A global sense of urgency to fix the problems of a modern world

When I started this article, I swore I would not write about "going green" as one of the megatrends. It certainly is a big deal, but it's one that has been thrust so far into the limelight that it's no longer an opportunity to differentiate. Being green is a minimum standard.

What do I mean by minimum standard? Take the airlines. Whoever came up with the concept of frequent flier miles had a great differentiator for business travelers. It was so great, that soon everyone else in the industry followed suit and now having an incentive program for frequent fliers is a minimum standard in the industry. Every airline must have one to compete.

Virtually every brand in every category has a green story these days.

But being green is symptomatic of another megatrend that is influencing the world on a massive scale -- a global sense of urgency.

It's no secret to anyone that... well... we're screwed. The planet is falling apart. We've got global warming, pollution, overcrowded cities, not enough energy, we're running out of water, and running out of fish.

But the eco message is just the tip of the melting iceberg. Advances in technology have put fixes to so many challenges within reach. Conventional wisdom now begs to ask: Why wouldn't we take advantage of solutions available to us? Why wouldn't we digitize health care? Why wouldn't we use smart toll systems to ease traffic jams? Why wouldn't we implement technology to make our school systems more efficient?

Today, governments and enterprises around the world are rushing to play catch-up. They sense the urgency. To wise up. To get smart.

The brand that gets it: IBM
IBM has wrapped its big blue arms around the massive sense of urgency that is sweeping the globe with its campaign for "A Smarter Planet."

The campaign overview page on IBM's website sums it up:

"The technology is here.
The people are ready.
The time is now."

This looks far beyond the important-but-limited scope of coming up with new ways to conserve energy or limit emissions -- the subject of so many campaigns targeting the "think green" mindset. In addition to energy, water, and construction, IBM's "Smarter Planet" campaign encompasses solutions for traffic, cities, banking, retail, education, telecom, and health care.

But the campaign is also about aspiration. About fixing things before it's too late. It's optimistic. It's motivating. It's the kind of message that Americans swarmed to when they elected Barack Obama.

And best of all, it's tangible. Which makes it empowering.

"A less expensive energy bill. A package that gets delivered in two days instead of seven. Quarterly school reports available online. Bit by bit, our planet is getting smarter. By this, we mean the systems that run the way we live and work as a society."

This is how IBM is describing its vision for a smarter planet. It's talking about all the different ways to make a difference from a 10,000-foot view and then bringing it down to tangible solutions provided by IBM to make a smarter planet a reality.

Tactically, I think IBM is also doing a great job integrating this message across every advertising touchpoint and using social media to reinforce thought leadership. It's using Tumblr as part of this effort, a powerful, yet simple tool that I personally think has the potential to be the next big thing in social media. Think of the consumable nature of Twitter, but the ability to post and tag anything -- videos, pictures, and prose.

This is smart marketing. I anticipate that many readers of this article are deep into planning for 2010 right now. Before you close that PowerPoint presentation, I advise you to take a step back and ask yourself, "Am I missing something? Is there a bigger opportunity here?"

We live in a time of tumultuous change. That means there are huge opportunities out there, waiting for marketers with the foresight to find them and the courage to act on them. There just might be a megatrend out there waiting for you.

Adam Kleinberg is CEO of Traction.

On Twitter? Follow Kleinberg at @adamkleinberg. Follow iMedia Connection at @iMediaTweet.