Technology has permanently altered several industries in the past few years, and all for the better. Just look at how we’re navigating and using maps nowadays. Before we used to flip through pages and pages to find where we’re headed. Today, we obtain the fastest, shortest, and even toll-free routes with utmost ease and speed. Getting a taxi to pick you up doesn’t require phone calls or even require you to mention where to be picked up from or dropped off. Thanks to digital disruptors like Lyft and Uber the transportation industry has been revolutionized, permanently.
In today’s fast-paced, exponentially growing and rapidly evolving world, technological revamps and digital disruptors are virtually everywhere and popping out of every corner of the world. What’s the next big disruption for you to look out for? Aside from the automobile industry that’s really getting all the headlines, here are a few other industries that are soon to experience an upheaval in the hands of digital disruptors.
1. Virtual Reality
When you think of Virtual Reality (VR) your first thoughts most likely are about games and TVs. Sure, these presently may be the most commonly used applications of VR, however, there’s plenty of investment going into the research and development of this technology. Look for it to cause a stir in the world of virtual tours, tourism, video conferencing and even learning and development through VR simulations.
2. Professional Services
AI and blockchain has lately started to make an impact in the corporate legal, accounting and other support function spaces. With more innovation, you’ll soon find that much of the work that was traditionally done by humans in the professional services industry will get picked up by computers. Think about it, are you booking your vacation from a travel agent or an AI driven app/website? The future will see businesses in this industry shift towards advisory and consultancy services.
3. Blockchain
Now that I’ve mentioned it, blockchain technology has lately been altering the way we use the internet. It offers a more transparent and efficient way to transfer data. It’s even more so important today when privacy is such a hot topic of discussion and when big data empowers companies. Blockchain could be the digital disruptor that finally pushes aside the intermediaries of the internet to promote more P2P sharing networks.
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4. Experiential Marketing
Customer loyalty, brand loyalty and hyper-targeted marketing strategies have all been exhausted. Companies today know that to really engage with their customers and audience, they need to focus less on the obligation to purchase and more on the experience itself. It’s all about online presence, online engagement strategies and online splashes that people can share and talk about that makes experiential marketing a digital phenomenon that’s here to stay for a while.
5. Augmented Intelligence
Bridging the digital and physical worlds, augmented intelligence will be the biggest catalyst of change in consumer experience. Customers will experience new ways of shopping with enhanced digital knowledge, while retail brands will heavily use its benefits to support their online and in-store sales.
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6. Healthcare
With consumer experience really gaining credibility and traction, the healthcare industry will also see its share of digital disruption as it is massively deprived of “pleasant experiences”. Digital disruptors have slowly started to make their way in this industry by making the consumer experience more comfortable, informative and speedy. However, there’s much more to come.
7. Manufacturing
The manufacturing industry has always been powerful. It dictates what consumers will be holding in their hands, using to communicate with, how they enjoy and entertain themselves – basically how consumers will go about their lives. Given the technological advancements that we’re experience in the manufacturing industry what it does for consumers in the coming years will be exciting to see.
Digital disruptors are making their way in every possible industry. If you haven’t thought it as yet, someone else has and soon we’ll see the change that comes with it.
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Paul Keijzer is the CEO and Founder of Engage Consulting and the co-Founder of The Talent Games, which aims to transform HR by digitising talent processes and creating more engaging and productive workplaces through gamification and mobile technology. As a global HR and Leadership Management expert, Paul knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.