The End is Near…Now the Work Begins
If you are not living in a cave, I am sure you have been immersed in the flood of reports regarding the end of so many media formats (email, print, newspapers, direct mail, books), the list is endless. To that end, you have also heard the points on both sides, from very experienced and well regarded icons in their fields, and now are probably hoping they move on to something new.
My concern is not so much with the natural progression of media, the birth and death of tactics and vehicles of communication and expression; my concern is regarding time. Most “traditional” media took some time to establish itself. The normal bell curve for print, newspapers and books encompasses many decades and longer. As we approach the newer forms of media, this curve becomes more flattened and the speed of adoption is instantaneous and amazing.
Email is an interesting study. Started in the 1960’s at MIT, email by 2008 had become, “..the bane of some people’s professional lives.” – NY Times. However, fifty years is certainly not a long time and email only really took off with wide adoption in the 1980’s. Is it now dead? The larger question is, ‘What will replace it, and for how long?”
If adoption to death is in hyper-drive, how can the consumer and marketer survive? For larger organizations and those still holding on to the past, it could mean the end of the road, the current auto-industry and many large print and newspaper publishers are a prime example.
How to survive and thrive can be found where the innovators are. Here is a place to begin or here or here. Drucker, Peters, Friedman, Gilbert, Godin, Anderson, Moddelmog, Kelley, Kawasaki, Handley – all innovators, all great people to study and follow. The list is extensive. Get busy!
You must, however begin the work. By being selective, Twitter can also be a great place to follow innovation. Only follow those who consistently give you great links to valuable information that propel your marketing programs forward. Also, your career is changing right before your eyes, so staying on the cutting edge will make you more valuable and marketable.
Remember, be selective…you don’t have much time to waste.
