What Haven’t You Noticed Lately?
As I settle into my home office, surrounded by smart devices and the soft glow of ambient lighting, I find myself contemplating a question posed by media theorist Marshall McLuhan: “What haven’t you noticed lately?” It’s a deceptively simple query that carries profound implications for how we interact with our increasingly digital world, especially in the realm of marketing and business strategy.
In my role as an AI Advisor and fractional CMO consultant, I’m constantly analyzing the interplay between technology, human behavior, and business outcomes. Recently, I’ve been paying closer attention to what McLuhan called “sense ratios” — the balance of how we use our senses to perceive and interact with the world. In our digital age, this concept has become more relevant than ever.
McLuhan’s concept of sense ratios is particularly relevant in today’s digital age. As a media theorist, he posited that new media environments affect our senses, enhancing some while diminishing others. In our screen-dominated world, we’ve seen an overemphasis on sight and sound, often at the expense of our other senses. With the average person spending nearly seven hours daily in front of screens, this imbalance has profound implications for how we process information and interact with our environment.
In my line of work, I’ve observed how this shift impacts various aspects of business and daily life. From emotional processing to social communication, child development to customer experiences, the consequences of this sensory imbalance are far-reaching. For instance, smell and taste, which are directly connected to emotional processing areas of the brain, are often neglected in digital interactions. This could affect everything from virtual team dynamics to online customer engagement. As we design digital experiences and marketing strategies, it’s crucial to consider how we might compensate for this sensory imbalance to create richer, more engaging interactions.
I’ve also noticed a subtle shift in how we navigate our physical spaces. More and more, I find myself gently saying “excuse me” as I weave through stores, along sidewalks, or at the gym. People, deeply engrossed in their phones, seem less aware of their immediate surroundings. At the gym, I often see individuals sitting on exercise machines, their attention fully captured by their devices, seemingly unaware of others waiting to use the equipment. Or how about using my car horn more and more as people are unaware the light has changed from red to green?
These observations aren’t meant as mere criticism, but rather as a reflection of how our sense ratios are changing. Our smartphones have dramatically enhanced our visual and auditory engagement, often at the expense of other sensory inputs. This shift has profound implications for how we design user experiences, create marketing campaigns, and even structure our public spaces.
I’ve also noticed this phenomenon extending to family dynamics. During a recent dinner out, I couldn’t help but observe several families where children were engrossed in iPads, their attention pulled away from potential interactions with parents and siblings. As someone who values both technology and human connection, I found myself wondering about the long-term effects of these altered sense ratios on family communication and bonding.
These observations have led me to consider how we might design products and experiences that encourage a more balanced sensory engagement. For instance, I’ve been advising companies on how to create digital experiences that don’t just capture attention, but also encourage awareness of one’s physical environment and social connections.
In the e-commerce space, some innovative brands are incorporating augmented reality to allow customers to “feel” products virtually, attempting to rebalance the sense ratios in the digital shopping experience. This is a direct response to the sensory limitations of online platforms, and it’s fascinating to see how technology is being used to bridge this gap.
In the workplace, I’ve observed how the shift to remote work has altered our sense ratios. Video calls enhance our visual and auditory connections but often diminish our ability to pick up on subtle body language cues or the energy of a room. As a consultant, I’ve been advising companies on how to compensate for these changes, perhaps by incorporating more tactile elements into virtual team-building exercises or using AI-driven sentiment analysis to gauge team morale in the absence of in-person interactions.
Most of us all live in a digitally dependent world, so it’s crucial for business leaders and marketers to remember that our technologies are not just tools, but extensions of our senses that shape our perceptions in subtle ways. Understanding and leveraging these shifts in sense ratios can be a powerful differentiator in a crowded marketplace.
I invite you, as fellow business leaders and innovators, to join me in this exercise of noticing. Take a moment to consider how your products, services, or workplace dynamics might be altering the sense ratios of your customers or employees. How can we create experiences that engage multiple senses and encourage a balanced awareness of both digital and physical environments?
I’m excited about the potential of emerging technologies. But I’m equally committed to understanding and leveraging the nuanced ways these advances affect human behavior and business outcomes. By staying attuned to shifts in sense ratios and other subtle changes in our digital landscape, we can develop more effective strategies and create more meaningful connections with our audiences.
In the spirit of McLuhan, let’s challenge ourselves to notice the unnoticed, to see beyond the obvious metrics, and to remain curious about the subtle shifts in our digital ecosystem. After all, in the world of business and technology, it’s often the overlooked details that herald the most significant opportunities for innovation and growth — opportunities that can enhance both our digital experiences and our human connections.
