Modern Marketeers Love Change

Three years ago Jeff Jarvis was kind enough to share one of his presentations with me about the changing trends in media.  It provided a wonderful insight into the US market in 2004.  A lot has happened since then but Jarvis is still nailing the trends shaping the marketplace.  Here he is today: "The real lesson...is not about tools, skills or business forecasting. It is about embracing change, instilling a culture of innovation and experimentation and a willingness to question and try and fail...It’s not about establishing a new orthodoxy of a new media priesthood; I hope we never reach that."  He's talking about newspapers but modern maketeers everywhere should take note.  The landscape is not about the latest widgets or theories, there are too many to keep track of for one thing, but a deeper understanding and a willingness to act differently.  (You can see Jarvis here talking at Edelman).

Comments

[Graham Hill]

James

Perhaps not suprisingly, the need to embrace change - particularly the change that drives innovation, which in turn drives growth - comes around with every business boom. (People are too busy panicking and fighting fires during a bust to worry about change.)

I have been a consultant for over 20 years now and have seen several boom-bust cycles. Although we have different and better technology now (as you point out), the imperative to change to benefit from it is not all that new. And we are now in at the start of a business boom, let's not forget that.

But what is different compared to only 10 years ago is the speed with which things change. There is plenty of evidence that the rate of change is increasing; whether that is automobile lifecycles, new product introductions, mobile telephone calling plans, you name it, the rate of change is increasing.

That we have to change should be no suprise, but the rate at which we have to change perhaps is.

Graham Hill
Independent CRM Consultant
Interim CRM Manager

[James Cherkoff]

Thanks Graham, thoughtful as ever.