Take a look at some of the names that bought Super Bowl airtime during Tom Brady’s first Super Bowl rodeo. Notice a theme?
Sometimes it is easy to forget just how disruptive the Internet and associated services and technologies have been. So many of the companies that had the bucks to spend on Super Bowl commercials less than 20 years ago are gone (or almost gone) now. Sure, some of these companies (like Radio Shack and Sears) had been fading for years or even decades. But others (like Blockbuster and CompUSA) disappeared seemingly in the blink of an eye just after being at their peak.
Nostalgia aside, this isn't a bad thing. New technologies and competitors have made things cheaper and better. While I may sometimes miss roaming the aisles of blockbuster looking for movies to rent over the weekend, do I really want to give up the convenience of streaming and the cheaper on average costs? I don't think so.
As it gains popularity, cryptocurrency now seems likely to be the next big disruptor. However, banks, credit companies and the financial industry in general are going to be much harder targets than the likes of Blockbuster and Radio Shack. Nevertheless, the technology is here and competition is on the way.