Top predictions for 2017, summarized and illustrated

Let’s make this a bit simpler, shall we?

This time of year, predictions for the coming year abound. In fact, there are so many predictions out there that they can get confusing — many contradict each other!

So to make things easier, I narrowed it down to 2 main predictions, 1 obvious one, and added one of my own — and then made them into Tech Doodles, my series of tech and startup cartoons. I hope that this helps you wade through the predictions, but I also hope it entertains!

Here’s the first one:

Twitter Will Die, Fly, or Pivot

The jury seems to be out over what Twitter is going to do this year, but as Ars Technica says, “Twitter’s continual bleeding of cash will have to come to an end, one way or another.”

Ars Technica added Twitter to this year’s “Deathwatch,” its annual list of companies that won’t make it through the coming year. Last year they named 6 companies and 4 died. This year Twitter is in its sights.

Meanwhile, Salesforce, a company that knows more about Twitter than most of us do, thinks Twitter will soar this year. In its article, 4 Bold Social Media Predictions for 2017, they said that Twitter will succeed.

Realistically, since they aren’t currently making money, I concur with Nicolas Cole of Inc in 10 Social Media Predictions for 2017 when he predicts that “Twitter is going to find its pivot.”

So Twitter will either die, fly, or pivot this year!

Facebook Live Will… Do Something in 2017

In one of the most confusing predictions of the year, Brandwatch predicted “Live streaming video.” That’s right, that was the entire prediction statement. All the others were sentences. If you read its entire piece on live streaming video there still wasn’t much of a prediction beyond that Facebook Live seemed important.

I think that AdWeek’s SocialTimes had a much better prediction for live streaming video, in that it could be used for customer service calls.

As a former customer service agent for Geek Squad and Apple, I would have loved this concept. People find it too easy to yell at faceless voices or text. It’s much harder to get angry when you’re face-to-face with someone who cares about your trouble.

Google Plus Will Die

Salesforce, in it’s article 4 Bold Social Media Predictions for 2017, made the bold prediction that Google Plus would die this year.

If not for the consistent notifications when I open Gmail telling me that I’ve been added to a stranger’s circle, I would have forgotten about Google Plus entirely. I’ve heard rumors that G+ has a fiercely loyal population, but I have to believe that it’s quite small. No one I know admits to using it in the last four years.

I would call this prediction the obvious one.

Product Placement Will Become HUGE in AR/VR

This is my prediction. Most of us have seen Minority Report. The movie is memorable for many excellent scenes, but as a marketer, I came away with its picture of the future’s advertisements permanently etched into my brain.

And now I do believe 2017 is the time for that future to begin.

VR and AR, that is, virtual reality and augmented reality, are set to become huge in 2017. The Oculus will be releasing new handsets soon that are amazing. (I had the opportunity to try them, they’re fantastic!) I believe that the greater control will spur sales.

On December 30, Uru announced its seed round for a technology that places logos and other ads on flat surfaces in the background of videos. This is just the beginning. It isn’t too hard to imagine a cooking VR game that uses real-world ingredients. Or maybe an augmented reality game where you track down famous-branded cars.

Minority Report might be science fiction in terms of most of its plot, but its ads are about to become reality.

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