It recently dawned on me that everyone is so reliant on the internet. Whilst travelling down to Cornwall to attend the Intersections 2011 event, I planned to continue with work, but there was no wireless, so what could I do? I actually ended up watching a film, but I couldn’t help thinking that I felt so confined, restricted and vulnerable. Why? Maybe because today’s generation are all programmed into thinking that the internet is the only resource for knowledge?

Every time a brief is set, I automatically go to Google, the online search-engine that “knows everything”, but isn’t it sad that our findings rely so heavily on a virtual search engine. When I was younger and the internet was evolving, we were told not to trust it, that it was not a reliable source of information, unlike books or asking peers. Yet, as the internet has evolved and is now literally at your finger tips, I can’t help but to ask whether this is a good thing? Maybe technology is too wrapped up in peoples’ lives? and have we all fallen into the trap of relying more and more on technology than we do on each other?

It can be argued that the same craze is seen with the mobile generation. Online access through mobile phones is now more prominent than ever before, as demonstrated within CISCO Mobile Data Traffic Forecast 2011:

Apps has overtaken the advertising and marketing world; I mean, if you are not sure about what a brand wants, then just propose an app and you are probably close, but is this truly what consumers need?

At ClustaLabs we do not only consider the tech enthusiasts, the trend setters, the followers but also the forgotten generation, those who would rather use a pen and paper to communicate, instead of a tweet or ‘like’.  Many of our solutions involve benefitting consumers through either observing or interacting with new technology, focusing more on sharing information, rather than providing it. As a result, we provide bespoke digital campaigns that broaden the overall social appeal and sustainability of the brands that we work with.

The evolution of technology is indeed exciting; it can bring people closer together, create new opportunities and completely integrate into consumer lives, but it should not and cannot develop purely for technology’s sake. We must never forget how technology has evolved and the impact that is has had on recent generations, because if we are way too reliant on technology now, then how will we resolve problems in the future?

Clusta, one of the UK’s top digital marketing and advertising agencies have developed an Innovations Lab to meet the current and future demands of consumers and brands:

In a world where people expect perfection, it can come at a cost. ClustaLabs' role will be to understand the potential of technology for brand owners, reflecting upon existing solutions to provide innovative answers.

Whilst Clusta takes briefs, ClustaLabs will take problems and opportunities to formulate solutions that delve into unexplored territories, engage in relationships, expand into everyday marketing and seamlessly integrate into consumer lives, specialising in five platforms; Apps, Interactive, Touch Screen, Film and Voice.

ClustaLabs believe that to successfully implement new ideas, you need to analyse, evaluate and develop upon the past. We believe that technology should not be used for technology’s sake, but to solve problems and to clearly portray information. This can only be achieved by obtaining multiple perspectives on social, cultural and environmental issues, through employing high calibre professionals and building strong relationships with universities.

As a result, Clustalabs encourages a space where creative concepts evolve, benefiting today and tomorrow’s brands by providing a subscription into their insights, the opportunity for first refusal and through presenting the unexplored.