Trekkies are thrilled they have Sir Patrick Stewartâs Jean-Luc back in Star Trek Picard. Like any good sci-fi, the show is far more about the present than it is about the future, and it was amusing to see a scene from the recent episode âStardust City Rag.â Picard and company visited the Las Vegas-like planet Freecloud. As they arrive, each person receives their own personalized holographic ad. The ads are personalized and apparently have great engagement. Captain Rios gets an ad for ship repair. Picard gets one for great tea at a hotel. Raffi gets one for sketchy drugs. All things are applicable to them. Each ad requires interaction, and in the case of the showâs characters, they flick and push away their ads. The ads come across as obnoxious; none of the characters were thrilled about what was served to them. Clearly, the showrunners are mocking some (hopefully, not all) contemporary digital marketing. This is where we need to use the art and science of marketing to find balance. Many marketers have stated that bad customer experience or user experience can, at times, yield success. Perhaps subpar experiences get peopleâs attention and engagement. Thatâs certainly counterintuitive. Having said that, thatâs not a license to annoy. We should aim to find ways to garner high conversion rates without always relying upon gimmickry. Itâs easier and cheaper to use spectacle than to focus on developing quality products, services and experiences. Aiming for great engagement and conversions should not come at the expense of longer-term goals in earning the trust and appreciation from loyal customers. Going forward, we need to prove the Star Trek Picard team wrong. â Steve Petersen is a marketing technology manager at Western Governors University. Soapbox is a special feature for marketers in our community to share their observations and opinions about our industry. Submit your own here >> |