We have talked a lot about advertising and a little about business. I believe the most profound impact of the Information Age will be the collapse of the traditional group institutions that historically have organized people and societies. People have traditionally defined their own identities, developed their tastes, formed their opinions and supported each other through groups, whether it be a political party, social club or something as simple as the nuclear family. Today, instant communication with the world has the unexpected effect of distancing us from each other. For many people, the Internet has become a substitute community outright.
Workers are less loyal to a single company and more apt to switch jobs over their lifetimes.
Instant communication and easy transportation have enabled families to disperse over wide areas. In government, people depend less on public safety nets and more on themselves. People are able to construct their own communities, based on their own tastes, without regard for geography. They purchase goods and services in a ruthlessly competitive marketplace where quality is the only judge and price is the only jury. That has important implications for advertising and marketing.