About 20 years ago, I would often hear from old media hands that they hated what was going on in the advertising world. The lament usually went something such as this: “Just give me three, maybe four stations to buy, add a couple of cable channels and I am happy. All this online activity is ridiculous. I want to go back to 1980.” At the time, I patiently would say that times are changing and, to stay at this game, you need to shift gears and embrace new platforms in both media and marketing. It did not play well.
A week ago, I got a bit of a surprise. I was approached by phone by someone who used to correspond with me decades ago. She never worked with me or was a client, but she had been one of the dinosaurs in denial of the internet and digital revolution. To my amazement, she still operates in media buying broadcast for a few clients in the upper Midwest. Her lament was remarkably like my manufactured quote above.
The conversation was not simply sad. It got me thinking. How many other digital deniers are still out there? They obviously are not dealing with Fortune 500 companies, nor do they likely have lush budgets from the clients they still maintain. What gnawed at me was how the clients must be getting shortchanged. Fifteen years ago, we looked at those who limited efforts only to conventional media as primitives. Now, it is unconscionable.
So, please keep learning. Stay on top of changes and continue to test new platforms or venues. Some will work, some will not but you will be doing your duty as a steward of clients’ funds.
Change is not easy for any of us. Shifting gears with communications strategy and tactics is essential.
If you would like to contact Don Cole directly, you may reach him at doncolemedia@gmail.com or leave a message on the blog.
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