My latest MediaPost Online Spin column:
In a previous Online Spin, "The Opportunity Cost of Inertia,â I wrote about a keynote I delivered to a room filled with senior brand marketers at the ANAâs (Association of National Advertisers) digital and social media conference last July.
At the end of my presentation, I challenged the audience to do one thing in the remaining six months of the year: test or pilot an innovation program that took them out of their comfort zones and allowed them to experience an emerging technology or perhaps just one platform they were deficient in.
I invited the brands to call me on New Yearâs Eve, saying I would be close to my phone and looked forward to hearing a first-person account of their program, what theyâd learned in the process, what they would do differently -- and most importantly, what they would do next.
Dec. 31 came. Dec. 31 went. The phone didnât ring.
Even sadder was that I always knew it wouldnât.
But why?
Scenario A: The overflowing glass
In this exceptional scenario, the brands were already piloting, accelerating, even investing in technology, platforms, startups and/or projects designed to obliterate their competition. They didnât call because they didnât need to call. They had successfully moved beyond dipping their toes in the water and didnât need me to give them a gentle nudge (shove) into the blue ocean.
To them, I say: Youâre awesome, but you still should have called. At the very minimum, Iâll profile you and your company in my next book. While I recognize your need not to share your successes with the outside world, you are in fact so far ahead that the others may never catch up. Plus, this is the sharing economy -- and if you want to learn from others, you should contribute to the growing pool of best practices and case studies.
Scenario B: The glass half-full
Letâs say every marketer left the event energized and emboldened to innovate. They ignored the hundreds of political and yet banal emails. They even delegated the âfiresâ back at the office to underlings. Instead, they piloted to their heartâs content. So why didnât they call? Perhaps they thought I was joking. Perhaps they figured their job was done when they checked 1 x pilot program from their 2013 to-do list.
To them, I say: The only way to keep on innovating⦠is to keep on innovating. Now that youâve completed one successful program, what will you do next? Innovation is a journey, not a destination and you will NEVER reach the finish line. Whether covering the digital, social, mobile or emerging categories, there will ALWAYS be an area where youâre lagging.
Scenario C: The glass half-empty
Same as earlier, except the programs didnât work as well as perhaps was anticipated. Why didnât they call? These brands didnât want to admit failure, and so they refrained from calling out of empathy and consideration: they just didnât want to let me down.
To them I say: Keep your head up. You are all winners. There is no such thing as failure in the Age of Improv. Itâs all about the pivot. Donât give up. Youâll be so much better next time.
Scenario D: The empty glass
Flatline. You did nothing. You forgot. You didnât care. You were distracted. You didnât have enough bandwidth. Your agency talked you out of it. Your boss talked you out of it. You couldnât sell it. You gave up. You didnât believe. You didnât care. You werenât motivated enough. Something came up.
Pick your poison. This is not mutually exclusive multiple choice. Check all that apply.
To them I say: you just lost ANOTHER six months. You bet the farm on the status quo, with hope springing eternal that the IPSOS data would be your salvation. You put your stock in the new tagline or campaign or promotion and the result was crickets. And in July of 2014, when the next speaker challenges you, you will have lost yet another six months.
Stop the rot. Make that change. Commit to action. Time flies when youâre stuck in purgatory, waiting in vain and resigned to die.
Those are my four scenarios. If you were in the audience, which one did you fit into? And if you werenât there, which one do you think was the more likely scenario?
I think you know which one I believe is the more realistic outcome.
Why is this the case?
What needs to change to avoid this mindless reenactment of Groundhog Day?
The clock is ticking. Or maybe itâs just stuck.
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