By: Jeff Ryznar, 898 Marketing

OK, so Peter Venkman said it a little differently in Ghostbusters but the premise of the statement is never more accurate than in today’s Age of Augmented Humanity.  As the Key Master and the Gatekeeper of today’s world finally meet, the marriage of human existence with technology is opening up new possibilities, opportunities and, well, dimensions that we thought were only possible in science fiction.

The evolution of the smart device, starting with the PDA (that’s Personal Digital Assistant for the kids) in 1993, all the way up to the wearable devices that would make Egon’s goggles look like off the shelf specs from the Sunglass Hut, has led to the single biggest impact in human advancement since fire. But the challenge isn’t finding new ways to use technology to help move humanity forward, rather, it is figuring out how to design engagements that improve upon an existence that is accelerated at unprecedented levels.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is connecting us to everything.  And while social media has made us all aware of anything and everything happening, including making overnight celebrities of people who went to bed the night before just an “average Joe/Jane,” the connectivity and our existence is going to be walking hand in hand like never before.  Think about it, just 30 years ago, the IBM Commodore 64, the most popular computer in the country, held about 64k of memory.  Today, an iPhone has about 16,000 times that capability!  Why?  Yeah, Steve Jobs is a genius.  But more importantly, technology has evolved to a point where it is not just about the capability the technology provides or offers, but how it is designed and intertwined into our everyday existence.

Because of this dependency, it is imperative that ideas be looked upon, not just from a programmatic perspective, but that UX/UI is just as important to achieving success and dependency.  Much the same ways advertisers and corporate sponsors of sports teams attempt to find, “tasteful integrations,” or, “seamless sponsorship activations,” into consumer content and exposure, the next big thing is not going to be what the idea is, it is how simple and easy it is to be adopted into ordinary life.

Let’s just take a look at the Google Glass concept, which is phenomenal in concept.  If you are an individual who wears glasses already, this is a no-brainer.  However, aside from that, there’s one caveat about this execution: people don’t want to look like they are from outer space even though the technology is cool enough to practically be from outer space.  The connected generation will want alarm clocks to adjust wake up times based on travel delays, reservations to be updated if a calendar or GPS route has been altered or money transfers to take place to ensure that iPay can complete a transaction for the new proton packs the kids are clambering about.  The marriage of our humanity with technology has created a paradigm shift from what can the technology actually accomplish to how easy is it for me to incorporate into my daily existence.

This fundamental change will alter the entire strategy of how company’s “think tanks” work in creating new solutions for our lives.  As humanity continues to evolve, not taking into account the design of a product or technology and how it adaptable it is to a human’s way of life will be almost as bad as crossing the streams….almost.

ABOUT 898 Marketing

898 Marketing is a strategic marketing and creative consultancy delivering accountable business development campaigns with a relentless commitment to brand growth and digital innovation.  898 Marketing has proven that groundbreaking creative and customized strategic marketing plans incorporating traditional, digital, mobile and social tactics do not have to be costly for small and medium size businesses in order to be effective.  In addition to crafting custom marketing direction designed to achieve collaborative business objectives, 898 Marketing serves as a trusted network of resources that can assemble the right team for the right project.  898 Marketing is a proud partner of healthcare, technology, and retail companies, as well as professional and collegiate athletic organizations.

Since starting 898 Marketing, everyone asks the question, “What does the 898 mean in 898 Marketing?” Well, to be honest, it means something different to every client, which we help them define. I’ll explain this later on in this blog but, for us, the name for our company was actually determined a long time ago, in a house on the West Side of Youngstown, Ohio, far, far away…

When I was 3 years old, my grandfather, Stephen P. Suhar, who, like our 33^rd President, Harry S. Truman, had a middle initial that didn’t stand for any name, it was just a letter, pulled me aside while visiting at his home one day. He had a card with the number 0-9 listed and told me to point to any three numbers. As the story goes, I pointed to the numbers 8-9-8.   From that day forward, he played that lotto number everyday. Every time it hit, he would put the winnings into an account and invest it for me. I like to think I already won the lotto by having a grandfather like him but it wasn’t until 10-years after that encounter that my grandfather revealed to me what he had been doing.

As a 13-year old, I would cut my grandfather’s grass every week. One day after a fresh trim, we sat on his front porch enjoying a Pepsi watching the cars go by on Connecticut Ave., he revealed to me what he had been doing. He told me that he believed in me and, when I turned 16, he wanted me to use the money from the winnings to buy a truck and start my own lawn care service. As a 13-year old, all I heard was “I’m getting a new car in 3 years.” However, 4 days before my 16^th birthday, the man who was my mentor, role model, and grandfather, passed away before I could live his dream for me. I swore, from that day, that whatever business I started, would include 898 in the name.

Fast forward 18 years later and here we, and you, are at 898 Marketing. And while 898 Marketing is a strategic marketing and creative consultancy delivering accountable business development campaigns with a relentless commitment to brand growth and digital innovation for small- and medium-sized businesses, this story is an example of what we try to unlock for each of our clients – a passionate and meaningful approach to marketing and grow their business with their customers and team members through clear, attainable goals.

Earlier, I said that “8-9-8” means something different to every one of our clients. While this story is very personal to our company and me, the numbers are the foundation to how we create our branding strategies, how we develop our ‘elevator pitches’ for sales teams, how we focus on implementing cost-effective digital strategies, even to the way we measure our team members’ performances and goal setting. We believe that every company has a story and we want to help tell it in the most efficient and meaningful way possible.

898 Marketing has proven that groundbreaking creative and customized strategic marketing plans incorporating traditional, digital, mobile and social tactics do not have to be costly for small and medium size businesses in order to be effective.  In addition to crafting custom marketing direction designed to achieve collaborative business objectives, 898 Marketing also serves as a trusted network of resources that can assemble the right team for the right project.  With a reputation solidified in a proven return on innovation, 898 Marketing has developed solutions for businesses in Northeast Ohio and beyond.

More than 30 years ago, three simple numbers changed my life forever by creating a connection that will carry on forever. Now, we want to show your company how they can do the same for you with your customers. So…what’s your story?

 

Jeff Ryznar of 898 Marketing will be a featured breakout session leader at DOYO Live 2017!

ABOUT DOYO Live

DOYO Live is a digital marketing and interactive design conference dedicated to the ongoing professional development of marketing, sales, business and design professionals. We accomplish this through our online marketing efforts, in-person workshops and annual marketing conference in Youngstown, Ohio.

DOYO Live was founded by Dennis Schiraldi, the event sold out in year-1 with over 200+ attendees—and we are anticipating the same this year.

DOYO Live is located in Youngstown, Ohio will be held on August 2 & 3, 2017. Early bird tickets are currently on sale for $150, but those prices will not last. We are expanding our conference in 2017 to have 2-hour deep-dive workshops on Day-1, August 2 and Day-2, our all-day conference on August 3.

Attendees can attend workshops only, conference only or get an all-inclusive pass to both events! Don’t miss out!