Living in Exponential Times

Because we've grown so accustomed to the steady, incremental flow of new technology and information, we might lose sight of how dramatically it has changed, and will continue to change, the way we live, work and market. "Did You Know 3.0," a five-minute slide show set to the Fatboy Slim tune "Right Here Right Now," takes note of many of those changes.

Some facts and figures might surprise you; some might excite you; others might give you pause. Though we might need to account for the possibility of outdated information—it was made in 2008—the video does an effective job of conveying the speed with which our world evolves.

Consider this factoid: "The top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 … did not exist in 2004."

Or how about this: "The amount of new technical information is doubling every two years. For students starting a 4 year technical degree this means that … half of what they learn in their first year of study will be outdated by their third year of study."

And consider how long it took various technologies and tools to reach a market audience of 50 million:

• Radio, 38 years
• Television, 13 years
• Internet, four years
• iPod, three years
• Facebook, two years

Find Marketing Inspiration in the fact that we live in exponential times. Go ahead—think creatively, think big and think forward.

More Inspiration:
Paul Barsch: China: Implications of an Emerging Middle Class
Neil Anuskiewicz: From Page Five to Page One Using 'White-Hat' SEO
CK: What Marketers Can Learn from the Frozen Food Aisle

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