of not misusing the information, which we took very seriously. Internet self-regulation principles, such as freedom of expression online and privacy, emerged naturally. Though not binding, businesses obeyed these unwritten rules of the game.

2014-2015

The individual Internet User:

By providing me with the right services at the right moment, smart companies have realised they can help me save time [DF: Understanding the customer through online profiling]. These are the companies with which I really want to interact and am prepared to give something back. I really appreciate that my opinion is valued by the corporations. I feel they really isten to my advice and incorporate my good ideas in their products and services [DF: The balance between crowdsourced and "expert" opinion]. Products and services are tuned more and more to my needs and I feel confident to interact openly with these companies online. I can honestly say that I now not only turn to my friends for information but equally value the information that I can obtain through companies. These companies have integrated their presence into my online social environment and in some cases even provide a platform for me to interact with my friends.

The corporation:

Nowadays we have a true network community of customers and critics [DF: Understanding the customer through online profiling]. Technology allows us to offer tailor-made products and services to our customers at exactly the time or place they want them. We are also able to involve our customers and our critics in the development of products and services. They receive benefits for the feedback and ideas they provide us and through that we are able to gain greater loyalty from them. We did not have to find ways to reach our customers to market our products and services; they shaped them themselves and requested what they needed. The only thing we had to ensure was to provide them with the right produts and services at the right moment. This has significantly strengthened our connection to our customers.

We also see an increased interest in our opinion as experts [DF: The balance between crowdsourced and "expert" opinion]. In the past we may have felt that our opinions were distrusted, due to the distance to our customers and of course the causes of the credit crisis in 2008/2009. Today, this sentiment has vanished. We are often consulted by customers in their search for information. There is a mutual trust and transparency enables us to perform a great deal better, especially on the long term, which also satisfies our shareholders.

Timeline