Enrolling in an American University in Rome puts young, business-savvy students at the forefront of the constantly shifting landscape of international business. Cutting edge technologies continue to influence trends in the global market. If you’re currently pursuing (or considering pursuing) a degree in International Business, Marketing, or Economics and Finance, maintaining a watchful eye on these shifts can help secure a graduate's place in our increasingly borderless business world. Read on to learn about a few key market trends.
Social Media Will Continue to Dominate Marketing
Social networking sites such as Facebook have had a mutually beneficial relationship with marketing and advertising, and more recent social media have proven equally effective. Platforms like Twitter and Snapchat demonstrate that the internet is no longer just a place to connect with a youth-oriented demographic, but also a means of interacting with prospective customers. 87 per cent of Fortune 100 companies now use one or more social media websites, with Twitter being the most popular.
Leveraging the access social media provides, companies are reaching deeper into more niche markets. As the next several years unfold, marketing to the niche will become more and more important - as will the need for carefully targeted, highly personalized exchanges with consumers online.
Information Security Increases Demand For New Careers
With the recent National Security leaks of Edward Snowden, combined with North Korea's cyber-attacks on Sony and other businesses, firms both private and public have been left in a quandary, asking: Just how protected is our information? Students who attend college in the U.S., study in Italy, or pursue degrees in other parts of Europe witness firsthand the attempts of industry and government regulators to prevent security breaches of this kind.
The evolution of new security protocols such as facial recognition, fingerprint I.D., and other technologies under development will create career opportunities in data and risk management that students once only dreamed were possible.
Facial recognition has also provided an unexpected dividend in social media and marketing fields. Recent developments now allow shopping malls to identify customers and tailor promotional offers suited to their online profiles - again, business professionals can expect to see a huge leap forward in targeted marketing like this in the coming years.
Crowdfunding: The Grassroots Revolution
Not since presidential hopefuls George McGovern and Jimmy Carter pounded the pavement in the 70s has individual fundraising been so crucial in developing new ideas. Crowdfunding has been through its growing pains in recent years, but has proven an efficient way to generate capital for start-up businesses and new technologies. By lowering entry costs, eliminating costly brokerage fees and simplifying the legal structure of financial transactions, it has helped shorten the steps between a good idea and a fully realized company - great news for aspiring entrepreneurs who can’t wait to get a fresh concept off the ground!
Clean Technology: A Blend of Ideas and Ideology
Students who study abroad in Italy will get a ground floor view of the influence clean technology is exerting on the business market. The growing interest in the environmental impact of corporations has forced businesses to take the actions of their normal operations into account. This has created a demand to market environmentally friendly technologies internationally. The global market for clean technology in 2010 was estimated at approximately $1 trillion. By 2020 it is expected to triple. Within this decade, clean technology will be the third largest industry in the world, touching every aspect of modern life.
What global business trends do you find most inspiring and interesting?
