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January 30, 2009
Vision In The Fog
Obama's in the house, the economy's in the tank, and change is in the wind....
I was watching Bethany McLean, contributing editor to Vanity Fair, on PBS' NOW show where she noted that "in the wake of a collapse it is far more easy to regulate than in the middle of a boom." That line stuck in my head as I sat to write this entry. So, please excuse me for a little plagiarism, but here is my marketing spin on that line... "in the wake of a collapse it is far more easy to innovate than in the middle of a boom."
As I have noted before, marketers are amazingly non-adpative creatures of habit. Without compelling incentive to change, many marketers (especially in B2B) stayed true to their traditional marketing techniques even after the economy began to crumble around them. But, wIth businesses everywhere now suffering the brutal effects of the current recession, I am finding far more interest in trying out new ideas and exploring "emerging" marketing techniques. Companies that have been resolute in their adherence to traditional advertising, direct mail and lead generation processes suddenly are open to considering the use of social networking, lead nurturing, trackable media, negative WOM monitoring, etc.
Unfortunately for these late-comers, the changes they need most are not tactics. If you want to find better vision in the economic fog that we are all operating in, here are three suggestions for getting truly ready to adapt to the new marketing environment:
- Open Your Mind. Perhaps the most critical change to make in today's marketing environment is recognition of the pace of change. Don't get too comfortable with the present "best practices" since they will change as Gen Y ages-in to the workforce and as economic considerations evolve. Technology has come to marketing so expect the same furious pace of change that you see in tech markets.
- Give Up Control And Join The Conversation. Despite an interest in new tactics, I am not seeing broad acceptance of the implications of the shift in power from marketer to customer. You can't ignore blogs, discussion boards or online review sites...your brand is in-play whether or not you choose to participate in the conversation. Until you accept that religion, new tactics won't do much to turnaround underperforming marketing programs.
- Dynamic Information Rules. I hear a lot of emphasis on the creation of content...that's good. However, the formats that people continue to think in remain static. To make a business do a "Benjamin Button" and appear younger-and-fresher over time, content must be increasingly personal, ever-evolving and continually-updated.
Despite all the negative news that surrounds us, this is a refreshing time to be in marketing...the depth of the recession is opening lots of minds to new ideas. To make change happen in your world, start first with the way you think and the way you relate to your customers. From that new perspective, adapting to the potential of all the new tools and techniques will be easy.
Posted by jcioban at January 30, 2009 8:37 PM
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