Overseas Think Tank for Indonesia

By Beni Bevly
The innovation and advancement in communication media such as cell phone, satellite TV and Internet have impacted companies to change their marketing approach. With these new technologies, customers have more access to new or alternative products and services at real time. They are not stuck to certain products that are already obsolete.

On the other side, these technologies help companies to involve and witness what, where, and how customers’ needs can be fulfilled. They also help companies to have better communication with their customers. Finally, these technologies have increased the competition among businesses.

With the combination of these technologies – phone, satellite TV, and Internet – customers now have multiple choices of products to purchase at real time. For example customers can choose from various of merchandise that suit their needs from life TV commercial by calling them to make a purchase. Customers can utilize Google.com to look for products and services they need. Priceline.com will give customers price comparison. Ebay.com provides any kind of products that customers are looking for.

At the other side, because of communication technology innovation and its advancement, there is relatively risky for a business to claim that they are the only producer that has the capacity to fulfill certain customers’ needs. This statement only can be justified if they have the ability to personalize customers’ needs. Otherwise, the company may lose their credibility because customers will find out right away the fact by utilizing the latest communication technology.

The perfect examples regarding personalizing customers’ needs are Amazon.com and Netflix.com. They are able to communicate personalized needs to their customers though their sophisticated software.

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*Beni Bevly holds BA in Political Science, MBA in Marketing, and is a DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) candidate. He is the founder of Overseas Think Tank for Indonesia.