The Presence Economy
Becoming more present in an era of engagement erosion
Digital and mobile technology has fundamentally changed how we live our lives. When every moment can be filled with a digital experience, as a society we are becoming less present in our interactions. Our engagement with the people and places around us is being eroded. As an individual’s engagement in a place – their presence – is eroded, so is their likelihood to purchase.
The tech industry has gone to great lengths to quantify the economic growth stemming from investments and innovation in mobile. But what is the cost of not being present? From Amazon Prime to Uber Eats people are incentivized to engage less in the real world, to the detriment of local businesses and ultimately the fabric of our communities.
We need to put a premium on presence. Instead of the mobile economy, we should focus on the presence economy. We created 468 Insider to help stem the forces of engagement erosion, using the ubiquity of mobile technology to drive engagement and investment in local businesses and community. Being able to account for and incentivize presence will renew our sense of – and investment in – place. Read more