Radicals, Revolutionaries, Challenges, Opportunities

Whilst the ever-articulate Richard says revolutionaries get shot and radicals get on, the ever-provocative Umair thinks that Lenin's communist experiment is the perfect analogy for what is happening these days, because the current changes are, "redefining the institutions, the raw economics engines, which define...a society, and an industry".  It's extremely hard to assess how great the changes taking place in the marketing world are.  After all change is pretty constant, and 'technology changes industry' isn't exactly a new story.  And yes, networked media driven by individuals is creating lots of challenges for corporations and brands but the motivations behind them - reputation, identity, expression, socialising, community, play - are central parts of the human make-up and as old as the hills.  So what to do?  Watch carefully, stay open-minded, remain flexible, challenge assumptions in constructive ways and build knowledge.   Easier said than done if you are a massive brand with a huge media legacy.  But day-to-day it's just challenges and opportunities, challenges and opportunities.

Comments

[Mike Smock]

Hi James,

Interesting post. I agree with:

"So what to do? Watch carefully, stay open-minded, remain flexible, challenge assumptions in constructive ways and build knowledge."

I don't agree with Umair's use of the Lenin analogy - just don't see the spark needed to set the masses to raising hell and storming the gates.