In a recent episode of his HBO show “Last Week Tonight,” comedian John Oliver ranted about media companies that bring us weather news. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a must, if only to admire how Oliver weaves Eddie Vedder into the bit and even does an impression of the Pearl Jam frontman.
Oliver shares early graphics from the broadcaster Accuweather that look like first-generation Atari games, along with modern-day graphics used by The Weather Channel to dramatize severe weather. The latter includes 3D semitrailers breaking through ice and power lines seemingly tumbling into the studio, narrowly missing the weatherman. The difference in quality between the two eras of graphics is stunning, but the 3D graphics are a classic case of “just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”
I thought of this as I put together our cover story on 5G. There’s little doubt that the high-speed capabilities 5G will eventually provide will change how consumers use mobile technology and how businesses go to market. Marketer should keep in mind that whatever they do with their newfound capabilities should make sense.
By most accounts, we’re more than a year away from 5G having any sort of broad use. But it’s not too soon to start thinking how the technology will impact B2B marketing. For starters, the super-fast speeds will create new opportunities for transferring huge amounts of data, whether that’s offering downloads of complete inventory lines, creating high-definition video demonstrations, or streaming live from a tradeshow or your own HQ.
It’s exciting to look forward and anticipate what might be. We plan to do a lot more of that in 2020, as Sales & Marketing Management cuts back to four print issues per year and turns up the volume on technology and its impact on how sales teams and marketing departments increase productivity.
Our aim is to talk with the people who are forging the paths that others will follow in digital advertising, SaaS, AI, CRM, online training and other areas. We want to help you distinguish between what deserves your attention and what is overhyped.
We’ll also continue to explore the human side of management, focusing on how to increase engagement and drive performance.
We wish you a happy holiday season, and we look forward to seeing you in the third decade of the 21st century.
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