Ariana Stolarz, managing director of product development and innovation at Accenture Anthem, knows that product marketers are always looking ahead, but she doesn't think that's always a good thing. While he knows trend forecasting is important, he believes it can stray too far from what consumers want and are looking for right now.
"Sometimes I feel like we're always worrying about what's next and not living in the moment, but I feel like the present presents so many opportunities," Stolarz said.
Stolarz sat down with Variety Studio Cannes Lions, presented by Canva, to talk about technology in the marketplace and how people can use the digital tools at their fingertips. Marketing to younger generations, he explains why it's important to focus on consumers of all ages and consider the spending trends of each generational sub-segment.
"Yeah, I'm definitely interested in following the trends," Stolarz said. "Ultimately, these trends show us where we are going. So we need to understand this, especially if we want to create and bring something new into the world. But I'm really interested in how we can use these technologies to improve the lives of people of all ages.
Stolarz talked about artificial intelligence and how the scope of this new technology is reminiscent of the early days of the Internet.
"I started my digital career 25 years ago and everyone said the same thing, right? Like, 'Do you work on the Internet?' What's taking away our work?" It's not so obvious and how we start using some tools that are part of our lives. We met or had fun two decades ago.
In a company like Accenture, it is important that he is open to innovation.
"People say: "Ah, artificial intelligence is coming." "It's like robots, the end of the world." Or on the other hand: "AI will change the world"... Yes, if we use it responsibly. .
