Meet your customer…of the future!

Here’s a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation that’s a good introduction to the customer (or general consumer, for that matter) from tomorrow…the kid of today.  You know him, or her — that’s the prospect who’ll be surveying your category, judging your product line or service offerings, and who you’ll need to understand and engaged in dialogue with in order to sell and succeed.

What jumps out?

Today, 8-18 year-olds devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes (7:38) to using entertainment media across a typical day (more than 53 hours a week).  And because they spend so much of that time ‘media multitasking’ (using more than one medium at a time), they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes (10:45) worth of media content into those 7½ hours.

“Media-savvy” doesn’t do it justice.  They’re immersed in media, and all those forms are working toward being joined at the byte in ways that will make them all interactive, interrelated, and instantaneous.  Social media, mobile media, convergence communication…every interaction, whether you’re buying shoes, shopping for groceries, or conducting a vendor call, will be done increasingly through digital channels.  Why not?  It’s what they’re already used to.

Digital telepresence, videoconferencing through your iPhone…they’ll all lead to a business world where fluidity and rapidity of communication and response will be paramount.  The faster you show your smarts, the better you’ll fare.  Be ready for a world where near-absolute transparency and incredible depth of communication with your customers is a must, because that’s the world they’re experiencing today.