Featured speaker David Krantz, president of AT&T Interactive, wrapped-up day two of DMS ’09 with a quick peek into how the major market player envisions the future of interactive Yellow Pages.
Two key words: Mobile and Social.
In mobile, David conveyed a bullish view of the market, mentioning that AT&T is currently keeping an eye out for talent and strategic partnerships. Responding to earlier discussions about what it takes to develop an effective app, he reminded the audience that the market is not just for iPhone users.
“To be truly effective and wide-reaching, applications should work across all device platforms – from iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Palm Pre, Pre-Loads and WAP,” he said. This challenge may be eliminated over time as standardization is introduced to the market.
Also – after two days of little discussion about social media, David’s address indicated that local search applications for social media – or “Social-Local” solutions – are on the horizon.
Noting that Facebook and YouTube have now exceeded Yahoo! and Google in page views, he observed that social media is inherently local. A new generation of “Echo-boomers” have emerged he said that are characterized by three traits: 1) they prefer personalized media, 2) they like to create & interact, and 3) They trust their peers – sometimes more than they trust traditional “experts.”
To meet the needs of these new consumers, David noted that “The context of trust is imperative.” Who and how much to trust varies dramatically based on what prompts a user to tap his or her network – e.g. the purchase of a sportscar vs. a cappuccino .
The key to getting social-local right is understanding how to participate without interrupting. David couldn’t share more, but he said: “Stay tuned for more info in this space.”
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