With the news that Google wants to blend e-mail, instant messages and document collaboration with its preview of the upcoming Google Wave at its annual developers conference, my immediate question is, what will it mean for marketers?
Basically, this is no typical Inbox. Google Wave appears to be an Gmail 2.0 effort to eliminate the need for consumers to use multiple tools to keep in touch on the Web, including traditional e-mail. Instead, communication is meant to take place within “the Wave” central hub, which includes real-time communication features similar to IM, live chat, wikis and Twitter as well as the option to drag photos and maps directly into the free service and share them.
But I do think it’ll be something we’ll all have to try before deciding how useful and beneficial it is to consumer communication — and how it will affect the marketing, particularly e-mail marketing, community.
Thoughts?
