Those geeks juggling half a dozen devices have a new moniker -- hyperconnected -- thanks to a survey of 2400 working adults in 17 countries sponsored by Nortel and conducted by IDC. These totally wired people are the vanguard of the Web 2.0 proletariat; the earliest of early adapters among the 1.2 billion humans now surfing the Internet.
You know the type. Concentrated in high tech and finance in urban centers they are 60% male, primarily managers, mostly under 35, two-thirds have Wi-Fi at home. These are the people, who juggle an average of 7 devices and 9 applications, rush to embrace iPhones, iPods and every new gadget. They define themselves and draw validation, status and a measure of cool from their hyperconnectivity. And this group, now pegged at 16% of the global information workforce is growing and growing fast with another 36% expected to join them soon.
But the implications of a hyperconnected lifestyle for marketers aren't clear. In fact, connectivity per se can obscure rather than illuminate the positioning, messaging and media tasks that already confound us. Consider a few possibilities.
Constant Streaming.If all-news media makes you crazy, imagine an even bigger torrent of data from a growing number of sources over a growing number of devices anywhere you go. The hyperconnected point to a lifestyle that is always on, always available and always connected. They make an incredible number of clicks or calls from cars, restaurants, vacations, bed and even church. They are they guys who've made the streets an eavesdropper's delight. This makes it easier and tougher to target them. The merry-go-round never stops. Separating content even opt-in desired or desirable content from background noise or filtering or scheduling content becomes an even greater challenge.
Instant Gratification Everywhere. If you are always on and always linked you want everything now. If patience is already frayed by the variables of service delivery and personality, imagine a whole world demanding everything right now, whenever the mood strikes. Who can possibly deliver on these expectations?
All Work-All Life-All the Time. For the hyperconnected distinctions between work and private life, between on and off time between public and private and even geographic or temporal boundaries have effectively disappeared. Its funny since many of the hyperconnected tools and applications are supplied by companies but serve both work and personal objectives. This further complicates how we create and deliver messaging and how we conceive and channel media to deliver the pitch.
No QC. There is no survey data connecting hyperconnectivity to hyperproductivity. In fact the more we watch the hyperconnected, the more we'll discover that they have more ways to goof off, hide and sidestep responsibility than we ever imagined. Those "crackberry" addicts are reading work e-mails and checking box scores with equal frequency and intensity. Its about showing how connected you are not how competent you are.
Perhaps I'm becoming a Luddite, though I fall into the 7% of hyperconnecteds over age 50. But the more I embrace the Web, new devices and new applications, the more I'm seeking more sorting, filtering and thinking. I yearn for less immediate data flow and more consideration, insight and analysis. Its not about speed or quantity its about value and empowerment.
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