The world is in the fourth era of development, both for industry and general market. The revolution 4.0 has already changed the entire world production and is no different for market research.

Philip Kotler, consultant, professor and author, considered “father of modern marketing”, set new standards of thought and execution in his book “Marketing 4.0: From traditional to digital”, bringing a definition of what this new concept is.

Marketing 4.0 is a consequence of the digital revolution. Traditional marketing is still present in companies’ strategies, but digital marketing, focused on social media and on the online, will be the main channel. The challenge now is to manage the integration of traditional and digital marketing. In this new stage, the great challenge for brands is to involve a public that is increasingly out of time and influenced by numerous digital stimulus.

The history of marketing was guided by several phases, it is important to know them to understand how the current market relations are. Marketing 1.0 was related to the “product age”, that is, customers who needed to adapt to the products, and companies made little effort to meet consumer needs, such as Ford, which only manufactured black cars.

Marketing 2.0, on the other hand, refers to the period in which companies started to worry more about their consumers. Due to the growth of competition, the clients started to have more choice, this new market model forced companies to pay more attention to the customer satisfaction. Thereby, the focus started to be on the consumer.

Adding to that, Marketing 3.0, is defined by Kotler by three characteristics: collaboration, culture and spirituality. In this way, it has a focus on values, and treats the consumer as a human being; therefore, it is totally connected to the company’s strategic planning.

This all changes from the moment that the internet permeates people’s lives all the time. The options are not lacking anymore, anyone can consume the content they want at any time, search for information about products and brands, find out the opinions and evaluations of other consumers and buy products from anywhere in the world.

Previously, the exclusivity of a product or service was its logo, but today, the brand will be more valued for its ability to include emerging markets in consumption. Now, the social becomes more important than the individual, in Marketing 4.0, consumption is no longer an individual act, the sharing of experiences over the internet grows and influences the purchase choices. For consumer decisions, “social recognition” is crucial.

To sum up, the market has changed, and it is important that companies adapt to their new flows, Marketing 4.0 came as an evolution of the communication sector, which grows along with technological advances. Therefore, it is not just about actions in the online environment, but it is important to create marketing plans aimed at customer acquisition and brand management in the most appropriate digital channels for your company.

With Market Research your company will have the right information for decision making. Your company will be able to have a strategic market positioning, based on data.

by Nicole Lopes