2016: Innovations That Make the World More Interesting [5]New Generation Portal
Vizeum Innovation Team
Next, we continue our series highlighting 10 innovations driving global business and communication, as identified by the Vizeum Innovation Team.
Do you still remember the era when you set your ISP's homepage as your browser's default? Google's search function liberated users from the "walled gardens" of portal sites, unleashing them into the vast expanse of the web and enabling them to quickly find what they needed. Yet now, a new form of enclosure is emerging.
Time spent within a limited set of major apps continues to grow. Today, just five apps account for approximately 84% of users' time. Information consumption has become passive: users discover content through social media like SNS, then make online purchases prompted by curation and recommendations.
The new generation portals of this digital world are being built by tech giants like Facebook, Amazon, and Apple. In 2015, Amazon established "Prime," a hub providing access to everything from groceries to fashion, entertainment, and technology products and services. Rumors also suggest it may soon launch live TV broadcasts. Meanwhile, Burberry partnered with messaging apps WeChat and LINE to livestream fashion shows, integrating e-commerce links after the shows concluded. Companies are intensifying efforts to strengthen ecosystems encompassing "discover," "connect," and "purchase," fiercely striving to lock users into their platforms.
What will 2016 bring?
The new generation of internet users primarily starts browsing the web through apps rather than browsers, significantly changing how content is consumed. Access via apps lacks referrers, making it impossible for content publishers to track where traffic originates. Publishers will need to actively develop strategies to address this "dark social" (traffic from unknown sources).
Furthermore, shopping apps like "Grabble," which curate fashion items, offer retailers an effective way to help consumers discover products easily and quickly. An era is arriving where major app ecosystems are leveraged not just for content distribution, but also for online sales.
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Author
Vizeum Innovation Team
Vizeum is a media agency headquartered in the UK with operations in 51 countries worldwide. It maintains seven hubs in London, UK; Los Angeles and New York, USA; Paris, France; Singapore; Tokyo; and Wiesbaden, Germany, serving global clients. Its strengths lie in advanced media planning and communication planning specialized in digital media, driving various innovative initiatives. This series is based on the trend report "BeOnTrend" produced by the "Innovation Team." This team consists of members from the "Spark@Vizeum" project, which collaborates with startups possessing cutting-edge technologies to create solutions for client businesses.