Let Machines Drive Data Analysis, Says Volvo’s Chief Futurologist

Marketers, in the meantime, should be the navigator. Machine learning “can come up with the right conclusions for us so we can nudge it into the right direction,” says Aric Dromi.

The future of marketing will be driven by machines—marketers will just need to nudge them in the right direction, according to Volvo chief futurologist Aric Dromi.

It’s about shifting mindsets away from computers as vehicles for serving up data needed to perform analysis and toward embracing technology as a powerful tool to free up our time for “more human” pursuits of empathy and creativity, he said.

“I think one of the greatest lacks in the industry right now is imagination,” Dromi explained. “We have all these great tools that enable us to collect information but don’t have the right people to actually convert that information into creative, crazy ideas that can create engagement with users, customers, and consumers.”

A new social contract is emerging between users and digital engagement, he said, where privacy is a commodity we happily exchange for value.

“We need to stop thinking about privacy when we’re looking at these things and more about the value exchange that we get because we are willing to expose ourselves if we get the right value,” Dromi said. “It’s as simple as that.”

Join hosts Mark Jones and JV Douglas as they discuss with Dromi the coming decades of marketing automation, the true value of Snapchat, and how blockchain is actually a philosophical model for digital engagement on this forward-thinking episode of The CMO Show.

The CMO Show is a podcast about brand storytelling and the future of marketing. To listen to previous episodes, visit the website or follow along on iTunes or SoundCloud.