II. Fad or Friend: Digital Detox

In my last post, I wrote about how feel and gesture are going to be important for marketing.

In this installment of the Fad or Friend series, I'm doing a U-turn of sorts. Because this post is on the fad "digital detox" or being unplugged. So as marketers, should we just ignore the fad? 

I would think not. Fads are waves meant to be ridden. Don't spend much on it, but see how you can use it.

Lately, people have been disconnecting from their devices. Some have deleted Facebook and other apps which earlier kept people glued to their screens. As a part of some Yammer groups within the company I worked in, I saw a conscious change in people as they tried de-digitizing themselves - they bought printed books over ebooks, subscribed to newspapers instead of news websites (something I prefer doing myself), subscribed to cable instead of streaming services, not checking e-mails/whatsapp or text messages, etc during vacations and weekends, and using devices only when really needed - maybe for search. We should've seen the signs when Tom Hanks' app Hanx Writer became popular. People older than late millennials (1990 and older) yearn for the good old days and hope to pass on that experience to the next generation.

So will two worlds manage to survive next to each other or will they collide? I think de-digitzation or digital detoxing is a fad. In the history of mankind, change has always swept us in the direction it wanted to take us and fighting it may be futile. So will digital detoxing and de-digitization.

But how do you ride the fad? Use it for branding. Outdoor displays in vacation spots where travellers are known to detox; if you're a local business, then affiliate advertising in gyms; invest in traditional advertising - local newspapers and cable TV. In short, your message should evoke the old school feel.