Welcome THE FUTURE CUSTOMER ISSUE ‘No plan of operations survives first contact with the enemy.’ It was Prussian military commander Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke, in the 19th century, who first issued this famous maxim. It has since been adopted by leaders in many fields, not only combat, and it will ring true for many marketers, too. Of course, marketers might wish to replace the term ‘enemy’ with ‘customers’, ‘prospects’ or ‘consumers’. It’s an interesting swap, however, because it reveals a rather negative outlook where there needn’t be one. A military force might know little about the true capabilities of its opponent before they meet, as each side does their utmost to keep their intentions secret. Marketing is different. Some ‘known unknowns’ will persist, but consumers are generally ready and willing to state their intentions – after all, they are asking marketers and brands for help in fulfilling their needs. Marketing needn’t be a guessing game, and plans of operation shouldn’t be developed on generalised assumptions. This becomes even more pertinent when it comes to considering the future. Marketing should always be looking ahead, considering how customer behaviour is changing, what is driving that change, and how business can respond to meet those fast-developing needs.Indeed, the idea of the future customer is not about the world of tomorrow, it’s about listening and taking action on the customer’s behalf today. Martin Bewick April 2018 See more at our Content Hub Follow us onTwitter Email us your suggestions for Catalyst cim.co.uk/exchange Contributors Phil Lattimore is a business and technology journalist and editor. He writes about marketing, technology and consumer issues, and edits business magazines for a variety of clients. Titles he has written for include The Guardian, the Mail on Sunday, Techradar. com and a broad range of consumer technology publications. Whooli Chen works with delicate palettes and sensitive ‘painterly’ layers to transport whimsical illustration to another realm. She received an MA in Illustration from the University of the Arts London, and is currently based in Taiwan. The editorial world is speckled with her work, including several covers for Little White Li. Catherine Turner is a freelance journalist and editor, based in the UK. She specialises in media, marketing, advertising, and digital industries, and has contributed to titles including Campaign, The Drum, and Marketing Week, where she was also previously features editor. Cara Bouwer is a freelance journalist based in South Africa. She spent a decade at Business Day newspaper and, as business editor, was part of the launch team at Destiny magazine. In 2009 she opened her own freelance consultancy. She writes for various publications and undertakes editing projects for major corporate clients.