Reverse search for online to go forward

I was amused reading Guy Phillipson’s long-term predictions on the future of search, which included the GoogleFez hat that will solve all our information needs, in his article on paid-for search (MW November 10).

However, he made a very valid point when talking about the phenomenon of “my media”. The fact is that people want to be able to express their opinions in a space they own, as demonstrated by the proliferation in the number of blogs. They also want to be participants in the search process and not just recipients, and marketers must understand this.

Reversing the search process is the answer. It may sound futuristic, but such a service now exists, enabling both consumers and advertisers to benefit from true participation media.

By reversing the search, consumers are in the driving seat, requesting what they want online, thus inviting marketers to target them with the most relevant offers. Marketers benefit by having access to real consumers with a specific need who are expecting and wanting marketing messages. Forward-thinking businesses must realise the endless opportunities available from this consumer-pull approach. It’s a win-win scenario.

With the media landscape changing so fast, and media ownership being shifted to the consumer, the big winners will be the marketers who embrace this and grasp the opportunity it creates.

Paul Chan

Chief executive

Pureprofile

London W1