Browsing on PR News, I came across an insightful interview on “The Future of Technology” with Jeff Mascott. Mascot is a managing partner of Adfero Group and contributing blogger of the K Street Café. He explains the shift from Web 1.0 to 2.0 and how it had an effect on grassroots organizing.
Initially grassroots online used to be limited by the advertising model (one-to-many, one-way model). Since Web 2.0 came out, grassroots online is based on community participation, engagement, communication, and bonding. This conversational approach is a lot more effective by reaching the masses more efficiently. Mascott mentioned this approach having a big impact on the Obama campaign as well as the Picket’s Plan Movement. Instead of resorting to advertising or PR, which can cost millions of dollars, both the campaign and movement embraced free platforms online in order to organize events.
The interview also spoke of creative tactics having a great ability to attract bloggers and other sources of media for coverage. For example, Mascott noted that legislatures and the publics are communicating online via virtual avatars of themselves on actual satellite maps of communities and specific places around the world. No longer is one just sending letters; now, there are faces and names attached as well.
As for emerging technologies, Mascott acknowledges the fact that we will be moving toward a future of simplicity. For instance, there is an abundance of networking sites out there and yet I’m sure the majority of us remain active only on one or two, if that; we can only do as much as time may allow. Along with technologies and media merging in order to compliment simplistic lives, applications will become more and more mobile. Mascott also reminds us that our society will move away from the advertisement and broadcast mode entirely in order to pursue more efficient modes of engagement and transparency.
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