The year is 2020 and after a strenuous day at work, full of phone calls and deadlines, you come home to your humanoid machine and get ready to unwind at city bar with friends. Sound ridiculous? It may not be as far fetched as you and I may imagine…
There have been many films and comics around the concept of human robots; whether it be Schwarzenegger’s role as human-race ending robot turned good in ‘The Terminator’ or Will Smith’s ‘iRobot’ where robots are designed to assist their owners.
Although these were purely fictional and just movies for us as humans to pass the time and be entertained, there have been progressive works in the 21st century to make this concept a reality. In some organisations, humanoid machines that have been programmed to act as friends or as intimate partners.
However improbable or unnecessary this may be viewed by some, the implications for brand managers and organisations is monumental. The ideology that there is a computer-based machine that could be around an individual (who you consider part of your target market) could lead to a world of subliminal or traditional advertising that has never been matched in history.
Firstly, the willingness that some consumers are having towards the idea of having a robotic friend could mean brands will be competing to advertise their products – or even have robots suggest certain brands in a non-invasive way – to consumers. This would be a game-changer in the field of brand exposure as consumers would be receiving advice from a ‘trusted’ source – not bombarded with digital advertisements.
Secondly, the advancements and attention to microscopic details are leading to these A.I. machines having emotional cues and voice-activated responses that are responsive to how their owners are communicating with them. If this was to occur, the possibilities of humans becoming trusting of these machines could create new ‘word-of-mouth’ potential. Brand managers may be able to – via the trust between machine and human – could lead to brands being suggested by the robot based on the personality of owner it has. However, this comes with many ethical and social implications that may arise.
However, the overwhelming potential between man and machine cannot be disputed, as seen in the video below.
As LS:N global’s article states by 2020, the average person will have more conversations with bots tan with their spouse. If this prediction is fulfilled, brand managers will have a whole new advertising digital revolution that could possibly be greater than the smartphone trend that dominated 2010-2017.
That.Monash.Marketer 
This is so interesting. Thinking about it kind of makes me scared but I’m also excited by how this technology could be integrated into every day life. Just as smart phones have come to be accepted by society, robots may be the same. Im reluctant to try them now but maybe in the future ill be more comfortable with adopting!
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This is such an interesting concept to consider. Initially, I think there would be a lot of resistance to this type of technology stemming from the fear of the unknown. However, I think if the technology was introduced over time, we would accept it.
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Very interesting article, however I do think we are a long way from this happening. It will be a very incremental process in terms of the knowledge and resources needed for this to succeed. When we, as consumers, are exposed to this new era of robots I do think we will be accepting of it. It is scary to think how it might get exploited though, it will just open a whole can of worms in regards to privacy issues and regulations.
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