AOL's digital prophet: It's all about storytelling

AOL's David Shing is known for his wild hair and eyebrow-raising title. His job: a futurist.

Whether David Shing, AOLs Digital Prophet, knows what hes talking about, we wont know for a few years until his prophecies have come to pass. What we do know is that hes reinvigorating aging digital property AOL and grabbing media attention for his wild hair and eyebrow-raising title. His job: a futurist.

The buzz he creates was exactly what the Ad Club was looking for and nabbed him as a keynote for this years Interactive Day San Diego, which starts on Thursday. Shing says he spends most of his time observing and mingling with people who have insight into trends that could impact the future. Then he reports back to AOL with ideas and opportunities to help the digital company develop a more engaging brand.

Shing answered some questions from the U-T about the future using one of the older forms of digital interaction: email.

Q: How is the industry changing? Or how does it need to change?

A: A better question is how the landscape is not changing. As digital matures the ability to engage becomes even more powerful. From 6-second storytelling with examples from how-to pieces from Lowe's Hardware to magical Nike Kobe Bryant's ball-to-boot 6-second video to a long-form video series from Chipotle Farmed and Dangerous. Its all about storytelling.

While storytelling opportunities evolve, so have the way to advertise to consumers. The advent of programmatic advertising is enabling better creative because technology is helping to ensure the advertisement is meeting the right consumer in the right context. Imagine the ability to deliver a highly personalized advertisement to the right person at the right place, at the right time, with a customized message. That time is now and AOL is thrilled to be the driving force behind this.

Q: Why is interactive marketing/advertising important? Is it/should it be important even to small, non-tech companies?

A: Interactive marketing should be called experience. It does not matter whether the company is small or large, tech or non-tech. What does matter is whether the brand or company has the passion to explore the why people should engage with them. The what and how seems to be the default in a lot of creative (circles), but explore the ways the brand can be humanized.

However, interactive technology, especially around advertising now allows brands to develop targeted experiences to personalize real-time information delivered to people in the context (mobile, desktop, video interaction) they want to be met. The net effect is highly relevant advertising and marketing, meeting people, when, where, why and how.

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AOL's digital prophet: It's all about storytelling