I have been extremely riled the past few days...and my posts and Tweets I think have been a bit more pessimistic than usual. The bottom line is that much has to change in the marketing industry as a whole, and the ramifications of those very high level philosophical changes will eventually have an impact on practice and process for sure. But like everything, it will take time. Time! The very thing the digital landscape eats for breakfast. That marketing as an industry, and agencies as its constituents, needs to adapt is well-known...but the process can be slow and murky and its an interesting time to be in the mix of it all.
So, on a more positive note-- I do believe change will happen, that the paradigm shift in marketing's attitude towards consumers, in particular the "digital consumer" (an already semi-redundant term) will occur...but not without growing pains. And instead of griping about how idiotic agencies can be, I suppose now I'll turn my energies to being part of the solution. OMG. Yes, I just said that..."part of the solution." LOL....but seriously!
And someday, it'll all be digital ash in a digital urn anyway (oh puke, she made a Bright Eyes reference). :)
5.07.2008
Change
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4 comments:
Exactly! Like I twittered to you while back, you should be speaking at ad:tech!
And the concept that the website is not a brochure and people interact on the Internet has only hit as a recent idea (not even a decade ago). It's taken so long for people not to post their brochure as a website, it'll take longer to understand that: 1) people are social; so guess what 2) the Internet is social.
Human organizations can change at notoriously slow levels. Agencies and companies get pressure from the marketplace. Imagine how slowly things change in gov't, which face no market pressure and almost no competition.
You know what's funny...many of my earlier blog posts were nearly identical rants about how Marketing needs to change, Advertising's out of touch, and DOESN'T ANYONE IN THOSE FIELDS SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING?!? Very much along the same lines of your more ranty posts. :) When it's crystal clear and others for whatever reason are hesitant, reticent, scared shitless, whatever, and happy shiny methods of leading them to water don't work, it's very frustrating. And of course the older you get, the less people seem to be about change and more about holding onto what they know.
I would counsel you that things will come around, in fact, it seems like they're slowly coming around right now. Sure, there are a lot of hangers-on, wannabees, people spouting off about social this or engagement that and clearly are just trying to build their own biz, ego or both. I ran into many of the same kinds of people during the 1.0 bubble, trust me. The good news is that if you are immersed in this stuff, study it, are fascinated by it, believe in it, practice it for your vocation, you'll go far and do well and it'll be genuine.
It's often tough to lead marketers to water. There is incredible pressure on the lot of them. Job tenure is at an all-time low. Everyone has an evidently-equally-loud opinion. Inane time shrinkage and spiraling expectations have turned much of marketing into photoshop burger-flipping. People are financially overextended and scared shitless. Trying to inject change into this mix, even knowing it could help them have more success, is difficult at best. Be aware that many marketers are interested, want to do something, yet the realities of the biz make it nearly impossible. Carrot vs. stick and cheerleading is better than "don't you get it?!?" :) Again, trust me, my approach was similar and time and exposure to these folks has helped me rant less and be more coaching with them.
Does any of that make sense?
@Weave that sounds like sage advice and good insight into the industry and how to make change..thanks!
For what it's worth, you're absolutely SPOT. FRICKIN. ON. with your perspective on where this is all going. One of the first things I saw on your blog was a video where you were recording your thoughts. I was super-impressed by your thinking (I don't say that lightly) and immediately told our folks, "jesus, you've got to hire this woman!" Totally, uncannily 100% along the same lines as many of the folks at my firm.
I felt compelled to post my missive because I could tell from your tweets that you were getting more and more frustrated with people incorrectly babbling about engagement, "social media", etc. Been there! Recognized some of the same frustrations I've had in the past, so hopefully my long-winded comment didn't sound like preaching. Unlike some of the tech-obsesssed or opportunistic BBA-turned-pundits, you have an intelligence, perspective and a passion for this biz that I RARELY see in combination. It's very cool. You will go far!
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